Jeremy Sochan Carried a Shirtless Streak From the Spurs to Knicks Title — and Never Put It On

The champagne had dried. The confetti had settled. And when the New York Knicks touched down back in the city after clinching the NBA championship, Jeremy Sochan was still shirtless. No jacket. No jersey. Just a man, a smile, and what appeared to be a lost set of champagne goggles somewhere between San Antonio and Teterboro.

Sochan’s bare-chested celebration has quickly become the unofficial sequel to JR Smith’s iconic championship ritual. Smith went shirtless after Cleveland’s 2016 title and again during the Lakers’ 2020 bubble run. Now, the Knicks wing has picked up the baton — or rather, dropped it somewhere near the baggage claim.

According to posts from New York Basketball on social media, Sochan was spotted shirtless upon the team’s return — still riding the high of a Finals win that capped a wild few months for the former lottery pick. He had also, fans noted, misplaced the celebratory eyewear he’d been wearing earlier in the night. The team has not confirmed whether the goggles were recovered.

From Afterthought to Champion

Sochan’s path to this moment was hardly a straight line. The San Antonio Spurs waived the former lottery pick just after the trade deadline when they couldn’t find a suitable deal. New York scooped him up. In 16 regular-season games and eight playoff appearances, Sochan’s minutes were limited. But his impact — at least in the lore — was not.

Before the Finals, Sochan generated buzz by hinting that his time as Victor Wembanyama’s teammate might give the Knicks an edge. He went a step further in Game 5, trying to get into Wembanyama’s head with some on-court chatter. The Spurs star shrugged it off. But Sochan got the last laugh, walking off the floor with a ring and a shirt somewhere in a duffel bag.

A Diminished Role, but a Big Moment

Sochan’s numbers fell off this season after three years as a reliable double-digit scorer in San Antonio. In New York, he became a deep-rotation piece — a role player on a team chasing history. Still, his celebration style suggests he’s fully committed to the bit. JR Smith set the bar. Sochan has cleared it, bare-chested and grinning.

Whether the Knicks open the season with a ring ceremony and Sochan without a shirt remains to be seen. But for now, he owns the moment — and the hangover that will follow.