the Knicks' Huge Advantage Over Every NBA Team

And the Man Most Responsible For It

There's a major league intangible embedded in the New York Knicks' drive to the 2025-26 NBA championship. One that gives them an unparralleled advantage for their upcoming defense of their title. One that only one man can take credit for, even though said person is no longer with the team. 

That intangible is superior conditioning, endurance and stamina, something they have in abundance over every team, particularly everybody's new favorite darlings, the Philadephia 76ers of LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey. Everyone knows that Embiid is very injury-prone but LeBron hasn't played a full season in 10 years, which would make the possibility of their Big 4 playing together for all 82 games highly unlkely and stunting the development of team chemistry - another New York strength.

Last season the Sixers starters missed 135 games while the Knicks missed only 46. That was no coincidence because the year before the Knick starters missed 40 games while the 76ers' missed 136. That could be the biggest reason why the 76ers will fail again this season. They don't have the physicsal endurance the Knicks possess.

The mystery man responsible? None other than former Knicks honcho Tom Thibodeau. When he was being criticized for playing his starters too much little did anyone figure that the madness in his method was building a very durable roster that would not tire out so easily. By playoff time, when even the best teams are naturally worn out after the grueling regular season, the Knicks were in midsesason form and were never out of a game no matter how far behind they were. They were relentless. They kept coming. they never quit.

A repeat in 1926-27? It's a lot more plausible than people realize.