The veteran guard went from nearly being out of the NBA to winning a championship with the Knicks.
When the final buzzer sounded in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Landry Shamet wasn't smiling or crying.
He was standing on the court at the Frost Bank Center, still trying to take in everything that had just happened.
The New York Knicks had beaten the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 to win their first championship in 53 years, and Shamet, a guy who was nearly out of the league not long ago, was now a champion.
"It's emotional just considering everything," Shamet told MSG Network. "Training camp deal 2 years in a row on the verge of being out of the league and injuries, ups and downs man. It's crazy."
From the Edge to the Biggest Stage
The 29-year-old's path to this moment was anything but easy.
After being drafted 26th overall by Philadelphia in 2018, Shamet bounced from the Sixers to the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn, Phoenix, and Washington before landing with the Knicks on a training camp deal ahead of the 2024-25 season.
A dislocated shoulder in the preseason got him waived, and he had to fight his way back through the G League with the Westchester Knicks before earning another contract in December 2024.
A second shoulder injury in November 2025 threatened his season again, but Shamet rehabbed and earned a key bench role on a Knicks squad that went 53-29.
Head coach Mike Brown played a big part, personally calling Shamet before the year to tell him he wanted him on the roster.
A Postseason Run for the Ages
Shamet had a solid regular season, averaging 9.3 points per game and shooting 39.2% from three across 51 games.
But his postseason performance is where he truly made his name.
He played all 19 of New York's playoff games and shot an unreal 47.5 percent from deep while putting up 6.0 points per game in just 16.3 minutes a night.
His hottest stretch came during the Eastern Conference Finals, where he went 11-for-12 from three as the Knicks swept Cleveland in four games.
He followed that up with 13 points in both Game 1 and Game 2 of the Finals, helping New York jump out to a commanding lead before closing out the Spurs 4-1 behind Jalen Brunson's 45-point masterpiece in the clincher.
Why the Knicks Need to Bring Him Back
With the season over, the next big question is whether Shamet stays in New York.
He's set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer after playing on a $3 million veteran minimum deal, and the Knicks hold his Early Bird rights, which would let them offer well above the mid-level exception.
Given what he showed this postseason as both a deadly shooter and a capable defender, letting him leave would be a tough loss for a team built to run it back.
Reports suggest both sides want to make it work, and for a player who nearly washed out of the league just two years ago, earning a multi-year deal with the defending champs would cap off one of the best comeback stories in the NBA today.
