The New York Knicks are experiencing their most success in the NBA playoffs since 2000, the last time they reached the Eastern Conference Finals. The team has received widespread media attention—and rightly so—being one of the most supported franchises in the NBA, with an uproar from their loud and passionate fanbase. This reaction is on par, and Knicks superfan Gary Vaynerchuk has an explanation that stems from something he heard in 1992.
Advertisement
Traditionally, when a team advances from the second round, there are celebrations—but nothing too intense. Knicks fans, however, may not be able to relate. The city of New York was in shambles after the Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in six games in the semifinals.
So far, the energy surrounding the Knicks in their Eastern Conference Finals bout against the Indiana Pacers has been electric. ‘Where does so much passion come from?’ Miami Heat legend Udonis Haslem wondered — and Gary Vee had an answer.
Vee has followed the Knicks his entire life, but he always comes back to a specific comment made by radio host Mike Francesa, which changed the way he viewed sports in the Big Apple.
“The Knicks beat the Bulls in a second-round playoff game [in 1992],” Gary Vee said on Haslem’s The OGs podcast. “Mike Francesa said something to this day I have never forgotten. He said, ‘We got the New York Yankees. We got the New York Giants. But let there be no confusion, New York is a Knicks town.”
Those words resonated strongly within Gary’s heart. They opened his eyes to why the city celebrated so much for one simple win against the Bulls.
Those words became prevalent once more when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving chose to join the Brooklyn Nets instead of the Knicks. New York acquired Julius Randle, which seemed like a consolation, yet the buzz around the city was exhilarating after they clinched a playoff berth in 2021.
That feeling has reached significantly greater heights with the 2024–25 roster. Fans don’t just feel relevant again—there is legitimate hope that the team can compete for a championship. A potential Knicks title would break a 51-year drought, which is the fifth-longest active drought in the NBA.
Gary Vee recognizes this drought and believes it’s playing a role in how Knicks fans are acting. “Knicks fans are just so hungry, it’s been such a long drought, and we want it bad,” Gary Vee said.
New York is just three wins away from reaching the NBA Finals and one step closer to breaking that dry spell. An appearance on the league’s biggest stage would spark a slew of narratives—chief among them, Jalen Brunson’s place among Knicks greats.
The Knicks currently trail 2-1 in their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Pacers. They’ll look to keep their championship hopes alive and even the series at two games apiece with a crucial Game 4 tonight in Indiana.
