Before the Knicks celebrated their championship win at Madison Square Garden, another notable moment occurred.
Well, maybe not exactly a banner moment.
On “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” alongside his teammates, Josh Hart shared a memorable prank he pulled on Fallon during their championship journey.
During the Knicks’ decisive 137-98 victory over the 76ers in Game 1, Hart had the audacity to unlaced Fallon’s left shoe while he sat courtside.
Fallon, having everyone on the Knicks sign their shoes, left a spot for Hart to add his signature on Monday night.
This shoe became a kind of lucky charm. During Game 5, with the Knicks trailing, Fallon instructed his daughter to unlaced her shoes too.
And, well, we all know how that turned out.
On Monday, Fallon and Hart proudly raised the shoes to the rafters of Studio 6B.
The Knicks were guests on “The Tonight Show” as part of a day filled with celebrations and media appearances.
The full team and coach Mike Brown gathered at 30 Rock for the occasion.
In the first segment, Brown, along with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, chatted with Fallon, while the second featured OG Anunoby, Hart, and Mikal Bridges.
Brown, no longer in his Knicks gear, showed off some bling and joked, echoing his earlier stage performance, “Who let the dog out?!”
Brunson and Towns covered their faces in mock embarrassment.
Later, Fallon humorously noted that Anunoby seemed “a little emotional” when discussing the game-winning tip-in.
Towns took a moment to honor his late mother. Meanwhile, Brunson reflected on a special moment with his father right after the final buzzer.
The studio audience was packed with enthusiastic Knicks fans, bringing a livelier atmosphere than usual.
Spike Lee introduced the team, while President Leon Rose was seen in the crowd with his wife, receiving cheers of “Thank you, Leon.”
Fallon took a moment to ask Rose a few questions from the audience.
When asked about the first player/decision that made him believe something special was happening, he mentioned “Brunson.”
Did Rose ever have doubts, especially given the finals performance? He confidently replied, “This team will never quit.”
When fans asked how he planned to assemble this core, Rose remained consistent, saying, “You know I don’t talk to the media.”
Wu-Tang Clan, who rocked halftime during Game 4 of the Finals, performed “CREAM” as the musical guest. The Knicks City Dancers also had their moments.
Lin-Manuel Miranda was in attendance to tape Tuesday’s show, which was shifted from Monday to accommodate the Knicks’ special celebration.
After all, the Knicks are clearly the focus of the city right now.
