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The New York Mikals are your NBA Champi- I mean, the New York Knicks are your NBA Champions. This has honestly come as quite a shock to me. The Knicks were not the championship favorites coming into the season, the playoffs, the Conference Finals, or even the NBA Finals.
I, like many foolish people, watched the Western Conference Finals thinking that I was watching the deciding series of the playoffs. Surely either the Thunder or the Spurs would take down any team in the East over the course of seven games, right?
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Apparently not.
I am elated by this outcome, though. Not only do I love to see the Spurs lose, but I loved watching one of my all-time favorite Suns win a chip. Most of all, though, I love what this outcome tells us about the NBA in the modern era.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Mikal Bridges #25 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When I think of the NBA, I think of dynasties. I think of Magic and Bird, Jordan, Kobe, Shaq, Duncan, LeBron, Wade, Steph. I don’t think of Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups. The NBA, more than any other sport, is defined by its dynasty-building superstars. That is the image that has skyrocketed the NBA brand to its current popularity.
But, the NBA has implemented many changes in recent years to break the chain of dynasties and lead us to our current parity paradise. The most impactful of these changes was the second apron, forcing teams to break up talented cores and make tough choices about who to keep. In many ways, this new parity era has taken the NBA away from its previous dynasty-heavy identity to something more akin to the MLB.
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Until very recently, when the Dodgers decided to ruin the game I…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/knicks-suns-parity-era-000000848.html
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Publish date : 2026-06-16 00:00:00
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