The Knicks have transformed their aspirations into achievements.
New York’s celebrated team in orange and blue has become a beacon of inspiration for a new wave of players eager to elevate their game at Long Island high school gyms next fall. These young athletes have drawn motivation from the 2026 NBA champions, realizing that no dream is out of reach.
“The Knicks had to wait a long time, but it came, and I feel like for anybody, you just take that into your own life,” Sachem North forward Jacob Steffens shared with The Post, reflecting on the end of the 53-year drought.
“We haven’t made a long playoff run in a long time, we haven’t won our league in 20 years, so I think it could just keep going after it,” added his teammate, guard Sean Galvan.
Greenport guard and all-county standout Troy Myers is absorbing much of the Knicks’ winning strategy, which he plans to carry forward with the Porters in the coming year.
“Nobody on their team has egos; everybody plays together. I just love how they all bond together, even in tough times,” Myers noted. Having recently moved from North Carolina, he has quickly become a Knicks enthusiast. “When games get tougher, we all just have to stay together. … When we get down, we just can’t let ourselves be down about it. We’ve had to keep going and just keep pushing.”
Delaney Walters from New York state Catholic league champion St. Mary’s High School observed a similar spirit in Jalen Brunson’s team, as the Lady Gaels strive for another championship.
“A big thing about them this year was just never giving up. … They definitely didn’t sulk when something didn’t go right, like they just kept their head up and they just kept playing,” the guard remarked.
attended the Knicks ticker-tape parade with friends. Photo courtesy of Matt Grande
“They taught me when things aren’t going how I plan them to go on the court, or if my shots aren’t falling, not to keep my head down, just keep my head up, and just go for the next play,” she added.
Other champions, like Matt Grande from the Nassau title-winning South Side Cyclones, relate to the experience of being underestimated. Their star guard, John Pericolosi, was injured midseason, yet they persevered.
“The Knicks are an underdog story because they were just so bad for so long, I feel like that’s kind of the same way with us,” said Grande, who was all smiles at the parade on Thursday.
“Everybody wants to win again. I feel like that was with the Knicks, too — the last guy on the bench to Brunson and the starters encouraging each other … that’s a big role we saw with the Knicks to bring to our gym.”
