The New York Knicks are back in the NBA Finals after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks dominated Game 4 on Monday night to complete the sweep and earn their first NBA Finals berth since 1999.
Speaking to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post after Game 4, longtime Knicks fan and legendary film director Spike Lee gave the 2026 team a nickname ahead of their first NBA Finals in 27 years.
“I don’t care about San Antonio, OKC, we’re going to win,” Lee said. “May 8, 1970, I was at the Willis Reed game. Thirteen years old, so going to keep it going. This is a team of destiny, heart, drive. … It reminds me of Willis, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, Cazzie Russell. I’m going back. I’m old, though.”
The Knicks do appear as a “team of destiny” after a rough start to the 2026 NBA playoffs. They have won 11 in a row since being down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the Knicks won three straight to eliminate the Hawks. They then swept the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, as well as the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Knicks Legend Not Worried About NBA Finals Opponent
In the same interview with Stefan Bondy of The New York Post, New York Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier shared the same sentiment as Spike Lee. Frazier believes the Knicks are going to win their first NBA championship since 1973 regardless of their opponents.
“The way we’re playing now, I don’t think it matters who we play,” Frazier said. “Their suffocating defense, the ball movement. (Mike) Brown came in wanting to run pace and space. But that was one thing they didn’t do. Now the last 11 games, the way they’re getting up and down the court, Bridges, Hart, they’re just moving and grooving.”
Coach Brown changed things up in Game 4 of their first-round matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, letting the offense run through Karl-Anthony Towns. It alleviated the pressure on Jalen Brunson, leading to three straight wins and a trip to the next round.
The Knicks remained KAT-centric against the Philadelphia 76ers before turning to Brunson in Game 1 of the ECF. With the team down 22 points in the fourth quarter, Brunson willed the Knicks to an overtime win, and the rest was history.
Spike Lee Among Celebrities in Cleveland for Game 4
GettyTracy Morgan, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Michael J. Fox, Tracy Pollan and Timothee Chalamet sit court side during the second quarter of a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City.
The Cleveland Cavaliers had homecourt advantage in Game 4, but it didn’t feel like they had the advantage. Plenty of New York Knicks fans made the trip to Rocket Arena and cheered on their team on a Monday night, as reported by Cleveland.com.
There were also a bunch of celebrities on the sidelines, such as Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Tracy Morgan and Fat Joe, whom all are Knicks supporters.
On the other hand, Machine Gun Kelly and Laila Edwards were there to support the Cavs, but the team mentally checked out in the first quarter.
Spike Lee Gives 2026 Knicks Nickname Ahead of NBA Finals