NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors controls the ball against Mohamed Diawara #51 of the New York Knicks during the first quarter of a preseason game at Madison Square Garden on October 15, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images Antonio Losada Sun, October 18, 2026 at 2:47 PM UTC · 14 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last weekend without official NBA content popping up our timelines, folks.
Last couple of sleeps before the next time you hit the sack there's another (or multiple!) new banners hanging from the MSG rafters.
Here's the latest on this beautiful sunny Sunday.
On delegating responsibilities to his assistant coaches and veteran players:
"My coaches can do their job, they can teach, take the lead in the areas that they need to, going by the practice plan and then on top of that, our veteran players, especially with the new guys, they can coach those guys because they kind of got a feel and they kind of know what we're expecting on both ends of the floor."
On his emotions ahead of the Knicks' championship ring ceremony and banner raising:
"Obviously I'm going to be filled with a lot of different emotions. That's a special moment. I'm going to be a little selfish, but for me individually, not only that, for my family, for the people in the organization, the team, the players, the other coaches, but just as importantly, the city of New York and the fans of the Knicks all around the world … so to see that happening while knowing the history of it, and knowing how hard it is to let alone get there on top of winning it, it's going to be an awesome feeling with a ton of emotion inside. We're all human, the trick is now to really appreciate and enjoy that moment and still try to lock in and get ready for the game and know you got to move forward once it's over."
On the challenges of defending an NBA championship:
"There are a lot of challenges in trying to do that. That's why it hasn't happened in the NBA in the last eight, nine years. In all of sports, you don't hear a ton about back-to-back champions in the modern sports world no matter what sport it is you're playing. The added quote, unquote pressure that some people may allow to seep in as the year goes on, there could be more jealousies, that the team is not connected, and people forget about sacrificing for the betterment of the team. Everybody has naturally been telling you how great you are the whole summer, and so you think you're great, and you don't have to go through and/or embrace the process like you did when you got there the first time because you think you know and it's just going to happen in moments when you think it needs to happen. There's a lot that can impact it.
"And for me, the biggest thing is trying to make sure our group understands that this is a new season, it's a new team, and there are new challenges in front of us. Therefore, it's not about the end result, we have to really make sure we focus our energy and effort on the process, by embracing all the details of the process. And if we do, that's going to give us our best opportunity to do it again."
On how the Knicks will handle being the hunted team:
"That's another one, everybody likes to play the Knicks anyway, especially in MSG, and now it's just an added carrot to the whole deal. We have a mature group, and that's one of the main things that gives me — I don't know if hope is the right word — but gives me hope that we're going to take this or embrace this process like no other. I truly believe that the maturity of the group is going to help when it comes to all of it, not just being The Hunted, but handling being patted on the back all year, and media scrutiny that we're going to be under and pressures of the other things that we're going to be under. I think that's what's going to help a ton."
"His potential with his size, his athleticism, and his skillset."
"His ability to connect the group, with sacrifice and determination."
On his expectations for the Knicks' bench:
"I'm excited about it. I'm looking forward to giving guys an opportunity that they might not have gotten before."
On replacing Mitchell Robinson's contributions following his departure to Boston:
"I talked to our guys about this. When I was in Golden State, we had a really good team the year we won back-to-back (2017 and 2018) and KD [Kevin Durant] left after that [after the 2019 season] and everybody thought that, rightfully so, we were going to go into the tank, because you can't replace KD with one player. In 2022, we won it again, we basically had the same core minus KD. We replaced him basically with a young Jordan Poole, Otto Porter and Andrew Wiggins. And collectively, those three guys plus the rest of the group just brought a little bit more to the table, and we were able to get it done in 2022. So it's no different with Mitch. Mitch is a great player. We're not bringing Andre [Drummond] in here to quote, unquote be Mitch. Andre's going to be Andre, but that means everybody else has to give a little bit more defensively, and has to give a little bit more when it comes to offensive and defensive rebounding,"
On the Knicks fans and how New York celebrates its championship teams:
"It's like no other. This is my fifth championship that I've been a part of in some really good cities.
"Love you guys, love your energy. Keep bringing it, because we're looking forward to having another fun year."
On the improved Eastern Conference and increased competition:
"You see what goes on. A lot of teams got better, and it's good. Excited for all of the other teams; you love when the competition's high. Who doesn't love that?"
On developing his jump shot throughout his NBA career:
"I did it when no one was watching. … So here we are, 15 years later, s–t, better late than never, right?"
On the skills that have allowed him to remain in the NBA entering his 15th season:
"Be a master of what I do. I mean, I'm able to rebound the ball at a high clip still. Obviously with the addition of the three-point shot, being able to be a good pick-and-roll defender, and just a great locker room guy altogether is really what keeps me around."
On his passing ability and how his game has evolved:
"I love to pass, I love to see the floor, and I play well in the pocket. … The game is changing, [my] guards like to score, and I throw the pocket pass in."
On Andre Drummond establishing his own identity rather than replacing Mitchell Robinson:
"not coming in to be Mitch, he's coming in to be himself."
On Mike Brown taking time to build a personal relationship with him:
"He came down to Jersey in the summer, and we sat, had dinner, talked for two-and-a-half, three hours, whatever, and did not talk about basketball or what we were gonna do. So that just tells you who he is. That's a genuine dude, and he just wanted to get to know all of us before we got into our jobs and to see what we had to do as a team. But it's just genuinely who he is."
On Mike Brown addressing the team's personal struggles and contract uncertainty:
"Mike talked about mindfulness. He talked about the situation to all of us openly, and we all talked as a team, as a family — the coaches and players — and it's still so amazing to see how connected this team is, to see how much of a family unit we really are.
"It was really cool to have a coach talk to us about being you, about the struggles in life, and us being together and understanding where everyone is in life and the situations they deal with as a family, as brothers, that will allow us to even be more connected and allows us to even be a better team. That was an amazing job by him as our leader to approach the elephant in the room and to allow us, the players and the coaches and the ones who are on that core into Game 4, Game 5, who really found a way to get this title back to New York, allowing us to be human."
"Way better passing than I thought he was."
On Mike Brown's leadership style and personality:
"Honestly, I didn't know he was a military baby until you said it. Obviously, he's someone who commands attention and respect and those kinds of things."
"Now, he's super chill. He's a great person, lets us know, holds us accountable when we're out there not doing what we're supposed to do.
"He's more of a 'Who let the dogs out' kind of guy."
On McBride's desire for a contract extension and the possibility of future negotiations:
"No doubt, he would love to get that. But at the end of the day, you work for the Knicks and it takes two sides to get a deal done. And if the Knicks aren't ready to do extensions right now, then we just gotta buckle up and go have a great season. He'll be a free agent this summer, but we'll see. We've got a great relationship with [president] Leon [Rose] and the front office. We'll see: there may be opportunities during the season, maybe in the near future. Who knows where we'll be able to have those conversations."
On McBride's contributions to the Knicks and his willingness to play through injury:
"We've spoken to the Knicks throughout the summer. Miles, like any player in his position, would love to get an extension. I think he's earned it. He's been a huge part of where that organization has gone over the last three or four years. He's been their sixth man. A lot of people don't realize how hurt he played last year in the playoffs. He had abdominal surgery that caused him to miss a couple of months. He came back and he wasn't really right yet, but he didn't want to miss the opportunity to be there for his teammates."
On whether he will watch the Knicks' championship ceremony before the 76ers' season opener:
"I don't really feel like watching that whole ceremony. I guess I'll be in the locker room."
On facing the Knicks on opening night during their championship celebration:
"It's an honor. Opening night, it's primetime, the former champions, I think it's serendipitous."
On the Philadelphia 76ers being the biggest threat to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference:
"The East has caught up with the West. You have the 76ers, obviously, you have the Toronto Raptors, you have Giannis [Antetokounmpo] with Miami, I think they're still a few pieces away. But to me, if I had to pick one, it would be the 76ers. Nick Nurse won a championship [as coach of the Raptors in 2019]. Nick Nurse had to figure how pieces worked when he was in Toronto. And when you have guys that have high IQs — Jaylen Brown is a Finals MVP, LeBron James is [not just] arguably the greatest player but one of the smartest players to play the game of basketball. That's not going to be a hard adjustment. … Offensively I see them getting out and running. I could see them being probably the best transition team offensively in the league. But I also could see them figuring things out on the fly while they're still winning games during the regular season. And I also see LeBron James bringing out the best in Joel Embiid."
On how Mike Brown should handle Karl-Anthony Towns' contract situation:
"KAT is an emotional guy. And if I'm Mike Brown, the biggest thing is from a personal side, I would just want Towns to know that he's loved on a day-to-day basis. That don't mean that there's not going to be times where you have to call him out in film, but if I'm Mike Brown, I'd go the extra mile to extend my love, whether that's on the road, him meeting him for breakfast before shootaround, maybe dinners, just to let him know his value. And to let him know that he's a huge and the most important part of this team. … It would be through actions and less through words."
On the challenges of defending an NBA championship:
"The first thing is health, obviously. The second thing is getting through the regular season knowing that everywhere in every game that you play, you're going to get everyone's best shot. But last but not least is having everyone continue to lose themselves in the team and play agenda-free basketball. Because what ends up happening is when you win a championship, because of the praise that you get in the offseason, everyone starts to believe that they were the reason and guys come back and want a bigger role, instead of staying and playing and being a star of that role that helped them win the championship."
On Jalen Brunson's development into an elite player and leader:
"Offensively, I believe that Jalen Brunson over the last three years before Giannis was injured, has been consistently the best player in the Eastern Conference. But last year we saw him take that leap of accountability. We saw him doing the little things of fighting to get over screens. We saw him doing things of getting back in transition and getting extra possessions by taking charges. We saw him take over a Game 4 in Madison Square Garden in the second half to direct traffic and get buckets. We just saw leadership, right? We saw a guy in probably the hardest market to play in, have composure, have leadership and be able to perform on the biggest moments. But I think the most important thing is that he accepted the challenge of actually playing defense and playing enough defense where he wasn't a liability. But also playing defense where the Spurs couldn't hunt him out on the big stage. … He's one of if not my favorite players in the NBA, but history tells us that we haven't had a back-to-back champion in the last 8-9 years."
Source: Sports
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