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Never thought I’d be writing about the Knicks twice in as many weeks in this space, but here we are.
Not only did the Knicks win a title for the first time in 53 years, but they did so in a Finals series that made history in a few different ways.
According to NBA.com, the just-concluded series between the Knicks and the Spurs was the only NBA Finals – ever – where the margin was within five or fewer minutes in the final five minutes of every game. It was also just the fourth series where, in each of the first five games (yes, it ended in five), the margin was three points or less inside the final two minutes.
The Knicks’ Game 4 comeback is going to go down in history. But it was one of five double-digit rallies by New York in this series. Across the entire postseason, when trailing by double figures, the Knicks posted a 6-2 record – the best by any NBA Playoff team in three decades.
As comebacks go? Not too shabby. Not too shabby at all.
Yours truly had no real rooting interest in the Finals, though. So this week, I thought I’d take a look at some of my favorite comebacks in sports.
1: The 2016 World Series
If you know me, you know my fandom starts with the Chicago Cubs. So of course I’ve got to give some love to the 2016 Cubs, for their comeback from 3-1 against the Cleveland Indians (they wouldn’t become the Guardians until 2022) to win it all – and end a championship drought that had extended all the way back to 1908.
I was pretty optimistic the Cubs were going to get back there this season. Recent results have dimmed that hope, though it still flickers. Oh, for the salad days of April 2026 again… how young and vibrant we were then!
2: Bears vs. Packers, 2026 Wild Card
I’m one of those weirdos who follows several Chicago teams, even though their location in the Windy City is coincidental. I’m a nominal Bears fan at best (and that’s on very shaky ground with their plan to build a new stadium in Indiana), but that’s because when the Bears are in the Super Bowl in 1986, and you’re eight years old, the Super Bowl Shuffle music video is basically the coolest thing your young eyes have seen to that point.
Anyway, I digress. When you grow up rooting for the Bears, you hate the Green Bay Packers. I don’t make the rules; it’s the way it is. So you can bet I enjoyed the Bears coming back from 18 down at the half and still 15 down at the start of the fourth quarter to send the Packers, well, packing.
Fun fact: I gave up on this game early in the fourth only to wake up in the middle of the night (because when you’re waist deep in middle age, waking up in the middle of the night is part of the deal) to learn the Bears came back to win and the Cubs had signed Alex Bregman.
3: Virginia over Virginia Tech, 1998
The only athletic endeavors that come close to my Cubs in terms of my own personal level of give a damn. I’m going to root for my alma mater whether it’s football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, thumb wrestling, or competitive eating.
In 1998, I was a mere undergraduate stringing for the Kingsport Times-News during breaks, and offered a spot in the press box for the annual Virginia vs. Virginia Tech rivalry football game – in Blacksburg that year – during Thanksgiving weekend.
That was a fast yes.
The Hokies took it to my Wahoos early, jumping out to a 17-0 lead that ballooned to 26-7 by half. Then the comeback began. Virginia narrowed the gap to 29-21 by the end of the third quarter, then took the lead with two minutes left. An Aaron Brooks touchdown to Ahmad Hawkins. Any Virginia fan who was paying attention at the time can tell you all about it.
So there you have it. Three of my favorite comebacks.
Until the next one tops it.