The New York Knicks just won the 2026 NBA title. Jalen Brunson carried them through a tough playoff run. The city is electric. Everyone is already asking the same question: Can they do it again?
Patrick Beverley’s answer? Not even close.
Beverley joined Michelle Beadle, Lou Williams, and Chandler Parsons on a recent episode of Run It Back, and the conversation turned to a repeat. Beverley didn’t hesitate.
“No!” he said. “Hell no. God no.”
The panel asked if the Knicks were the best team in the league this season. Beverley gave them a little, but not much.
“At times,” he said. “At times they were. At times. J-Dub was hurt the whole year. You’re talking about a team that was the number one team throughout the whole season. Well, arguably not the second best player, right? You talk about a team that, as we look at the last eight teams that’s won championships, it hasn’t been a team back to back. So I’m not going to downplay nobody. I’m going to just go off what history is telling us. The last eight years has been a different team every year, so why wouldn’t it be a different team year nine?”
The Knicks’ Path to the Title
New York handled the Atlanta Hawks in six games in the first round. Then they swept the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the Finals. The San Antonio Spurs gave them a fight — the Knicks trailed for most of the series — but they closed it out and brought the trophy back to Madison Square Garden.
It was the franchise’s first championship since 1973. The city lost its mind. The parade was a mess in the best way. Now the Knicks enter next season as legitimate contenders.
The Odds Say Someone Else Is the Favorite
According to ESPN, the San Antonio Spurs are the betting favorites to win the 2027 title. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are right behind at +260. The Boston Celtics sit at +550. The Knicks are at +650.
That puts them in the mix, but not at the top. And Beverley is far from alone in doubting a repeat. The last eight NBA champions have all been different teams. The league has more parity than it’s had in decades. The Thunder are young and getting better. The Spurs have Victor Wembanyama and a title run under their belt now. The Celtics are always lurking.
None of that means the Knicks can’t do it. Brunson is a monster. The supporting cast is deep. But history is not on their side, and Beverley isn’t betting on them.
Leave a Comment