The New York Knicks finally won a trophy, and it was only fitting that their most famous fan, filmmaker Spike Lee, was right there in the front row. He was one of the people who enjoyed the night the most in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The New York team defeated the opposition 124-113, powered by a strong performance from OG Anunoby (28 points) and superstar Jalen Brunson (25 points). The NBA Cup finally goes to a franchise that hadn’t won a league title in over 50 years.
Spike Lee lived It to the fullest
It was 1973 when a 16-year-old Spike Lee got to see the Knicks become champions at Madison Square Garden. Now, as one of the franchise’s most loyal supporters, he was caught on camera soaking up every moment of the evening.
Cameras captured the director filming the moment his team closed out the game, as well as one of the night’s sublime highlights when he yelled something at De’Aaron Fox about what he shouldn’t be doing on the court.
The Knicks not only took the trophy home, but players on standard contracts also received a bonus of just over $318,000 for winning – bringing their total earnings from the tournament to more than $530,000 simply for reaching the final.
The game had no impact on the regular-season standings, so both teams remain at 18-7 and atop their respective divisions.
Reaching the final is also a positive sign for both squads. The previous four NBA Cup finalists – the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Milwaukee Bucks – all made the playoffs. Of those, Indiana reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024, while Oklahoma City won the NBA championship last season.
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