The New York Knicks won the third annual NBA Cup last month.
However, unlike the two previous champions, the Knicks haven’t hung a banner to commemorate the achievement, and they don’t plan to.
Knicks owner calls NBA Cup a 'consolation prize'
Knicks owner James Dolan explained why during a recent appearance on The Carton Show, explaining that he plans to wait for an NBA title before hanging cloth from the rafters at Madison Square Garden.
“We are going to raise the banner. We’re going to raise the NBA championship banner. That’s the banner we want to raise,” Dolan said, via the New York Post. “We want an NBA championship, we don’t want some consolation prize.”
Dolan clearly shares the views of many when it comes to the NBA Cup – that it’s a bit of a farce, and clearly secondary in importance to an actual NBA championship.
But, while Dolan won’t celebrate the cup victory with a banner, he did acknowledge being proud of his team for their early-season accomplishment.
“But to get a chance midseason to try out what you’re going to be like at the end of the season, it was exciting,” Dolan said. “I was very proud of the guys. They did a great job and we’re proud to have the Emirates Cup, but we’re going to hang a championship banner, a real banner.”
Over a quarter of a century into his reign as owner of the Knicks, Dolan is still seeking that elusive first championship. New York’s last conference title came back in 1999, but their last championship was way back in 1973.
The Knicks will have an opportunity to compete for a title this season, as they currently sit second in the standings in the Eastern Conference. But, history isn't on their side. Neither of the previous NBA Cup winners went on to win the Finals that same season.