In a special edition episode of the ‘Mind the Game’ podcast, Lakers star LeBron James trolled the Knicks after their recent run to the Conference Finals. James, who was joined by Maverick Carter, Victor Wembanyama, and other celebrity guests, spoke directly to Knicks fans as he looked back on the 2025 playoffs.
“Knicks fans, y’all good? You going to the Finals next year? We’ll see,” said James.
The episode was being shot in New York City as part of Fanatics Fest 2025, which means LeBron knew there would be plenty of Knicks fans in attendance. Over the years, while LeBron has not engaged much with the Knicks, he has had several opportunities to join them over the years.
In 2010, the Knicks thought they had James in the bag until he revealed his intentions to sign with the Heat. Ever since, LeBron has kept a comfortable distance from the Knicks, a team that was considered highly dysfunctional and unorganized.
As an organization, the Knicks were the laughing stock of the league for years, and they had nothing to show for their existence but repeated playoff failures. All that changed with the arrival of Jalen Brunson in 2022. His elite play at point guard brought the Knicks to relevance in the East, and he found favor among the fans with averages of 28.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game on 47.9% shooting.
By the 2024-25 campaign, the Knicks were one of the highest-rated teams in the East, and they successfully restored their reputation after decades of mismanagement. All along the way, Knicks fans were buzzing with excitement, and they were going viral as they proudly cheered their team to success.
While the Knicks did make a run to the East Finals this year, they fell short once again, and the fans experienced major disappointment. Even when everything was going their way, it still wasn’t enough to win, and some fans are feeling a sense of hopelessness about their immediate title chances.
Today, LeBron brought all of those feelings back as he reminded New Yorkers of their most recent playoff losses. While LeBron didn’t do much better with the Lakers, he can at least look back on his past titles as proof of his success.
For the Knicks, their only images of winning are in the future, but they cannot do it as presently constricted. With a few moves to the roster, namely the supporting cast, the Knicks can get even better as a team and increase their championship odds. Or, they can pursue star power to ensure they always have a go-to scorer in the clutch.
Whatever happens in New York this summer, one thing is clear: LeBron James will not be a part of it. He’s already made peace with not becoming a Knick, and he’s better off with the Lakers anyway, a team that is fully equipped to maximize the end of his career.
To get revenge on LeBron will be no easy feat, but Knicks fans are eager for it after he so brutally called them out. In the end, only time will tell if they can earn LeBron’s respect, but they’ve come a long way from where they were before, when they were in complete disarray as a franchise.
