When I moved out of New York City, in 2019 for an internship at the White House, I didn’t know at the time that it would be the start of a political career that would take me out of my beloved New York City for the next seven years.
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The Knicks had just completed one of their worst seasons in 2019 — in a decade full of dreadful seasons — finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference, with a pathetic 17 wins.
Although I had visited NYC on a number of occasions, over the past seven years, I was not there long enough to really have a full sense of the vibe of the city. I do know that when I moved out in 2019, the residents of the city seemed particularly pugnacious.
They were angry at who the president was, and supposedly the world was going to end either because of climate change or World War III with North Korea. When I returned to the city in the summer of 2020 — during the height of the pandemic, and civil unrest, New Yorkers were perhaps even more truculent than when I had left the previous year.
Yes, I know it’s hard to characterize 8.4 million people as indignant, but with no sports, no entertainment, and draconian lockdowns, the general mood was one of despair and anger.
Yes, being forced to stay inside all day, while wearing three disgusting facemasks will do that to you. Thank you, Dr. Fauci!
After living in Washington D.C., Indianapolis, Tallahassee, Raleigh, and Central Florida, I moved back to Brooklyn in April, 2026 — just as the playoffs were beginning.
While it is still a politically divisive time (it always seems to be lately), there is so much joy and love in the air because of what the New York Knickerbockers have done for the city, on the way to winning their first NBA Championship since 1973.
The Knicks didn’t just win 13 games in a row, including a sweep of the Sixers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a sweep of the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and a gritty five-game series win against the dangerous San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
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They demolished their opponents. And they did it with grit, with tenacity, with precision, with excellent ball movement, with outstanding shooting, with great rebounding, with excellent coaching, and a mutual level of respect and trust for their fellow teammates.
No lead ever seemed insurmountable, no amount of criticism from the pundits, or loss of confidence from the lazy Vegas oddsmakers, seemed to matter.
And because the Knicks have set that example for the entire city, it seems to be contagious. People genuinely seem happier. They seem to be in better spirits, and people who you certainly would not expect to see wearing a Knicks hat or t-shirt are rocking it all over the city.
It doesn’t so much matter that many of these people probably couldn’t name five players on the team, or might have just moved to the city from Oshkosh five seconds ago. All that matters is the fact that we’re all united in the cause.
If you’re wearing a Jalen Brunson jersey, strangers walk by you with a smile and say, “Go Knicks!” Or, “Knicks in five!”
There is a vibrancy in the city that I have never seen before, and we have something to talk about that doesn’t involve ripping into someone for wearing a MAGA hat — which I still would not recommend wearing down Broadway!
It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of, and it’s all because sports remains the greatest unifier, which is why we all need something to root for!
David Keltz is the author of the new book “LIFE SUCKS, BUT YOUR LIFE DOESN’T HAVE TO: How To Build Confidence and Find Purpose in A Turbulent World”
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Image: Michael Tipton