By Rory Carroll
Oct 16 (Reuters) – New York has barely stopped celebrating its first NBA title in 53 years, and the Knicks are already chasing a repeat in a league that is built to stop one.
The NBA has crowned a record eight different champions in the last eight seasons. Rules that make it tougher to stack a roster with superstars have turned the league into a free-for-all.
The Knicks, however, have a big edge: the band is back together. New York returns its five best players, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns, along with the chemistry that carried it to the title.
THE LEBRON PLOT TWIST
The offseason’s biggest story was where the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, would land after splitting with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The surprise winner of the sweepstakes was the Philadelphia 76ers. James admitted he would have liked to play for the Knicks, but said that door closed once they won the title.
So the 41-year-old will take his talents to Philadelphia instead of the Big Apple, although he will reportedly be living part-time in New York and commuting by helicopter.
There he joins Jaylen Brown, who was stunningly traded by the Celtics in the offseason, along with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
The question is whether the pieces fit, since all five players are accustomed to having the ball in their hands.
“They are like a room that has five beautiful couches in it,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told ABS-CBN News.
“But you don’t need five couches in a room. You need a couch and a chair, a table, a TV and a mirror, and that’s going to be a challenge. Can they all fit, or do you have to put one couch up along the wall.”
WELCOME TO THE GARDEN
James could hardly have a more dramatic debut. The four-time champion opens his Philadelphia career at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, just after the Knicks raise their championship banner.
His teams have often started slowly in his first season with them. If that happens again, Philadelphia’s famously impatient fans may not wait long to let everyone know how they feel.
The payoff could be historic. A title in his record-extending 24th season would make James the first player to win championships with four different teams.
EVERYONE ELSE WANTS IN
The rest of the league has its own plans when the 2026-27 season tips off on Tuesday:
• Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs want revenge after a bitter Finals loss.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are going for a second title in three years.
• Stephen Curry leads a Golden State Warriors team trying to revive its title hopes.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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