City of Rebounds
The Knicks vs. Spurs Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals was televised last night and I missed the first half because I was on a call learning that I was a victim of grand larceny credit card theft.
So while much of New York was settling into bars, restaurants, and living rooms to watch the biggest game of the decade, I was answering security questions and disputing charges.
The next day, I found myself in a windowless room at Chelsea’s Precinct 10. The detective asked me to walk through the timeline. My answers revolved around the game.
“Before tipoff, I got this notification.”
“In the first quarter, I called the 1-800 number.”
“At halftime, I realized how much had been charged.”
I was dealing with fraud and discussing basketball as a timestamp in a police report.
The officers at Precinct 10 patiently handled paperwork under staffing pressures and resource constraints, many of them have been working overtime around Madison Square Garden as the city prepares for the celebration that’s been decades in the making.
As I watched public servants quietly do their work I thought about how New York is made of a network of people and institutions- the cops, transit workers, sanitation crews, teachers, nurses and more- whose collective effort allows eight million of us to live together.
After sorting out more than $8,500 in fraudulent charges, I went back to my table at Miru right before halftime in disbelief of the misfortune and violation to my wallet. Then I looked in disbelief at the scoreboard. I wasn’t sure which situation was worse. I got fleeced; the Knicks were getting done dirty.
Then something remarkable happened.
The gap started to close possession by possession. In the final moments of the game Brunson shot for a three, OG tipped in for two, and the Knicks won by one point making history for the greatest comeback of all time in the NBA Finals.
The Garden shook and the city far and wide celebrated a victory that was bigger than basketball.
This whole playoff run is now New York mythology.
New Yorkers have always been about surviving the bad bounce whether it’s a stolen card or package; a missed train; rent hikes; or….a half-century long championship drought that challenges the loyalty of an entire generation and its descendants.
But year after year, loss after loss, New Yorkers show up for their team.
And the band wagoners? Love ‘em, bring ‘em out. There’s plenty of space on the wagon. All of the transplants who want to claim the city? Their first assignment is to wear a blue and orange cap. Start there.
The Knicks embody the spirit of New York, maybe because we understand adversity better than anyone else. Delayed trains, delayed dreams; being underestimated, getting counted out. But everyday we show up, handle our business, and keep it moving.
This story is about what happens after setbacks. Who’s there for the rebounds when you miss, who helps you get back up? One man (or alien) can’t carry an entire franchise. Winning is about perseverance; the power of teamwork, trust, and unity. Resilience is the real victory.
We share a common story rallying for the Knicks. We’re all on the same team belonging to something larger than ourselves.
Many hours have passed since the last buzzer and the whole city’s still buzzing. Knicks in 5?
Trophies and rings aside, this championship run has already given New York something valuable: hope, grit, community, and an entire city believing again.
