The New York Knicks have set the NBA world, and the world at large, on fire and as exciting as the past few months since that championship have been for the Knicks, it's still hard to overstate how surreal that moment has been for the stars that made everything possible.

There are several reasons why this Knicks championship has seemed to have more cultural impact than other championships over the past few seasons. One major reason is the fact that they are, the Knicks, and a legacy and media market like the one that their organization demands is naturally going to be greater than other teams. 

There's also the fact that it had been so long since the Knicks had actually won, so long in fact that the Knicks, despite their legacy, had been synonymous with failure and became the butt of endless jokes. Being able to win in such a massive way dispelled that notion and the contrast of what they used to be and what they are now has magnified their achievement. 

Then there's the team itself. The Knicks thrived on connectivity and there are so many players with vibrant personalities, like Josh Hart or OG Anunoby or Jose Alvarado, or meaningful connections and personal stories like Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, that endeared the Knicks to the public and made them easy to root for. 

On the note of those personal connections, several players on the roster grew up Knicks fans, so the idea that they were the ones wearing the Orange and Blue and restore it to prominence makes the accomplishment that much more surreal. 

Brunson, Towns and Alvarado are all lifelong Knicks fans and in a recent appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," Towns talked about what it's like to experience the championship both as a fan and as a participant.  

"The Knick fan in me can't believe I'm still hearing that the Knicks won a championship, but the player in me is super excited to be a part of this moment," Towns said. 

Towns has spoken about his Knicks fandom in the past, especially about his love for Knicks legend Jeremy Lin, so he's speaking from the heart when he claims the team as his own. 

In a roster full of deeply committed moving parts, Towns stood out as one of the most significant pieces and in a many ways became the soul of the team. 

Now the next regular season is nearly here and for Towns and the Knicks, as hard as the past few months may have been to believe, next year's work has only just begun.