James Dolan stood at the podium during the Knicks’ championship celebration on Thursday, after New York capped its 2026 Finals run with a 94-90 Game 5 win over the San Antonio Spurs. In a direct message to the fans, the 71-year-old owner said the franchise wil
The Knicks’ celebration on Thursday felt like it was still catching up to itself—parade energy stretching into the final moments of a season that ended in a title. After winning the 2026 NBA Finals with a 94-90 Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. June 13. New York gathered for the last leg of the festivities. and owner James Dolan stepped forward to face the fans who have stuck with the franchise through decades of waiting.
At the podium, Dolan spoke directly to the crowd, thanking the fanbase twice for supporting the team over the years. The 71-year-old didn’t treat the moment as a victory lap only. He framed it as momentum—something the Knicks intend to carry forward, even when the standard just got impossibly high.
“Thank you for supporting our team,” Dolan said. “We’re gonna keep working to bring you even better basketball, although it’s hard to imagine that we get much better than this. But we will, right fellas?” He then added: “And thank you again for your support.”
Dolan’s message landed in a year that snapped a 53-year wait. The Knicks’ last championship came in 1973, one of the NBA’s longest droughts. Only the Sacramento Kings (75 years) and Atlanta Hawks (68 years) have had— and still have—longer championship absences.
This title also marks a different kind of milestone for Dolan himself. It’s the first championship won by a team owned by James Dolan. The New York Rangers. the famed hockey franchise he also controls. haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1994—about five years before Dolan became the owner of the organization.
The contrast is hard to ignore: a drought finally ends, and yet the work begins immediately. The next test is not about celebrating what already happened—it’s about proving it can last. The Knicks will have their work cut out for them if they’re going to repeat next season. because there hasn’t been a repeat champion since the Golden State Warriors won the title in 2017 and 2018.
In the end. the scene at the final destination of the parade carried a clear message from the owner: gratitude first. then insistence that the franchise won’t simply settle into history. For a fanbase that endured years of “next time. ” Dolan’s words sounded like a promise that the Knicks plan to chase something even harder than a comeback—from hope to standard to consequence.
New York Knicks James Dolan Knicks fans 2026 NBA Finals San Antonio Spurs Game 5 94-90 championship celebration 53-year drought NBA repeat champions
He “thanks fans” but I’m still confused how it took 53 years like… what was the plan lol
So is this saying the Spurs blew a 53-year lead or something? 😂 Either way congrats Knicks I guess. Dolan finally did a good thing for once.
Wait, why is this about the Rangers too? I thought this was a basketball article. Also I saw “hard to imagine we get much better” and I’m like… ok so does that mean they’ll just sit on the championship? sounds risky.
Dolan thanking fans is cool and all but he’s the same guy who always gets blamed. I don’t trust the “momentum” talk, teams say that every year and then it’s injuries, bad trades, blah blah. But hey 94-90 is literally a one-possession game, so I’m not even sure if this title was “easy” at all. Congrats though, I guess, even if the next season is gonna be chaos.