The Athletic: Inside the Knicks’ offseason, the ‘longest, shortest summer ever’

Jalen Brunson celebrates the Knicks’ championship

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Under normal circumstances, New York Knicks coach Mike Brown would have encouraged his players to make their way back to the area in August. It normally would have been the time to get everyone together for the first time since the previous season, to start the work before the work.

These, however, weren’t normal circumstances.

The Knicks — yes, the Knicks — won the NBA championship.

“For them to be able to take a mental break and fill their cup, however that may be, whether cigars, no cigars, tequila, no tequila … it’s a good thing,” Brown said.

The players might have gotten some grace from their coach, but very few would call it a mental break. The champions weren’t just the talk of the town; they were showing up all over the country, celebrating an accomplishment that had eluded the organization for more than 50 years.

The Knicks, for the most part, aren’t a collection of personalities made for such a spotlight, but they had to cosplay as celebrities in the aftermath of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. There was television appearance after television appearance. There was a parade attended by more than 2 million people. Keys to cities were given out, street signs with names were raised. You name it, the Knicks did it.

New York was front and center this summer, and no one represented it more than Jalen Brunson, the captain and franchise cornerstone who helped turn the team back into a household name for what it has done on the court, and not just the city it plays in.

“I’m honored and grateful for all of the opportunities that have come about,” Brunson said earlier this week. “It was, like, the longest, shortest summer ever, but it was well worth it.”

Where do we start?

Two days after winning the NBA title, Brunson was flanked by the other Knicks starters on “Good Morning America.” From there, on the same day, Brunson, this time solo, went on “The View.” He then later met back up with teammate Karl-Anthony Towns and Brown, as they appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Brunson and Towns both had separate, live WWE appearances in July. Brunson shared the ring with champion Roman Reigns and was gifted a Knicks-themed championship belt before fellow NBA star and wrestling aficionado Tyrese Haliburton came out as a distraction so that rival Seth Rollins could take down Reigns. Towns served as the muscle for Danhausen and even showed off a few impressive chokeslams.

Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby all threw out first pitches, whether at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field. Brunson appeared on the “Today” show and “CBS Mornings,” and he — along with LeBron James, Prince Harry and others — spoke at the TIME100 Sports Gala, which honored the top 100 most influential athletes, coaches, advocates and investors in sports. Brunson and several teammates also attended the World Cup and US Open.

And let’s not bury the lede: Brunson hosted the season debut of “Saturday Night Live” before the start of training camp, becoming just the fifth NBA player (Michael Jordan, James, Charles Barkley and Bill Russell) to do so. Brunson also appeared with actress Mariska Hargitay, a known Knicks fan, on a pre-taped segment during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards.

This is what winning in New York can do for someone’s profile.

“Have I decompressed at all? To be honest with you, not really,” said Brunson, who also had wrist surgery in July. “I’ve had times where I’ve been able to relax. I enjoyed that. I spent time getting away from everything. Most of the time, it was rehabbing, and then once I was out of the cast and cleared, I had obligations I had to go to.

“I feel good. I know where to go to get to my happy place, and I know where I need to go to decompress. I’m good.”

Hart, the biggest personality on the Knicks, also got to show off to the world this summer. He appeared on the game show “Password” in June.

Yet his favorite way to celebrate, at least what he was willing to share publicly, was within the confines of his own home.

“Y’all know I’m a big wine guy,” Hart said. “I had a lot of bucket-list wines this summer that I got to open.”

Towns, too, found himself in the national spotlight. He appeared on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” just days after winning the title. He, along with Hart, Anunoby and Mikal Bridges popped up during Brunson’s “Saturday Night Live” episode.

Towns additionally got married in August to his longtime girlfriend and socialite Jordyn Woods. The two tied the knot in California in front of a star-studded crowd that expanded by one at the last minute.

“I couldn’t have a wedding without Larry (O’Brien) there, you know?” said Towns, who had the championship trophy flown out. “We made sure we got him there first class.”

Towns and his wife honeymooned in East Africa, visiting Kenya and Tanzania. Apparently, Knicks fever followed them there.

“It was crazy, just to be out in the Serengeti and people on the cars, open cars in the wild, going, ‘Knicks in 5!’” Towns added.

Like Towns, several players got an opportunity to spend some personal time with the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Guard Miles McBride, a native of Cincinnati, took the trophy back to his high school, Archbishop Moeller, and showed it off during a Friday night football game.

McBride said that players got the opportunity to request the trophy in the offseason. Requests had to be approved by the front office. When McBride wanted to take the trophy on his visit back home, it was the same weekend that team president Leon Rose was scheduled to have his time with the hardware.

The boss made sure that Larry could spend some time in Ohio.

“Shout-out to Leon for that,” McBride said.

Immediately after the team plane from San Antonio landed following Game 5, Knicks guards Jose Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson were shirtless in Brooklyn, taking part in the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. Alvarado, a New York native, was traded to the Knicks midway through the season from New Orleans. He went undrafted in 2021 out of Georgia Tech but has carved out a career for himself as a tough-nosed player.

In Alvarado’s mind, even if he had been on a rival team, he would have celebrated the Knicks victory “in private.”

“My favorite summer of all time,” Alvarado said. “I’m just happy to be part of this story that’s going.”

Even Anunoby, the most reclusive player on the roster, had to make the rounds. He received the keys to the city in his hometown of Jefferson City, Mo. He even had some dialogue during Brunson’s “SNL” monologue. Anunoby also made it to the cover of a July issue of SLAM magazine. His tip-in layup to win Game 4 of the NBA Finals won best play at the ESPY Awards.

Even the coach had his moments in the sun. After taking down the Spurs, Brown and his wife went to the Polo Bar, an upscale restaurant and celebrity hotbed in New York City. Immediately upon Brown’s entrance, everyone in the restaurant stood up and applauded.

“I had nowhere to hide,” Brown said.

This is what happens when New York is on top.

James L. Edwards III

is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the New York Knicks. Previously, he covered the Detroit Pistons at The Athletic for seven seasons and, before that, was a reporter for the Lansing State Journal, where he covered Michigan State and high school sports. You can follow James on X

@JLEdwardsIII