I live in Harlem, and there’s a middle-aged man named Michael who grew up in Queens and holds court on a bench along the fringes of Morningside Park, where he chats with neighbors who stroll by.
These days we talk mostly about the New York Knicks.
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I met Michael the same way I met Jonah, who’s turning 30 and grew up upstate, near Woodstock — through our dogs.
Jonah is a die-hard Knicks fan who endured Frank Ntilikina and Noah Vonleh starting lineups in the late 2010s. When I cover playoff games at Madison Square Garden, I make sure to stash the rally towels and T-shirts staffers leave draped over each seat because I give them to Jonah. His texts, these days, are downright giddy.
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Spike Lee reacts to a futile Knick charge late in the 4th quarter after a confrontation with Reggie Miller of the Pacers in Game 5 on June 2, 1994.
(Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Spike Lee reacts to a futile Knick charge late in the 4th quarter after a confrontation with Reggie Miller of the Pacers in Game 5 on June 2, 1994.
(Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Knicks Patrick Ewing celebrates win over the pacers with Spike Lee as the game winds down on June 5, 1994.
(Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Spike Lee reacts to the Knick last second win in the Conference final game at Madison Square Garden in NYC on June 5, 1999.
(Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
New York Film Director and Knicks fan Spike Lee sits behind the Miami Heat bench during the last minute of the Knocks-Heat game seven of the Eastern Conference semi-final game at America Airlines Arena in Miami on May 21, 2000. The Knicks beat the Heat 83-82 and will face the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
(RHONA WISE, AFP via Getty Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Filmmaker Spike Lee, left, with Jessica DeRubbio, 12, of Brooklyn, who lost her father Engine 226 Firefighter David DeRubbio at the World Trade Center on September 11 in attendance as the Knicks open their season against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden in New York on Oct. 30, 2001
(Eileen Blass, USA TODAY)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor/Director Spike Lee (L) hugs forward LeBron James of the Miami Heat before the New York Knicks game at American Airlines Arena on Dec. 28, 2010 in Miami, Fla. The Heat defeated the Knicks 106-98.
(Marc Serota, Getty Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Spike Lee celebrates a shot by Danilo Gallinari #8 of the New York Knicks against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 22, 2010 in New York City.
(Al Bello, Getty Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and director Spike Lee looks on during the first half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on May 7, 2013. Knicks won the game 105-79.
(Joe Camporeale, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and director Spike Lee jokes with an official during the second half of the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 6, 2013. The Knicks won the game 121-83.
(Joe Camporeale, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and director Spike Lee reacts during a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on Oct. 30, 2014.
(David Richard, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and director Spike Lee argues with an official during the fourth quarter between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Jan. 13, 2016. The Nets defeated the Knicks 110-104.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
American actor and director Spike Lee sits court-side with his wife Tonya Lewis Lee during warmups before the first quarter of a game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 28, 2016.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Spike Lee attends the game between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers with his son Jackson Lee at Madison Square Garden on March 21, 2021 in New York City.
(Pool Photo by Elsa via Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Spike Lee watches warm-ups before game one in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs between the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on May 23, 2021.
(Seth Wenig, Pool photo by Seth Wenig via Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
The shoes of New York Knicks fan Spike Lee are seen before the game between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 23, 2021 in New York City.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
American actor and director Spike Lee watches warmups before a game between the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Nov. 30, 2021.
(Brad Penner, Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and filmmaker Spike Lee reacts after a call is made against the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden on Dec 21, 2022.
(Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Filmmaker Spike Lee celebrates in the third quarter during game five of the 2023 NBA playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 26, 2023.
(David Richard, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
American film director Spike Lee celebrates with Immanuel Quickley of the New York Knicks during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Dec. 20, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. The Knicks won 121-102.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
American filmmaker Spike Lee reacts to an official in the third quarter between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 8, 2025.
(Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Film director / producer Spike Lee reacts during the second half of a game between the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden on April 8, 2025.
(John Jones, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and filmmaker Spike Lee watches game three of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on May 10, 2025.
(Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor Timothee Chalamet and director Spike Lee celebrate after the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 12, 2025 in New York City.
(Elsa, Getty Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Director Spike Lee reacts during the game between the New York Knicks against the Cleveland Cavaliers during their game at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 22, 2025 in New York City.
(Al Bello, Getty Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and filmmaker Spike Lee and referee Jason Goldenberg (35) at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12, 2025.
(Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
New York Knicks fan Spike Lee reacts in the stands during the third quarter of a game between the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 13, 2025.
(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and filmmaker Spike Lee at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21, 2025.
(Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and director Spike Lee cheers during the second half of the game between the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks at Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 5, 2026.
(Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and filmmaker Spike Lee at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 4, 2026.
(Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Actor and filmmaker Spike Lee yells at an official in the fourth quarter of the game between the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 21, 2026.
(Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
Spike Lee offers a hand to Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard after Pritchard missed a three point attempt late in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 9, 2026.
(Lucas Boland, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
American producer and activist Spike Lee reacts from his court side seat during the first quarter of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 20, 2026.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
New York Knicks fan Spike Lee celebrates with guard Miles McBride (2) after a victory over the Atlanta Hawks during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena on April 30, 2026.
(Brett Davis, Imagn Images)
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Spike Lee’s courtside looks are a love letter to the New York Knicks
American filmmaker Spike Lee reacts after the New York Knicks defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena on May 25, 2026.
(David Richard, Imagn Images)
These New York Knicks hold this ineffable quality of linking friends and strangers, of galvanizing people from disparate religions, races, economic classes and from all over the political spectrum. There are few things these days that can do that.
And as the team has seized a commanding 2-0 lead over the San Antonio Spurs, winning both games on the road, the Knicks are not only poised to end a 53-year title drought, they can do it in a sweep, at home in the mecca of basketball.
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The energy here feels feral. You cannot walk more than a few blocks without seeing royal blue and orange somewhere on someone’s body. The other day, again walking my dog, I was listening to music (I’ve been big on “A Love Supreme” these days) but overheard the unmistakable word “Anunoby” from the mouth of a passerby, who was chatting with someone else.
Flags hang outside the windows of fifth-floor walkups. Local bars are running specials. You walk outside and hear Knicks in four.
“It has been an honor to be part of this team, be part of this organization that’s bringing the word, ‘hope’ back to the city,” Karl-Anthony Towns said Monday, June 1. “To have the Knicks be where we’re at right now and be so respected in the city — I’ve talked about it on the Jadakiss and Fat Joe podcast — the greatest currency you could earn in New York City is not money, but it’s respect. And to have the respect of the fans and the city, we’re rich beyond belief.”
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The MTA, or Metropolitan Transportation Authority, is getting in on it.
The MTA, actually, is another thing that unites New Yorkers. It can be late, unreliable and dirty, though it does shuttle us everywhere.
Anyway, the MTA painted the Penn Station subway stop entrance at 34th and 8th — which is normally forest green — royal blue and orange. Madison Square Garden, for those not familiar, is located directly above the train station. Indelible Knicks superfan Fat Joe, who has been at literally every game I’ve covered, was the first-ever special guest conductor recently on the 1 train.
The watch parties outside Madison Square Garden spill out onto 7th Ave., where Knicks fans roar into the night. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, another long-suffering fan, recently spoke about what would happen if the Knicks actually did it.
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“It’s like, you’re torn as a New Yorker and as the mayor,” he said recently on Sidetalk. “As a New Yorker, you’re like ‘I cannot wait for this.’ As the mayor, absolute chaos.”
The Knicks are also on an absolute heater. They’ve won 13 consecutive playoff games, second-most in NBA history. Should New York close it out in four and complete the sweep, the Knicks will tie the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors for the longest winning streak (15) in a single postseason.
They’re dominating and winning in different ways. They have made the planet’s most uniquely gifted basketball player, Victor Wembanyama, so flustered that he has been left searching for answers. These Knicks are a fun watch.
As an NBA reporter, I’m thrilled to head into Madison Square Garden Monday, June 8 for Game 3. From the celebrities, to the organ, to friendly ushers with thick accents, there is no place better to take in a high-stakes game.
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Yet, somehow, once this is all done, I’m just as hyped to grab beers with my friends Michael, Jonah and Kevin (Suns fan; also met through our dogs) to relive it all once more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks bring New York fans together as wins pile up in NBA playoffs
