Former Knicks star Derrick Rose congratulates the team on winning its first championship in half a century.

In the recently concluded 2025-26 NBA Finals, the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs, led by Victor Wimbledon, 4-1, ending the team's championship drought that had lasted for more than half a century.

Throughout the playoffs, the Knicks achieved a dominant 16-3 record, and their star player Jalen Brunson won the Finals MVP award for his outstanding performance in the series.

After winning the championship, former Knicks regular season MVP Derrick Rose, in an interview with Sports Illustrated, publicly expressed his heartfelt congratulations to his former team and teammates. The retired star revealed that he firmly believed the Knicks would win the title throughout the entire playoffs.

“I thought they would win from the start. My son is a huge Brunson fan and cheered for the Knicks throughout the playoffs,” Rose said.

Rose also mentioned that before the Knicks advanced to the Finals, he called Brunson's father, Rick Brunson, and predicted that the team would defeat Wimbledon and Amazons in the Finals and eventually win the championship.

Rose wore the Knicks jersey from 2021 to 2023, where he not only served as a locker room leader but also played alongside Brunson for a year in the 2022-23 season, forging a deep friendship between the two.

Seeing his former teammates lead the team to the top, Rose was deeply moved: "I'm genuinely happy for Jaylen, and I'm also proud of Rick and his family. They've put in so much effort for Jaylen's growth. Although I was just watching from afar, this championship journey was truly exhilarating."

Image source: Internet