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By Joe Apu
Nigerian-British NBA star OG Anunoby cemented his place in New York Knicks history after playing a pivotal role in the franchise’s first NBA championship in 53 years.
The Knicks sealed the 2026 NBA title with a hard-fought 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night, clinching the series 4-1 and ending a championship drought that dated back to 1973.
While Finals MVP Jalen Brunson delivered a sensational 45-point performance in the title-clinching game, Anunoby’s contributions throughout the postseason were instrumental in New York’s remarkable run to the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The championship marked the second NBA title of Anunoby’s career but the first in which he played a central role on the court. His first championship came with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, though an emergency appendectomy sidelined him for the entire playoff campaign.
Reflecting on the difference between the two title-winning experiences, Anunoby said: “The last one, I didn’t get the chance to play, but it was special as well. Both were very special.”
The 28-year-old forward emerged as one of New York’s most influential players during the Finals despite battling through a severe hamstring strain. He averaged 21.2 points per game while shooting an impressive 52.5 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range.
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His postseason heroics included one of the defining moments of the Finals. In Game 4, Anunoby tipped in the winning basket with just 1.2 seconds remaining to complete a stunning 29-point comeback and give the Knicks a dramatic 107-106 victory. The win represented the largest comeback in NBA Finals history and moved New York within one victory of the championship.
Anunoby’s impact was felt at both ends of the floor throughout the series, and a 33-point performance earlier in the Finals briefly thrust him into the conversation for the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award before Brunson ultimately claimed the honour.
Speaking after helping deliver the championship to New York, Anunoby praised the team’s resilience in overcoming adversity throughout the season.
“We did it. That was our goal from the start in September, in Abu Dhabi. We went through a lot this season, a lot of ups and downs. We just stayed with it, mentally tough, and we won,” he said.
The championship triumph also underscored the growing influence of athletes with African roots on the global sporting stage. Anunoby’s success adds another significant chapter to the legacy of Nigerian basketball players making their mark in the NBA and international sport.
The title-winning roster also reflected the league’s increasingly global nature, with French prospects Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara, Poland’s Jeremy Sochan and Germany’s Ariel Hukporti joining Anunoby as NBA champions.
For Anunoby, however, this championship will hold special significance. Unlike his first title seven years ago, he was at the heart of New York’s success, helping one of the NBA’s most iconic franchises end a 53-year wait for glory and securing his place among the heroes of a historic Knicks triumph.
