More than fifty years after the last NBA championship banner was raised at Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks are once again celebrating a title. It’s not the Larry O’Brien Trophy, but the 2025 NBA Cup represents a strong, tangible statement – far from symbolic – for a team with legitimate ambitions.

In Las Vegas, New York rallies past the San Antonio Spurs 124 – 113, lifting the trophy and crowning Jalen Brunson as the tournament’s MVP.

It’s great, and we’re going to enjoy it. But once we start from here, we move forward.

Jalen Brunson

The face of the night is Jalen Brunson, who scores 25 points and earns MVP honors. Alongside him, a dominant OG Anunoby pours in 28 points, delivering in every key moment.

OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson – they all played great tonight. Without them, we wouldn’t have won this… this game.

Jalen Brunson

A quote that perfectly captures the Knicks’ mindset: satisfaction, yes – complacency, no.

A Team Built to Win

What New York showed in Las Vegas looked like a championship-caliber team, at least in terms of mentality and ambition. Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges know what it means to cut down the nets – they’ve done it together before at Villanova – and that experience shows when the pressure rises.

Head coach Mike Brown highlighted that exact point:

When you get into a single-elimination stage, every game matters. If you want to be who you think you are, pressure is inevitable. Winning builds confidence throughout the entire organization.

Mike Brown

Karl-Anthony Towns’ Impact

Karl-Anthony Towns also made his presence felt, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds despite dealing with a calf issue that limited him at times. Careful management, a return in crunch time, and still a meaningful impact.

For the Spurs, Dylan Harper led the way with 21 points, followed by Victor Wembanyama (18) and De’Aaron Fox (16). Wembanyama left the postgame press conference early, explaining that he had just lost a loved one.

Head coach Mitch Johnson summed up San Antonio’s moment like this:

After 25 games, we’ve shown we can be a good team, but also that we still have a lot to improve. Tonight, we were right there.

Mitch Johnson

Trophy, Bonus Money, and Future Signals

Along with the trophy, the Knicks also take home a significant financial bonus: $318,560 for each player on a standard contract, totaling $530,933 when factoring in the full run to the final.

The game does not count toward the NBA standings, with both teams remaining at 18-7, atop their respective divisions.

But the most interesting takeaway looks ahead. Every team that has reached the NBA Cup Final in previous editions has gone on to make the playoffs. The Pacers reached the Conference Finals in 2024, while Oklahoma City won the NBA championship last season.

For New York, this trophy could be far more than just a moment in time.