For the first time in 53 years, it was banner night at Madison Square Garden for the New York Knicks as they celebrated their crowning achievement from June.
Fans packed the stands at The World’s Most Famous Arena for opening night of the 2026-27 NBA season where the Knicks were set to play LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers.
But before tipoff could take place, a celebration began as the Knicks stars from last season received their championship rings and raised a banner to the rafters.
One by one, the players, executives and coaches received specialized rings designed by jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills.
According to a press release, the rings are created with white gold and featured just short of 800 diamonds and sapphires which totalled 22 carats. The ring also includes several mottos and references to the team’s accomplishments.
The special feature of the ring is a miniature recreation of Madison Square Garden’s exterior, which is raised with a turn. The body of the ring also reveals a miniature recreation of the arena’s lower bowl.
The World Champion New York Knicks raised a banner on opening night at Madison Square Garden to begin their title defense in their NBA season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson admires his championship ring before the game began
The Knicks then played their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers
After receiving their rings, Knicks star and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson gave a short speech to the crowd.
‘Most importantly, I wanna say thank you guys for not leaving Game 4,’ Brunson joked.
‘I know we’re all excited to get this season going, we’re ready to turn the page as a team. But one thing I would like to say: the joy this city had this summer, we’d love to replicate that again.’
After Brunson’s speech ended, the banner displaying the words ‘2025-26 World Champions’ ascended to the concave roof of Madison Square Garden.
It’s a night that featured plenty of love for the team that ended a men’s pro sports title drought in New York of over a decade.
The Knicks captured their first championship since 1973 and their third title in history after defeating Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
Many of those games saw the Knicks erase steep deficits, including a 29-point comeback in Game 4 that was the biggest in NBA Finals history. They also came back from 16 points down in Game 5 to clinch the title.
Celebrity fans Ben Stiller (L) and Spike Lee (R) were among the crowd for the banner raising
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (L) and singer Jon Bon Jovi (R) were also seen courtside
This also marked the first game for LeBron James in a Sixers uniform
Fans packed in to the arena, including some of the more famous patrons along celebrity row.
Fixtures Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Mariska Hargitay watched the ceremony, as did NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and singer Jon Bon Jovi.
The game also marked the debut of LeBron James in a 76ers uniform after he joined the team from the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer.
James previously mentioned that he wanted to join the Knicks, but ultimately chose not to after New York won the NBA title.
‘I had visions of playing in [Madison Square] Garden and finishing my career in the Garden,’ James told ESPN in September. ‘One of the best places I’ve ever played.’
He added: ‘I think it’s the No. 1 arena in the world, as far as for a basketball player. But after they beat San Antonio, I was like “Hey, I can’t.” I couldn’t do it.’
