Born in Harlesden, Anunoby arrives home with his second NBA title. But this time it is different.
Unlike his first title with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, when injury prevented him from featuring in the playoff run, this time Anunoby played a defining role, delivering one of the NBA Finals' most memorable moments.
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Trailing by 29 points in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, the Knicks looked set to give up control of the series before completing the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
With seconds remaining and Madison Square Garden on the edge of their seats, Anunoby acted, tipping home what proved to be the winning basket with just 1.2 seconds remaining, leading them to victory by just one point.
The Knicks enjoyed a fairy-tale run to the Finals but still entered the showdown with Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs as underdogs as they looked to end a 53-year wait for a championship.
Yet inside the locker room there was always belief, as Anunoby explained to Sky Sports. "Honestly, before the start of the playoffs, our whole team just came together and we knew we had one goal. We took every game day by day, game by game," he said.
"We went on a crazy run. I don't know how many games we won in a row (13) but every game was focused on the next, trying to build and be better than we were the last game.
"Even in the Finals, it was just day by day, game by game."
The Knicks' remarkable winning run that propelled them through the playoffs was finally ended in Game 3 by the Spurs. Their momentum looked to have evaporated after three quarters of Game 4, with San Antonio on the brink of levelling the series.
The Knicks finally rallied before Anunoby produced the defining moment of the Finals. But while the rest of basketball continues to replay the moment, Anunoby has already moved on.
"It comes up quite a bit so I see it quite a bit." Does he still get the same feeling every time he watches it back?
"No. I'm over it now."
It is a typically understated response from Anunoby. Even immediately after Game 4, amid euphoric scenes at Madison Square Garden, Anunoby remained calm.
"It wasn't a lot of celebration immediately because we had another game to win," he said. "We didn't want to be ahead of ourselves and celebrate prematurely."
New York completed the job in Game 5 before celebrating with a parade through the famous Canyon of Heroes, where Anunoby and his team-mates were presented with the keys to the city, a tradition for NBA champions.
"It was really cool. It was a great honour. I'm sure the whole team were all excited and all felt amazing about it," he said.
But attention has already shifted. The 29-year-old's return home comes at a significant time for the sport, with participation continuing to rise despite a turbulent period for basketball in Britain, including league restructuring and governance challenges.
While British basketball continues to search for further growth, the pathway to the NBA is becoming increasingly visible.
Tobi Lawal became the latest Brit to hear his name called in the NBA Draft this summer, joining Anunoby and Amari Williams as Brit-born players in the NBA.
Anunoby sees no reason for that progress to slow down.
"Each year more and more Brits are coming to the NBA. The game is growing each year. It's amazing to see and it's just going to keep getting better and better," he said.
The NBA itself has become increasingly international. Recent MVP awards have been dominated by players from outside the USA, while rosters across the league now regularly feature talent from around the world.
Now with Anunoby's launch into the spotlight and this year's finals performances, it seems there is more opportunity for British talent to be inspired and developed.
Anunoby believes basketball's growth is only heading in one direction. "Teams have three or four international guys now, and each year it's growing more and more. It's been amazing to see."
His commitment to British basketball extends beyond simply talking about its future. Back in London, Anunoby is once again working alongside Badu Basketball and Skechers, hosting camps designed to give young players access to elite coaching.
Watching children queue for photographs, autographs and a glimpse of the NBA champions' Larry O'Brien Trophy, it's clear the impact stretches beyond basketball drills. For many, seeing a London-born NBA champion standing in front of them makes the dream feel real.
"Every summer we do a camp," explained Anunoby. "A bunch of kids come out, boys and girls of different age ranges. We put them through drills, let them play, have a little Q&A and really just hang out with them, talk basketball and play basketball. It's a really great time."
Despite spending his time in New York, London remains a second home in more ways than one for Anunoby. An Arsenal supporter since childhood, he still follows the club closely from America.
"Just watching Arsenal as a kid and then when I moved to the States, watching Arsenal, playing with them on FIFA, just supporting from afar," he explains of his affiliation for the newly crowned Premier League champions.
Thierry Henry remains his favourite player while Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly are among the current squad he enjoys watching.
He even shared Arsenal's title run with then-Knicks team-mate Jeremy Sochan, another Gunners fan.
"We were always talking about it every day and I was just very excited and happy for all the guys, all the coaches, the whole organisation," he said.
Anunoby's attention is now focused on the next challenge. Indeed, his answer to what comes next could easily be shared by Mikel Arteta's Arsenal as they, like the Knicks, look to defend a title they spent decades yearning for.
"Just continue to get better individually and as a team - and hopefully win the championship all over again."
The Game 4 tip-in will continue to be replayed for years to come, but Anunoby's legacy will not just be measured by championships or iconic moments.
With his ambitions, it will also be found on basketball courts across Britain, where the next generation of players can look at a British NBA player and believe that the journey from Harlesden to NBA champion is possible.
