The New York Knicks are fresh off of their magical 2026 playoff run, clinching on Saturday night in Alamo City with a 94-90 Game 5 win to capture the franchise’s first NBA championship in 53 years.
In the aftermath of the win the talk has been about how the Knicks stack up against other great teams who’ve hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy. There’s also been an ongoing debate about dynamic guard and NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson being the greatest Knicks player of all-time. While both topics give fans and talking heads plenty to talk about, ESPN analyst Vincent Goodwill, who’s known for outlandish and way out in left field takes really went for shock value with his latest comments.
Goodwill Calls NBA Title A Participation Trophy
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, Goodwill took the approach that the league has now had eight different champions since 2019, meaning not one team has repeated. In his opinion it’s great for allowing more teams to believe they have a chance of winning every year, but Goodwill isn’t sure parity it’s ultimately better for the sport.
“Dynasty is better for the sport,” Goodwill said. “I like to know that greatness is validated. How do we know that any of the last eight champions are actually validated because they have not done it again? Giannis is itching to get out, Boston is thinking about trading Jaylen Brown, they don’t believe in their one championship. LeBron’s one championship in LA was not enough. So why would it be enough for us?”
Even when Goodwill received pushback for his comments from others on the show he had rebuttal about other analysts saying the trophy was a culmination of a season’s worth of hardwork.
“You mean participation trophy?” Goodwill said.
“I’m sorry,” Larry Hahn interjected. “Larry O’Brien is a participation trophy?”
“If everybody gets one,” Goodwill answered.
Fans Chime In On Goodwill’s Take
It didn’t take long for fans all over social media to come for Goodwill in the aftermath of his controversial take.
“I don’t understand participation trophies” is a weird thing to say at your sports commentary job,” a fan said.
“Vincent has been a Knicks hater since the Atlanta series. He needs to get over it we World Champions f-cker kiss the ring,” another fan said.
“There are bad takes and then there are ALL TIME bad takes,” another fan replied.
“ESPN gets worse and more embarrassing by the day,’ someone else mentioned.
“That’s gotta be the dumbest thing Alan Hahn has heard in years, and he sits next to Peter Rosenberg for 4 hours a day 5 days a week,” a person quipped.
“David Stern would have had this guy in a body bag by sundown,” another fan spewed.
“I bet if the spurs won he wouldn’t have said this. The level of disrespect towards the Knicks needs to end,” a person replied.
Knicks Did It Their Way
From elite offense and defense on both ends to first-year head coach Mike Brown pulling all the right strings the Knicks hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time since 1973.
Then there’s the aforementioned Brunson tying the GOAT Michael Jordan as the only players to score at least 45 points in a close out game on the road, who said this after the win.
“I’ve got no words,” said an emotional Brunson on the win. “[It’s] everything I’ve ever dreamed of…”
“I’m in awe… whenever someone counts us out, we find a way to do something about it.”
With a 16-3 (.842) postseason record, the Knicks matched the 2024 Celtics for the second-best playoff winning percentage since the current four-round format was introduced in 2003, trailing only the 2017 Warriors.
Which included a 13-game win streak, the second-longest in a single postseason in NBA history — again trailing only the ’17 Warriors.
Entering this year, those Warriors owned the best point differential ever in a single postseason (+230). The Knicks shattered that mark, finishing at +283.
