OG Anunoby shared an inside look at the Knicks' thought process during the playoffs.
The New York Knicks' 2026 playoff run was one that was defined by dominance and ended in history with the Knicks' first championship in 53 years, but to achieve that dominance and that history, the Knicks needed to play together as a team, which is exactly what they did.
More than any other team in the playoffs last season, the Knicks had a roster that truly supported each other and brought out each other's respective strengths.
More than anything else though, the Knicks had the mentality of a team that was always looking ahead to the next game and how they could prepare and improve even better.
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani talks to New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby during the New York Knicks Championship Parade through the Canyon of Heroes. Brenden Willsch-Imagn ImagesThroughout the playoffs, a mantra emerged as each Knick was interviewed after each game. The mantra of every series being "0-0" no matter how far ahead New York actually was in a particular series.
That mentality stood out in particular against the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, who each protested that they were the better teams in their series' despite losing out to the Knicks.
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) shoots over New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) in the first half during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn ImagesTaking It Game-By-Game
New York was never necessarily an underdog, but they weren't favorites either and the historic magnitude of their 13-game playoff win streak was certainly not expected. Still, the Knicks never let themselves sit in the moment and instead always focused on preparing for the next bout and it was that mentality that made them so successful.
"Before the start of the playoffs, our whole team came together and we knew we had one goal. We took every game day by day, game by game," OG Anunoby said (via HoopsHype). "We went on a crazy run... but every game was focused on the next, trying to build and be better than we were the last game."
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) goes to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) in the first half during game five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Scott Wachter-Imagn ImagesThat commitment to preparation clearly went a long way for the Knicks and helped them not only not take anything for granted, but keep them present in the moment.
Bouncing Back
While there weren't many opportunities for the Knicks to feel shaken as they dominated the playoffs, the few times where they did find themselves knocked down didn't hurt nearly as much because they were already looking ahead to the next game.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the second quarter of game four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesThe best example of that being when they were finally taken down by the Spurs in Game 3 of the Finals, and followed that up with the largest comeback in NBA Finals history in Game 4.
That kind of effort wouldn't be possible without the mentality that Anunoby described, and it was that mentality that kept the Knicks resilient throughout the entire playoff process and eventually, made them champions.
