It was a special night in New York City on Tuesday, as the New York Knicks hoisted the first championship banner into the rafters of Madison Square Garden since 1973.
Unfortunately, that was about all the good the Knicks were going to see in their opening-night clash with the Philadelphia 76ers and their two new superstars, LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.
The Knicks may have had some Ring Night jitters in front of their home faithful, considering how poorly they shot the ball.
Not only that, but they were missing their free throws as well. 70% from the charity stripe was not going to be good enough to take down this Philadelphia team.
Regardless, James felt that the Knicks were getting quite the generous whistle, and a mid-game comment was picked up and blasted onto social media.
LeBron James says Knicks Have ‘Championship Whistle’
With roughly a minute to go in the second quarter, James was caught by one of NBC’s courtside microphones lambasting the officials for a soft call in favor of the New York Knicks.
“They getting that championship whistle. They win one chip, they get a championship whistle,” James said just loud enough to hear under Mike Tirico’s voice.
While some calls are often better than others in the NBA, it’s not exactly fair to say the Knicks were getting a “championship whistle” on Opening Night.
By the time the clock hit zero, both the 76ers and Knicks shot the same number of free throws, attempting 27 foul shots apiece.
Philadelphia just happened to hit two more, nailing 21 of their 27 freebies while New York only hit 19.
Regardless of his remark, James still understood the gravity of the evening for the Knicks and their faithful fans, and paid his respects to their championship celebration after the game.
LeBron James on Knicks’ Ring Ceremony
Speaking to reporters in the visitors’ locker room, James was asked about what it was like for the Philadelphia 76ers to come into Madison Square Garden and spoil the night for New York Knicks fans.
Out of respect, he recognized how cool a moment it was for the city.
“I wouldn’t say that,” he said regarding ruining the night, “It was a great night for New York fans. Obviously, it’s something, you said, 50-plus years. I was a part of that at one point where we hadn’t won a major championship in Cleveland in over 50 years.”
“It was a great night for New York fans. Obviously, it’s something… 50+ years. I was a part of that at one point where we hadn’t won a
“The fans will never forget this moment, will never forget that championship run. We were happy that we were just able to come and play on such a historical night, a historical building, and play the game we love.”
Luckily, this won’t be the last time we see these two teams face off against one another during the 2026-2027 NBA season.
They’ll play three more times in regular season play, and could potentially see each other even further down the road in the Eastern Conference playoffs if all things go according to plan.
The Knicks-76ers rivalry is alive and well, and it’s now got a new wrinkle in it thanks to James.
LeBron James Takes Shot at Knicks During Opening Night Clash