The Knicks just ended a 53-year championship drought, and Jalen Brunson is already making demands. Not for a bigger contract or a parade route — but for his head coach to retire a locker room ritual that’s overstayed its welcome.
On Monday night, Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and first-year Knicks coach Mike Brown appeared on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to celebrate their five-game NBA Finals win over the San Antonio Spurs. Fallon, a lifelong Knicks fan, grilled the trio about their magical season. But it was Brunson who turned the interview sideways with a simple, direct plea.
“We’ve got to put that to bed,” Brunson said during the segment, drawing loud laughs from the studio audience and Fallon. He was talking about Brown’s habit of leading the team in a chorus of “Who Let the Dogs Out” — the Baha Men classic that became the Knicks’ unofficial hype anthem throughout the season.
Brunson doubled down: “We’ve got to put that to bed!” The crowd roared. Brown, sitting next to him, just smiled.
The Origin of the Bark
Brown, 56, revealed the unlikely backstory behind his sing-along ritual. It dates back to his time as an assistant coach with the Spurs from 2000 to 2003, working under Gregg Popovich. But the song itself comes from an even smaller stage: his kids’ flag football team.
“I was an assistant in San Antonio many moons ago, a reporter asked me, ‘What did you learn during your time here when you coached the seven-year-old Dogs Flying Football team?’” Brown recalled. “I said, ‘I learned the cheer.’ We used to have the parents all come in the huddle, all the kids come in the huddle before every game, we put our hands in, and I go, ‘Who let the dogs out?’”
That huddle cheer followed Brown through two decades of coaching stops — and finally found a home in a Knicks locker room that embraced it as a rallying cry. Players reportedly joined in after wins, and Brown led the chant during the NBA Finals trophy ceremony as the Madison Square Garden crowd joined in.
A Championship, a Coach, and a Song That Won’t Die
Brown came to New York this season under a cloud of skepticism. After being criticized and undervalued in recent years — including a messy exit from the Kings — he silenced doubters by steering the Knicks to their first title since 1973. Brunson, Towns, and the roster deserve credit, but Brown’s ability to keep a locker room loose and focused cannot be overlooked.
Even so, Brunson apparently thinks the song has run its course. The guard’s joke may have been playful, but it also hinted at a subtle power dynamic: the franchise player gently nudging his coach to move on to the next chapter.
Whether Brown actually retires the chant remains to be seen. But if the Knicks are looking for a new hype song, the internet already has suggestions. For now, Brunson’s message is clear: the dogs have been let out. Time to call them back.
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