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"I'm sorry it took so long" - James Dolan had one thing to get off his chest after the Knicks won it all
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- "I'm sorry it took so long" - James Dolan had one thing to get off his chest after the Knicks won it all
The New York Knicks are the 2026 NBA champions, snapping the storied franchise's 53-year championship drought. Now they are rejoicing alongside the people who helped make this happen behind the scenes, particularly owner James Dolan and general manager Leon Rose.
But while everyone was caught up in the celebration, Dolan took the time during the trophy ceremony to send an important message to all the Knicks fans, from the courtside to the nosebleed and to everyone celebrating in the streets of New York:
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"Hey, New York, I'm sorry it took so long," the owner said as the Knicks were presented with the Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time since 1973. "But here we are, and hopefully it won't take that long again. Yeah!"
Apology accepted?
Not all Knicks fans had the luxury of traveling all the way to Frostbank Center to support their hometown team in Game 5. Fortunately for them, the city hosted several watch parties, including one outside Madison Square Garden. They were also able to watch the game on 130 kiosks across the city.
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And they witnessed Jalen Brunson power the Knicks with a 45-point performance, delivering what many of them had longed for over the past five decades. They watched the emotions, the celebrations, the postgame interviews, the ceremony and of course Dolan's apology to the fanbase.
A video of fans watching Dolan's message during a watch party at Radio City went viral on X. Dolan became the owner in 1999, which was coincidentally the last year the Knicks made the Finals until this season. And these fans had mixed reactions to his words.
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The Knicks' culture
With Brunson at the helm, the Knicks defeated the young Victor Wembanyama-led San Antonio Spurs , 94-90. But as Brunson, who was hailed the Finals MVP, and the other Knicks have pointed out after the game, it took everyone to bring the championship back to New York.
They could not have done it without Brunson's shotmaking, Karl-Anthony Towns ' all-around play, OG Anunoby 's consistency, Mikal Bridges ' experience, Josh Hart 's hustle, the dependable contributions of the bench and Mike Brown's brilliant coaching.
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This year's roster was the product of a series of bold front-office decisions by Rose, who molded it into a championship-caliber squad through blockbuster trades, free-agent signings (Brunson in 2022), and salary-cap maneuvering. He was hired as the GM in 2020. However, he gave all the credit to the newly crowned champions and to the winning "caring" culture the franchise has cultivated.
"There aren't really words you can put into what these guys have done, the character that they have, the fight they have, the grit they have, the never-say-die," Rose said. "Just by caring about each other and making sure that we all look out for one another, have each other's back, sacrifice, and do it for the better good."
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The Knicks will bring the celebration to Manhattan on Thursday, where fans who waited for so long will finally get their parade.
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.
