For half a century, the New York Knicks have possessed one of the most loyal fan bases in professional sports. Some fans, such as Spike Lee, remained devoted through every high and low, witnessing heartbreaking playoff exits, failing dynasties, and years of frustration. Put simply, many fans spend their entire lives waiting to see the Knicks return to the pinnacle of NBA basketball.
Now that the Knicks have finally ended their 53-year championship drought by beating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy, it seems more celebrities than ever are willing to join the franchise's success. However, if there is one person who is not going to let every celebrity jump on the Knicks bandwagon, it's Charles Barkley .
Never the one to mince his words, Barkley might be content with seeing former Knicks players show up to celebrate the team's success, but not celebrities. Even if it's a Hollywood sensation, Sydney Sweeney.
Game 5 on Saturday night was the place for the Knicks to end their championship drought on the road, finally. And as dedicated supporters like Timothee Chalamet, former players like Patrick Ewing, among others, sat in San Antonio to witness history, so did Sydney Sweeney.
Barkley, however, was not ready to hand out membership cards.
"Sidney Sweeney is here?" Barkley questioned on a live broadcast. "Everybody is a New York Knicks fan now. Come on, man."
While some fans would appreciate Sydney showing up and perhaps being the lucky charm whose presence helped the Knicks register yet another comeback win, the true catalyst and protagonist of this triumph is Jalen Brunson . His performance was nothing short of legendary.
Let alone the fact that Brunson scored 45 points, the most by a Knicks player in an NBA Finals contest, it was also the third-most points ever in an NBA Finals-clinching win. To further emphasize the significance of his achievement, JB also became the first player after Michael Jordan in 1998 to score 15 points in the fourth quarter of a championship-winning game.
However, what made Brunson's performance even more iconic was the burden he had to carry throughout. With the entire Knicks bench combining for less than 10 points and no other team starter scoring even 15 points, Jalen's 45 points on 14-of-27 shooting from the field came against a Spurs offense that was constantly hassling him with double teams.
This is why, while A-lister celebrities, former players and fans across the world celebrate the championship, much of the credit belongs to Brunson. He delivered the greatest and most clutch performance in franchise history in a contest where every other Knick clearly ran out of gas.
Nevertheless, who knows if Sydney arrives more frequently for NBA games and is more apparent courtside for Barkley, she could be allowed a pass into the Knicks fan club from next season.
Related: Knicks fans think Taylor Swift brought the luck that Donald Trump couldn't
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
