The New York Knicks Remind Us That Cheering Together Is Always Better

For more than 100 years, New York City has been considered the “melting pot” of America. It’s been the place where people of all backgrounds can find a home. Recently, though, the city has sadly been resembling the rest of the country—divided politically, socially and racially.

But thank goodness there’s sports. 

Over the past couple of months, New Yorkers have enjoyed a reason to cheer together. The city’s favorite basketball team—the Knicks—have been winning in the NBA playoffs at historic levels. And dozens of friends from New York == friends who live in all five boroughs – have reported to me that the positive nature of the Knicks run has effected everyone, every meeting, every clothing choice.

On Wednesday, the Knicks will take on the San Antonio Spurs in the championship finals. It’s a rematch of the 1999 Finals that saw the Spurs win 4-1. This time things feel different. 

Gone are the stars of yesterday—there’s no more Larry Johnson or Tim Duncan. Instead, in their place are big names like Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson. 

For the next three weeks, everyone in New York will have something to talk about while standing in the checkout line or waiting for the subway. They can leave their differences behind and lock arms and root for something in unison. 

That’s the beauty of sports. The chance at a title brings people closer. 

Not only that, but if someone took a photo of the city from 5,000 feet up, chances are they would see more Knick orange and blue than skyscraper grey! No matter your heritage, New York has a shared flag to fly in the Finals. 

Sports creates that shared moment.

The unifying force of the Knicks is a reminder that the games are more than something to watch at the end of your day. 

“Sport has the power to change the world,” the great leader Nelson Mandela said. “It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does… Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.” 

Of course, he’s right. Sports happens in real-time in the real world. Unlike most things it makes us to pay attention together. We are side by side and in the moment. 

These days, there is every opportunity to isolate. Whether you want to be on your phone in an elevator, listening to headphones on the train, or working from home instead of in an office, it’s easy to be on your own. 

But over time, we see the negative effects of that. Over time, we are remembering again how important it is to be in community with one another. To care about something together.

In the workplace, people can grow tired of sports analogies—calling an audible, throwing a Hail Mary, closing this slam dunk—but there’s a reason those phrases stick around. Sports, like a good business, requires teamwork to succeed. 

Sports values people pulling in the same direction and doing so for one another. They show us how we can be at our best as a unit. 

Here’s another quote from Mandella to underscore that: “None of us acting alone can achieve success.”

Right, again. 

If the Knicks win the title this year, the entire city will be reminded about why it’s so good to work together, to cheer together, to live and love something together. 

On the court, that means leaning into and building chemistry so that each play goes smoothly. Off the court, that means remembering there is more about us that is similar than different. And that should be celebrated. 

Sports reminds us of this every time we tune in. 

I say it all the time—if you go to a game and sit in a packed stadium, the person on your right could be a nuclear physicist and the person to your left could be a trainee in the sanitation department, but for those three hours, you’ll be cheering for the same thing. 

That’s just incredible.