New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns made a pointed reference to the Cavaliers' playoff performance during his appearance at the 2026 ESPY Awards.
Speaking to ESPN on Wednesday night at Lincoln Center, Towns alluded to Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson's earlier comments about his team being "analytically" superior to the Knicks during their Eastern Conference Finals matchup. "Analytically, we should win this one. We should win this one analytically," Towns said.
Atkinson had stated after Game 3 of the series that his team had been analytically superior to the Knicks, despite trailing in the series. "I think analytically, I think we’ve won I said three out of three, I think we’re two out of three in the [expected score] … we’ve won two out of three," Atkinson had said. "And I know you’re looking confused, but … if you believe in process and all that, take that layer."
The Knicks ultimately swept the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Following that series, New York went on to defeat the Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Finals in 27 years. The team's playoff run included a 13-game winning streak after falling behind 2-1 in the first round against the Hawks.
"The city hasn’t seen this in 53 years, hasn’t even seen the opportunity of being in the Finals for 27 years," Towns added, reflecting on the Knicks' historic postseason. "So when you think about those factors, a team that wasn’t picked to be the favorite, underdog in every series we played, including the last one."
Towns cited the Knicks' playoff dominance, including a six-point differential in games they lost and a nearly month-and-a-half stretch without a playoff loss, as reasons for their claim to the Best Team ESPY. The Knicks were nominated alongside teams such as the WNBA's Aces, MLB's Dodgers, and the NHL's Hurricanes.
Jalen Brunson of the Knicks also received accolades at the ESPYS, winning Best NBA Player and Best Championship Performance awards. OG Anunoby was honored with the award for Best Play.