As always, Spike Lee hopes this is the Knicks’ year. Incredibly, he might be onto something.
By Gary Washburn Globe Staff,Updated December 13, 2025, 10:25 a.m.
Spike Lee has been a fan of his hometown Knicks for six decades and his beloved squad, the current leaders of the Atlantic Division, is clearly one of the favorites in the muddled Eastern Conference this season.Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
FilmmakerSpike Lee was a surprise guest at TD Garden on Dec. 2 when hisKnicks made their biannual visit to Boston, and he honestly had forgotten the last time he had been in the arena.
He was spotted here during the 2013 Eastern Conference playoffs when his Knicks, led by Carmelo Anthony, knocked off the Celtics in six games — ending the Kevin Garnett-Paul Pierce era. The duo was traded to the Nets just a few weeks later.
“It’s a great team, legacy, and you know Boston-New York, no matter what sports, it’s been a great rivalry ever since the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees,” he said. “It’s been great ever since then … Bucky Dent, you want me to keep going? I was there for Aaron Boone [Game 7 home run to win 2003 AL pennant].”
Lee sat behind the west basket donned in full Knicks gear and watched the Celtics hold on to an exciting win over his beloved team. Lee is one of the world’s most popular Knicks fans, sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden for some of the team’s most famous moments — including perhaps being the motivation for Reggie Miller’s 8-points-in-9-seconds barrage during the 1995 NBA playoffs.
Lee cringes at the fact the Knicks haven’t won an NBA championship in 53 years. Since then, 17 different NBA franchises have won titles. Lee has faith that every year is gonna be the Knicks’ year, including this one.
And this time, he might be right. New York may have the best chance in the past 30 years to win the title. The Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season under new coach Mike Brown, led by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the versatile Josh Hart, and defensive ace Mikal Bridges.
Lee was courtside to see the Knicks reach the conference finals for the first time in 25 years last spring under coach Tom Thibodeau, but they were ousted by the upstart Pacers in six games. Knicks management decided to fire Thibodeau despite that success, and Lee said he’s pleased with New York’s up-tempo style.
“I got nothing but respect for Thibs,” Lee told the Globe. “Management, [team president] Leon Rose, [owner James] Dolan, others wanted a change. [With] Mike Brown, we play at a faster pace and we’re playing the bench. No. 11 [Brunson] has elevated his game, what he’s doing. He was great last year but what he’s doing this year is even more.”
Lee has spent nearly 40 years being one of the most visible and outspoken Knicks fans, even when he had issues with Dolan. His Knicks roots go back to the 1960s when his father’s lawyers owned season tickets and promised young Spike he would take him to Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals — the famous Willis Reed game, when the New York center returned from a torn thigh muscle to play 27 minutes and inspire the hosts to a 113-99 victory.
“I’ve been to World Series, Olympics, World Cup, Super Bowl … my hand on the bible, I’ve never heard as loud a noise as when Willis dragged his right leg to the foul line and hit his first two shots,” Lee said. “I was born in ‘57 and I was 10 years old when Red Holtzman was putting the pieces together and the final piece was Dave DeBusschere. Those were my guys.”
Lee’s love for the Knicks is apparent, and he is not alone in his loyalty to a franchise that has experienced many disappointments over the past 50 years.
“There are a lot Knicks fans, there are a lot of them who aren’t sitting courtside,” he said. “They are home watching the games. My father was a huge sports fan and he used to take me to the old Garden on Eighth Avenue. So I’ve been a Knicks fan since the mid-60s and we used to sit at the top of the Garden and I had so much fun. And then as I got older, I’d sit in the blue seats.”
Guard Jalen Brunson has directed the Knicks to the top of the Atlantic Division standings. John Munson/Associated Press
Despite some inconsistencies in the early going, the Knicks have won eight of their past 10 games, and Lee made a major declaration about his home team. But he pointed out why he hopes the Knicks don’t clinch the title with a win at Madison Square Garden in the heart of Manhattan.
“We’re winning it this year,” he said. “I’m not saying I’m jinxing it but barring injury … it’s not going to be easy, but I’ll say this though: When we win, for the sake of NYPD, [let’s win on the road]. Because if we win the title in the Garden, oh my God, they’re going to need, in order, the Marines, NYPD, the Sanitation [Department] and here’s the big one, ICE! And ICE ain’t winning against the people and let that be it. ICE is not winning against the people, not against New Yorkers because we’re unified especially, about sports.”
NEXT TO FALL
Current coaches on the hot seat
Willie Green is the lone NBA coach to lose his job so far this season, and that move was long expected by New Orleans. But there are several others who may not make it to the All-Star Break because of their team’s poor performance.
Several NBA teams have plunged to the bottom of the standings or gotten off to disappointing starts despite high expectations. Let’s take a look at the five coaches who will enter 2026 on the proverbial hot seat.
▪ Billy Donovan, Bulls — Chicago was one of the league’s more surprising teams in the first 10 days, starting out 5-0 and looking like a real contender in the East. And then reality set in and the Bulls are 4-14 since. It’s still uncertain what the Bulls are trying to do in terms of their future. They held on to Nikola Vucevic and handed the point guard keys to the versatile Josh Giddey, but it hasn’t resulted in wins. And Donovan, a recent Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee, may eventually be the victim of the organizational shift.
The current Bulls brass have never been active in the trade or free agent market, but eventually the franchise has to choose a definitive direction. They’ve been middling for years.
▪ Tyronn Lue, Clippers — Any move with Lue is highly unlikely, but it’s apparent that Chris Paul can’t be the only change necessary in Los Angeles after a 6-19 start and a team that just can’t get out of its own way. When owner Steve Ballmer decided to fire coach Doc Rivers after the Clippers’ meltdown in the NBA Bubble and name Lue coach, Rivers pointed out that Lue was right next to him as an assistant when all the chaos occurred in that Denver series.
Lue has not been able to take the Clippers to the next level, and it’s obvious roster and management changes need to be made. And, oh yeah, tanking won’t help the Clippers because their first-round pick is property of the Thunder as one of the final payments for the acquisition of Paul George.
▪ Doug Christie, Kings — The former Kings defensive ace was supposed to be the fresh new voice when Mike Brown’s words became stale. Christie’s interim stint last year was successful but he’s now seeing the difficulty of being a permanent NBA coach, especially with a disjointed roster.
Like the Bulls, the Kings are stuck playing highly paid, veteran players but not winning. After Thursday’s blowout home loss to the Nuggets, they are 6-19 with the league’s second-worst point differential (minus-11.1), meaning they are being blown out on a nightly basis. And while the Golden 1 Center used to be one of the NBA’s more difficult road venues, the Kings are 3-8 at home and were drubbed by 31 points by the Nuggets, leading to fans to chant for Vivek Ranadive to sell the team.
It's been another tough season so far for Brian Keefe in Washington, but will the Winchester native get a shot to coach the Wizards when they finally gets their act together? Nick Wass/Associated Press
▪ Brian Keefe, Wizards — You can look at Keefe as this decade’s version of Brett Brown, a coach hired to solely develop talent and absorb nightly defeats as the Wizards tank, and then eventually begin a slow rebuild. Keefe’s team is 3-19 and his overall record as coach is 29-114, as the Wizards decided on a youth movement along with players on expiring contracts.
Eventually the Wizards are going to steer their organization in a winning direction, especially with the opportunity to sign two players to max contracts this summer. The question is whether Keefe will be their coach when the rebuild ends. It’s a difficult job for the Winchester native and longtime NBA assistant, and hopefully he’ll get an opportunity to lead a team that actually wants to win.
▪ Doc Rivers, Bucks — The Bucks brought on Rivers from the TV booth to win now, with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo pressing the organizations to make moves. It hasn’t worked out. The club traded Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma, waived Damian Lillard, allowed Brook Lopez and Arlington’s Pat Connaughton to walk, and still the Bucks have a losing record.
Antetokounmpo has declared a desire to play for a team with championship aspirations. If a trade does occur, does Rivers want to be part of a rebuild at this stage of his career? The Bucks aren’t equipped to win a championship any time soon even with Antetokounmpo, so it may be time for the Bucks to completely strip down their roster and start over.
OVERSEAS OVERTURES
Is NBA Europe close to reality?
There is definite speculation that the NBA is more consumed with building a league in Europe than it is expansion in the States. Building an NBA Europe creates another revenue stream for owners who are obligated to pay the league’s escalating salaries.
Remember, Devin Booker just signed an extension for $75 million per season, and the first $100 million-per-season contract will occur by decade’s end. While the NBA hasn’t said much about it, FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis revealed this week that he believes a league outside the United States is a certainty by October 2027.
“Considering that I just said I believe it will happen, that I have no doubts. We need, of course, approvals by the respective two boards of the NBA and the FIBA Central Board,” he said. “So if you want to call it an NBA-FIBA competition, then I would be able to agree.
“We need to make it clear that, as it was announced this would be, subject to the elements that I mentioned earlier, a partnership. It would not be an NBA competition, it will be a competition that will be operated, to a large extent, by specialists of course that come from the NBA. But I want to underline that FIBA’s role is not only to give its blessing to competitions. FIBA’s role is to operate, and it has been operating top competition since the 1950s.”
Zagklis made it clear that FIBA is not just going to allow the NBA to create a European league on their soil. FIBA is going to participate in the decision making of this new league, especially as it relates to the current EuroLeague. There are several successful Euro League teams such as Real Madrid — the former club of Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez— that will be impacted by any new NBA-sponsored league.
“I also need to restate something that I said last year, I think, or the year before: Someone said, ‘What about the EuroLeague teams?’ I said, for us, there’s no such thing as EuroLeague teams,” Zagklis said. “For us, all these teams are FIBA teams, including the teams that are owners or co-owners of ECA, the mother company of the EuroLeague. So, we care a lot about them. We care a lot about them having a role, a position, making money — which has not been always the case, as you know — and that is perhaps at the heart of the problem.
“So, our job is to try to find a place for everyone in this ecosystem. And whether this relates to business elements or elements of new economics that will surface with this new venture, then it is a question of those who negotiate. FIBA will not be negotiating the financial terms of that. But we do not want that they feel, in a certain way, disadvantaged. And that is what we’ve been trying to do.”
Chris Paul is no longer a LA Clipper, but will the 20-year veteran point guard get a shot with another team this season? Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
There is no word on the future of 20-year veteran point guard Chris Paul, who was unceremoniously dumped by the Clippers and is now sitting at home while the club decides what to do with his contract. Releasing Paul would reduce the Clippers’ roster to 13, and they would have to fill that spot in a finite time because of league rules. The question is whether other NBA clubs would have interest in an aging guard who was banished from his team for being too talkative and potentially disruptive. But the Paul situation has sparked a debate as to whether veteran players can actually have a locker room voice or should defer to those younger players who contribute more. It’s difficult to dispute Paul’s opinions when the Clippers have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams. After winning their first game after Paul’s banishment, the Clippers have lost two straight and are tied with the third-worst record in the NBA. The Celtics visit the Clippers on Jan. 3 … Victor Wembanyama had been off to an incredible start this season before he was sidelined with a calf injury. And while he appears close to returning (will reportedly play in Saturday night’s NBA Cup semifinal vs. the Thunder), he’s going to have to be durable for the final four months of the season to remain eligible for league awards. Wednesday’s NBA Cup game against the Lakers was San Antonio’s 24th game, and Wembanyama has already missed 12 — meaning he will need to play in 53 of the Spurs’ final 58 games to reach award eligibility. NBA players have to play in 65 of 82 games, a rule passed a few years ago to dissuade superstar players from taking unnecessary days off. If he reaches that mark, Wembanyama would be a viable candidate for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. There are several superstars such as LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant,and Paolo Banchero who have missed a chunk of early games and will have to play in the 80-90 percent range of the final games to retain eligibility. The spike of early injuries has opened the door for players like Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson,the Lakers’ Austin Reaves, or Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey for not only All-Star consideration but All-NBA consideration. The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown is also on that list, entering this weekend fifth in the NBA in scoring for a team on the rise.
Fans paid big money to see the Lakers' only trip to Boston this season, except LeBron and Luka Doncic sat out, and the backup Lakers barely put up a fight.
