Baron Davis spent just 29 games in a Knicks uniform, but the connection never faded. And when New York finally hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in 53 years, the former point guard made sure the city’s fans knew exactly how he felt.
The Knicks sealed the NBA Finals in five games against the San Antonio Spurs, erasing a 16-point deficit in Game 5 to cap a run that felt both improbable and inevitable for a franchise long defined by heartbreak. The win sent Madison Square Garden into a frenzy — and Davis, watching from afar, had to say something.
“So happy for my real NYC people. People who took care of me when I played and the people who do now. Salute. You deserve to be champions and included! You make NYC what it is! Thank you!” Davis wrote on X.
A Brief but Unforgettable Run in New York
Davis joined the Knicks late in his career, signing ahead of the 2011-12 season. At 32, he was no longer the explosive two-time All-Star who had electrified crowds in Golden State and Charlotte. But his arrival coincided with one of the most surreal stretches in modern Knicks history: Jeremy Lin’s “Linsanity” phenomenon.
Davis averaged 6.1 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals over 29 games that season. The Knicks snuck into the playoffs as a No. 7 seed but were bounced in the first round by LeBron James and the Miami Heat. A knee injury in that series effectively ended Davis’s NBA career.
Still, he left with a lasting bond to a city that embraces its basketball heroes — even the ones who only passed through.
The Long Wait Is Over
New York’s 53-year championship drought was the longest active title-less streak among major U.S. professional sports teams. The Knicks had come close — conference finals runs in the 1990s and late 2010s gave fans hope — but each time, the door slammed shut.
This year, fueled by a defense-first identity and a roster that refused to quit, the Knicks bulldozed through the Eastern Conference before outlasting the Spurs. According to fan reactions online, the Game 5 comeback — rallying from 16 down on the road — perfectly captured the grit that defines the city.
Davis has kept tabs on the Knicks through the lean years. And like the die-hard supporters who packed bars and filled the streets after the final buzzer, he never stopped believing.
Once a Knick, always a Knick.
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