By Ian O’Connor | The Athletic, 2026-06-05 10:00:36
圣安东尼奥——纽约尼克斯正感受到来自家乡的爱，因为家乡的球迷已经跟随他们走遍了全国，从亚特兰大到费城，从克利夫兰到德克萨斯。在通往潜在NBA总冠军的道路上，一支由蓝橙球衣汇聚而成的“大军”完成了一系列非敌意的客场“占领”，因为球迷们与球员、教练和管理层感同身受。
他们深知这是一生仅此一次的旅程，这种经历能让你在某一天歇斯底里地呐喊，又在第二天独自流下喜悦的泪水。
作为一名专栏作家，我曾报道过洋基队的五次夺冠以及巨人队在超级碗的两场胜利，但尼克斯如今的所作所为——季后赛取得12连胜，其中包括客场7连胜——是我入行四十年来目睹的最伟大的季后赛征程。
1998年的洋基队是我报道过的最强球队。
第42届超级碗是我报道过的涉及本土球队的最精彩体育赛事。
但我从未见过任何一支纽约球队如此炙手可热、如此团结一心，并受到整个大都市区如此热烈的爱戴。老一辈球迷等待了太久，渴望再次品味一支能与1970年和1973年夺冠阵容相媲美的尼克斯队——那两支队伍以化学反应、牺牲精神和纯粹的快乐而著称。而那些并不真正了解雷德·霍尔兹曼 (Red Holzman) 以及过去岁月的新一代球迷，也同样对这支2025-26赛季尼克斯队“人人为我，我为人人”的精神崇拜不已。
因此，周三晚上，当纽约市似乎有一半的人口聚集在麦迪逊广场花园外庆祝对阵圣安东尼奥马刺队的首战胜利时，涌入霜银中心的数千名尼克斯球迷也在敌人的地盘上举办了他们自己的观赛派对。这可不是季后赛的第一轮或第二轮。这是NBA总决赛。
像这样在总决赛中“占领”客场的情况，本不该发生。
这种排山倒海般支持的力量，对球员和教练们来说意义非凡。这种影响在记分牌上得到了实实在在的体现。
“这太关键了，”尼克斯主教练迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 说道，“在对阵强队的比赛中，尤其是在客场，你随时都想找到能获得能量或稍微提振士气的地方。能拥有我们这样的球迷，他们不仅在纽约市、在街头、在麦迪逊广场花园带来能量，而且还会来到这里，占领一座城市、占领一家酒店、占领一座球馆，听到他们高喊‘尼克斯加油’——或者当杰伦罚球时高喊‘MVP’——这会给你带来巨大的鼓舞，让你知道有这么多人以极高的热情在支持着你。”
— goat (@ TrindonHo11iday) June 4, 2026
这里的每一个角落都能看到尼克斯球迷的身影，从河滨步道到阿拉莫历史遗迹，一路上到处都是身穿杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson) 和卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 球衣的人。他们还穿着帕特里克·尤因 (Patrick Ewing)、卡梅隆·安东尼 (Carmelo Anthony) 和林书豪 (Jeremy Lin) 的球衣，因为这是一场属于所有世代的、具有包容性的家庭盛会，也包括那些曾为赢得自1973年以来队史首冠而做出英勇尝试、却遗憾功败垂成的球星们。
这不仅是一段属于纽约五个区以及康涅狄格州和新泽西州郊区善良人民的旅程。一位来自墨西哥城、戴着尼克斯队帽子的33岁男子在河边的一家酒店前停下脚步，他说自己是在电视上观看1999年总决赛时成为这支球队的球迷的，至今仍梦想着有一天能在麦迪逊广场花园看一场比赛。
但亚历克斯·普拉特 (Alex Platt) 在总决赛第一场时就身处马刺队的主场，他形容这是一次难忘的经历。“尼克斯球迷总是充满活力，所以能和他们一起融入人群对我来说是一次伟大的体验，”他说，“当我还是墨西哥的一个小男孩时，我最喜欢的第一个球员是帕特里克·尤因，但现在是杰伦·布伦森、乔什·哈特 (Josh Hart) 和兰德里·沙梅特 (Landry Shamet)。”
“我从未见过哪支尼克斯队拥有这样的化学反应。我从未见过他们如此团结。我的许多朋友都说马刺队会赢，但我告诉他们，他们还没看过尼克斯的比赛。他们完全压倒了其他球队。”
球迷们觉得自己是这次历史性季后赛征程中不可或缺的一部分，因为球队让他们有了这种归属感。布朗给人的感觉就像你的邻居，总是乐意欢迎你的到来。布伦森、唐斯、哈特、米卡尔·布里奇斯 (Mikal Bridges)、OG·阿奴诺比 (OG Anunoby) 以及替补席上的球员们，是一群令人喜爱、极具亲和力的明星与配角，因为他们懂球迷。
他们懂纽约，懂麦迪逊广场花园，也深知在追求任何有意义的目标时，球迷的支持有多么重要。
“我们非常感激，”布伦森说道，“在比赛的当下你可能不会真正去想这些，但我们的球迷真的很棒。我和我的家人从第一天起就感受到了这份爱。他们给予了我们无条件的支持。我绝对不会把这一切视作理所当然。”
听到这些话，我所认识的最狂热的尼克斯球迷彼得·斯托姆 (Peter Storm) 感到无比悦耳。彼得是一位来自曼哈顿的54岁金融高管，他的父亲西 (Sy) 曾将威利斯·里德 (Willis Reed) 奉为偶像。斯托姆父子多年来总是一起默默地观看尼克斯队的比赛，绝不允许任何打算在比赛期间说话的家人进入电视房。彼得说，如果尼克斯能再赢下马刺三场比赛，他敢肯定自己会喜极而泣。
“这就是我对他们的感情，”他说，“我喜欢90年代的那支队伍，但他们赢得任何东西都靠艰苦拼搏，对他们来说没有什么是容易的。而今年的这支球队在场上让一切看起来都游刃有余。这是我见过的最棒的尼克斯队，因为场上的每个人都能给对手致命一击。如果我父亲还在世，他一定会说这支尼克斯让他想起了1973年的那支队伍。”
顺便提一句，在2016年去世之前，西·斯托姆 (Sy Storm) 曾告诉他的儿子，他希望球队在2017年选秀中选中多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell)（绝对不要选弗朗克·尼利基纳 (Frank Ntilikina)）。他当时仍在为尼克斯在2013年交易来安德里亚·巴尼亚尼 (Andrea Bargnani)，以及在1978年选秀中选中迈克尔·雷·理查德森 (Michael Ray Richardson) 而非拉里·伯德 (Larry Bird) 而耿耿于怀。
“我父亲说过，在尼克斯拥有一个打破常规思考的管理层之前，他们永远无法赢得总冠军，而现在我们终于拥有了这样的管理层，”彼得·斯托姆说道，“他还告诉我，如果尼克斯真的夺冠了，那将是我一生中最棒的体育时刻。”
在尼克斯首战击败马刺后，球迷们在麦迪逊广场花园外庆祝。(Adam Gray / Getty Images)
此时此刻，各地尼克斯球迷的心情皆是如此。季后赛已拿下13场胜利，距离那场可能会成为有史以来最盛大的纸带巡游还差3场。
这是纽约乃至更广阔地区一生难忘的征程，而最棒的部分是什么？
每一个人都参与其中。
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：The Knicks are delivering a lifetime run to a fan base madly in love with them
The Knicks are delivering a lifetime run to a fan base madly in love with them
SAN ANTONIO — The New York Knicks are feeling the love from back home, because back home has followed them around the country, from Atlanta to Philly to Cleveland to Texas. An army of blue-and-orange jerseys has executed a series of non-hostile takeovers on the way to a potential NBA championship, because the fans feel exactly what the players, coaches and executives feel.
They know this is the ride of a lifetime, the kind that can move you to shout at the top of your lungs one day and to cry tears of joy in solitude the next.
As a columnist, I have written about five Yankees championships and two Giants victories in the Super Bowl, but what the Knicks are doing now — winning 12 straight postseason games, including seven straight on the road — is the greatest playoff run I’ve witnessed over four decades in the biz.
The 1998 Yanks are the best team that I’ve covered.
Super Bowl 42 is the best sporting event involving a local that I’ve covered.
But I’ve never seen a New York team this hot, this connected and this cherished by the entire metropolitan area. The old-timers have been waiting for so long to savor another Knicks team that matched the 1970 and ’73 title teams defined by their chemistry, their sacrifice and their joy. The new-timers who don’t really know about Red Holzman and the way things were have adored the all-for-one-and-one-for-all ethos of the 2025-26 Knicks just as much.
So, with seemingly half of the city’s population gathered outside Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night to celebrate the Game 1 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the thousands of Knicks fans who poured into Frost Bank Center threw their own watch party on enemy turf. This isn’t a first- or second-round playoff series. This is the NBA Finals.
A takeover like this just isn’t supposed to happen in the finals.
And the sweeping show of support makes a difference to the players and coaches. A tangible one on the scoreboard.
“It’s huge,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “During these games against good teams, especially on the road, you want to find places where you can get energy or a little boost of energy at any given time. To have the type of fans that we do that not only bring energy in the city of New York, on the streets, at MSG, but to have them come and take over a town, take over a hotel, take over an arena and hear them chant, ‘Let’s Go, Knicks’ — or (when) Jalen’s shooting a free throw, ‘M-V-P’ — that gives you a boost that you know you have people supporting you at a pretty high level.”
— goat (@ TrindonHo11iday) June 4, 2026
Knicks fans are all over the place down here, wearing Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns jerseys from the riverwalk to the Alamo and back. They are also wearing Patrick Ewing jerseys and Carmelo Anthony and Jeremy Lin jerseys because this is an inclusive family affair for all generations, including those stars who made valiant attempts to win the franchise’s first title since ’73 and simply fell short.
And this isn’t only a journey for the good people of the five boroughs and the suburbs in New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. A 33-year-old man from Mexico City wearing a Knicks cap stopped at a hotel by the river to say he became a fan of the team while watching the 1999 finals on TV and still dreams of someday seeing a game inside Madison Square Garden.
But Alex Platt was inside the Spurs’ building for Game 1 of the finals, which he described as a memorable event. “Knicks fans always have a lot of energy, so to be in the crowd with them was a great experience for me,” he said. “My first favorite player as a little kid in Mexico was Patrick Ewing, but now it’s Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Landry Shamet.
“I’ve never seen a Knicks team that has this kind of chemistry. I’ve never seen them this connected. A lot of my friends were saying the Spurs were going to win, but I told them they haven’t seen the Knicks play. They are completely overwhelming the other teams.”
The fans feel like a relevant part of this historic postseason march because the team has made them feel that way. Brown comes across as your next-door neighbor, always willing to welcome you in. Brunson, Towns, Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and the bench guys are an embraceable cast of stars and supporting actors because they get it.
They get New York. They get the Garden. They get how important customer support is to the pursuit of anything meaningful.
“It’s very appreciative,” Brunson said. “It’s something that you don’t really think about in the moment, but our fans, they’re amazing. And my family and I, we felt the love since day one. They’ve been nothing but supportive. I truly would not take them for granted.”
This was sweet music to the ears of the most passionate Knicks fan I know, Peter Storm, a 54-year-old finance executive from Manhattan whose father, Sy, idolized Willis Reed. The Storms spent years watching the Knicks together in silence, refusing to let any family member in the TV room who planned on talking during games. Peter said he is pretty sure he will burst into tears if the Knicks win three more games against the Spurs.
“That’s how I feel about them,” he said. “I loved the ’90s teams, but they grinded for everything, and nothing ever came easy for them. This year’s team makes it look easy out there. It’s the best Knicks team I’ve ever watched because anybody can hurt you. If my father was here, he would say these Knicks remind him of the ’73 team.”
For the record, before he died in 2016, Sy Storm told his son he wanted his team to draft Donovan Mitchell (and certainly not Frank Ntilikina) in 2017. He was still upset that the Knicks traded for Andrea Bargnani in 2013 and that they drafted Michael Ray Richardson instead of Larry Bird in 1978.
“My father said the Knicks would never win a championship until they got a front office that thought outside the box, and now we finally have one,” Peter Storm said. “He also told me if the Knicks ever did win it all, it would be the best sports moment of my life.”
Fans celebrate outside of Madison Square Garden after the Knicks defeated the Spurs in Game 1. (Adam Gray / Getty Images)
That’s how it now feels for Knicks fans everywhere. Thirteen playoff victories down, three to go for what might end up being the mother of all ticker-tape parades.
It’s the run of a lifetime in New York and beyond, and the best part of it all?
Everyone is along for the ride.
By Ian O’Connor, via The Athletic