The New York Knicks turned the 2026 ESPY Awards into their own victory lap. One month after ending a 53-year championship drought, the franchise swept the night with five trophies, including Best Team and multiple individual honors for Finals MVP Jalen Brunson. The ceremony, held at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York City, became a celebration of the Knicks’ historic run.
Jalen Brunson was the night’s biggest winner, taking home three individual ESPYs: Best NBA Player, Best Men’s Athlete, and Best Championship Performance. He beat out stiff competition, including Lionel Messi, Shohei Ohtani, and Matthew Stafford, for the top men’s athlete honor. Brunson, who averaged 40.5 points in Games 4 and 5 of the Finals, delivered an emotional speech that had fans cheering from the rafters. His championship performance also earned him the Best Championship Performance award over players like Paul Skenes and Rui Hachimura.
The Knicks also won Best Team, edging out the Los Angeles Dodgers, Manchester City, and the Kansas City Chiefs. OG Anunoby completed the sweep with Best Play for his game-tying tip-in with 3.4 seconds left in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, a moment that kept the Knicks alive and set the stage for their title-clinching victory in Game 5.
The five-trophy haul marks the first time the Knicks have won multiple ESPYs in the same year and further cements the franchise’s remarkable turnaround. Head coach Tom Thibodeau was visibly moved, and the team’s victory lap at the ESPYs was the perfect capstone to a season that fans will never forget.
