Bill Bradley On A Knicks Title 53-Years Later: ‘You’ve Gotta Believe!’

BusinessSportsMoneyBill Bradley On A Knicks Title 53-Years Later: ‘You’ve Gotta Believe!’ByBarry M. Bloom,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Boomskie on BaseballFollow AuthorJun 15, 2026, 11:00am EDTJalen Brunson did his best Clyde Frazier impression scoring 45 points in New York's Game 5 clinching victory Saturday night. Frazer scored 36 in Game 7, 56 years ago to win the Knicks' first title. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThis is for the memory of Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Dick Barnett, and Dave Stallworth, who all played big parts on the 1970 Knicks team that defeated the Lakers to win its first NBA championship. This is also for Dean Meminger, who joined them to beat the Lakers again in 1973.And Dennis D’Agostino, who worked for the Knicks for 36 years in public relations and as the team historian. His widow, sportswriter extraordinaire Helene Elliott, wrote a beautiful homage to Dennis postgame on substack.com.Let’s not forget Red Holtzman, the great coach of both teams. They all died way too soon to enjoy the Knicks’ first NBA title in 53 years over the Spurs in five games on Saturday night. They would have loved it.But this was written by Bill Bradley, the former Senator from the great state of New Jersey and a Rhodes Scholar, who was also a huge part of perhaps the most intelligent team to ever play the game and is very much alive at 82:“Now you have the trophy… but more importantly you share this bond forever,” he posted on Facebook in the wake of New York’s 94-90 yet another come-from-behind victory in San Antonio. “Goo, Knicks.”MORE FOR YOUThe post was accompanied by a vintage black-and-white photo of Barnett, the 81-year-old Walt Frazier, Bradley, DeBusschere and Reed enjoying that 1970 victory moment seated together on a locker-room bench. That happened more than 56 years ago on May 8, 1970.Knicks vs. Lakers: Remembering the 1970 NBA FinalsThey faced a Lakers super t...