For anybody that has been following the NBA, you’ll know that the New York Knicks haven’t been among the league’s most successful teams of late.
Since 2013, they have been mired in mediocrity, dysfunction, and mismanagement, resulting in them becoming a laughing stock.
This season, though, that has all changed. Behind head coach Tom Thibedeau and team star Julius Randle, the Knickerbockers are officially headed back to the playoffs, signaling the rise of one of the world’s most valuable franchises.
“Check it off the list,” Knicks’ All-Star Julius Randle tweeted after the Boston game. “We not close to done.”
The Knicks suffered for seven straight seasons as a lottery club but Tom Thibodeau changed the culture in his first year as head coach. He has brought continuity, defense and ball-sharing to get them into the playoffs for the first time since 2013, when they were ousted in the second round by Indiana.
After the win, with the Knicks’ postseason ticket booked, NBA Twitter responded in waves:
Knicks fans after making the playoffs for the first time since 2013 😂
(via @djkhaled) https://t.co/91UUuzPBsO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2021
Knicks fans pulling up to the playoffs pic.twitter.com/K4ycr34MMZ
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) May 13, 2021
Merry Christmas, Cody. pic.twitter.com/Ls5kqCwHFr
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 13, 2021
Cavs beat the Celtics… which means the Knicks have clinched a playoff berth for the first time in eight years… which means: pic.twitter.com/NxIbTsM65U
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) May 13, 2021
WE FUCKING DID IT CODY
I LOVE YOU KNICKS LFG pic.twitter.com/wFdiVEWzql
— 𝕁𝕒𝕪 (@Waitingfora3rd) May 13, 2021
Obsessing over Knicks playoff standings instead of draft lottery odds is such a welcomed change of pace.
— Mike (@mikestheworst) May 12, 2021
THE NEW YORK KNICKS HAVE MADE THE PLAYOFFS pic.twitter.com/BptuHc9hkd
— Turkish Spongebob 🕌 (@WorldwideFm_) May 13, 2021
The Knicks fans after finding out they’re going to the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/FB7GF64gTW
— In My Mind (@MeAloneInMyMind) May 13, 2021
https://twitter.com/goknickstape/status/1392668195199328257
After nearly a decade of being the laughing stock of the league, being constantly shit on by the media, missing out on superstar free agents, and having to endure endless amounts of disappointment, we have finally done it. The New York Knicks are a playoff team🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/4bcqzo81JU
— 🦋 (@WootenWRLD) May 13, 2021
This is obviously a monumental moment for the Knicks. After years of being sub-par, they’re making a return to the playoffs as a widely respected and beloved basketball team.
It’s truly a wonderful time for fans, and for the league.
