Knicks Quietly Raise NBA Cup Banner After Initial Owner Hesitation
The team unveiled the 2025 NBA Cup championship banner at Madison Square Garden, a surprising move after owner James Dolan previously dismissed the tournament as a "consolation prize."
The New York Knicks unexpectedly raised their 2025 NBA Cup championship banner in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, hours before celebrating their main championship on ring night. This unveiling occurred despite initial reluctance from owner James Dolan, who had previously characterized the NBA Cup as a "consolation prize" rather than a true championship.
Coach Mike Brown commented on the banner, stating, "I think it’s just a recognition of what our journey was like last year. There were obviously a lot of ups and downs throughout the course of the year and our guys rallied and figured out a way to win the NBA Cup. It’s just a recognition to not just our guys, but the fans out there. We got fantastic fans, and to be able to show a little love to them is pretty neat."
The Knicks defeated the Spurs in December to win the inaugural NBA Cup. This victory marked Dolan's first opportunity to raise a championship banner since the Atlantic Division title in 2013. However, Dolan publicly stated in January his disinterest in raising an NBA Cup banner, telling WFAN, "We want an NBA championship, we don’t want some consolation prize." This stance had generated attention as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had been promoting the NBA Cup as a significant event. The Knicks are the first team to win both the NBA Cup and the NBA championship in the same season.
Separately, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver identified Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson as a potential face of the league. Speaking on ESPN, Silver said, "It’s hard not to start with Jalen Brunson. I’ll be down when they hang the banner tonight for the championship. Here’s a guy who was a second-round pick, was picked up as a free agent from Dallas, and nobody talked about him as the next superstar in the league, but look how he’s led that team to a championship."
Brunson, 30, has emerged as a leading candidate for this distinction, especially after his performance in leading the Knicks to the 2026 championship. While he is older than other potential candidates like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, and Victor Wembanyama, Brunson benefits from his recent championship title and playing in the NBA's largest market.