Austin Reaves Shares One Big Reason Why Knicks Won NBA

There are so many individual factors that went into the New York Knicks' historic playoff run that ultimately culminated in the franchise's first NBA championship in over 50 years, but above all else that quality that got them through it all was their connectivity.

That quality and the Knicks' devotion to it was something that both the Knicks players and their coach Mike Brown spoke about often as they were torching their opponents on the way to the NBA Finals. No one made it about themselves, no one strived for credit and whenever the occasion arose, they were quick to praise one another.

To win a NBA championship obviously takes talent and athleticism, but there's also so many layers of intangible qualities that go into making a team successful, above all else their connection and devotion to one another, what some call the power of friendship.

"Our goal…

Is to build a sustainable winning culture

That produces championships

That's why I'm here"

, Mike Brown, hired a year ago today to coach the Knicks pic.twitter.com/Alm5kOtKSR

, New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) July 7, 2026

The Strength of Connection

The Knicks had that in abundance and it was a quality that stood out so much that Los Angeles Lakers star Austin Reaves pointed to their connection as the main driving force of their championship during an interview with Dan Patrick during the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament.

“I think that shows on the basketball court,” Reaves said (via Heavy.com). “They care for one another. They play for one another. And that’s... something you want to build.”

Looking at the way that the Knicks were constructed, it's easy to see why they had such a strong connection with one another. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges were all college teammates at Villanova, winning one NCAA championship as a trio while Brunson and Bridges won another after Hart had graduated.

Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jose Alvarado all grew up Knicks fans and Alvarado was from the city itself, so they all understood what it meant to be in that position and devoted themselves to the task.

Brown Holding It Together

And above it all was Brown, who fostered good relationships and accountability on and off the court, often deflecting praise to his players and his coaching staff and being quick to take the blame himself when things went wrong.

This devotion and connection poured out on the court, with different players stepping up in different ways every single game, whether it was outstanding defense or rebounding or shooting. The Knicks picked each other up, complimented each other with passing and movement and motivated each other when things were hard.

New York Knicks guards Jose Alvarado and guard Miles McBride celebrate during a ceremony at New York City Hall after the championship parade. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It's that spirit of togetherness that took them through a dominant 13-game playoff winning streak and the spirt that buoyed them each time that the San Antonio Spurs surged ahead, only to be met with four different late game comebacks.

Reaves saw the same way that the rest of the basketball world saw it. The Knicks played for each other and it won them a championship.