Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. The famous line from Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare, written over 400 years ago, is still an ominous caution to those who sit atop a throne.
Henry IV was the king of England. The Knicks are the kings of the NBA.
After defeating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the Finals in June, winning the franchise’s first league title since 1973 — 53 long, agonizing years — the Knicks will now experience the weight of the crown they wear until they get dethroned.
“Obviously, we know what it takes, but just going into this with the same mindset for this journey. It’s a new journey, it’s a different journey, the approach has to be the same, if not better,” said Knicks guard Jalen Brunson on Monday at the team’s Media Day.
The euphoria they elicited in New York, their rapturous parade down the Canyon of Heroes, and gatherings at locals hundreds and thousands of miles away from the city where their expansive fan base celebrated, rightfully linger going into the 2026-2027 season.
The Knicks’ championship run etched them in sports lore. They became a global news story, transcending sports.
Brunson, the Finals MVP, has attained A-list celebrity status —- certified when he hosted the 52nd season premiere of the iconic sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live last weekend. Fellow starters Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, and head coach Mike Brown, are deservedly feted at every venue and every street corner that they appear at. Brooklyn native Jose Alvarado, who lived out a boyhood dream earning a title with his hometown team, will forever be remembered and beloved by his city.
The Knicks galvanized the masses, bringing together people of various ethnicities, religious faiths, political and social ideologies, under one massive, inclusive sports tent. They emerged as a much-needed, rare unifying force at a time of deep division in this city, this country.
Alas, summer is over. The start of the regular season is just three weeks away. The Knicks will raise their championship banner and be presented their championship rings at a ceremony at Madison Square Garden on October 20, when they open their new campaign against the Philadelphia 76ers — the enhanced 76ers with LeBron James and Jalen Brown and the team many project to be the Knicks’ primary challenger in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks are acutely aware that their success, their reign as king, can be fleeting. It is inherent in the current NBA landscape in which the last franchise to win back-to-back titles was the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors.
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
