How these surprisngly likable Knicks have mastered the art of the buddy comedy

Before the Western Conference Finals were settled, the Knicks had a long layoff. While they were sitting around, Mike Brown was asked the usual question about which team he'd rather face, and he gave the usual answer about how it didn't matter -- with one important personal caveat.

"If we played San Antonio, it would save me some money because my family lives in San Antonio," Brown said. "I don't have to buy airline tickets."

It was a good line, and he got some laughs. Like the team he coaches, Brown seems to be enjoying himself since the Knicks dispatched the Cavaliers and won the Eastern Conference Finals well over a week ago. It's been an epic run for New York thus far. The Knicks are on an 11-game winning streak during which they have posted the biggest point differential in NBA history (regular season or playoffs). On Wednesday, they'll make their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1999, and when they do they'll enter the series boasting the best offensive and defensive rating of any team this postseason. No wonder they've spent much of the playoffs cracking jokes and smiles and having a good time.

To hear Josh Hart tell it, "building championship habits, it's very boring and it's very meticulous." Which might be why Hart in particular likes to keep it light. The Knicks' Swiss Army Knife on the floor is usually the jester off it. After their Game 2 win in the Eastern Conference Finals, Hart decided to multitask by bringing his postgame pizza to the press conference.  

That particular media availability was amusing for several reasons, not limited to Karl Anthony-Towns reacting to Hart pretty much the way everyone else does. Just look how KAT responds when Hart gives what we'll call a unique answer when asked about the virtues of analytics.

The Big Bodega (first team All-NBA nickname) essentially doing a spit take and then pulling off his shades while Hart doubles down is first-rate material. The entire Knicks team is basically doing one big buddy cop comedy routine that we never knew we needed. They're crushing it on the court and killing it when it comes to content. They're not just good at basketball, they're likable and easy to root for. It's infuriating. For everyone who's always rooted against the Knicks, the least they could do is have the decency to act like villains. 

Knicks vs. Spurs predictions: NBA Finals expert picks as Victor Wembanyama leads the favorites

Brad Botkin

Alas, the 'Nova Knicks core at the heart of this team has been winning people over for too long to change now. As Jalen Brunson said after advancing to the NBA Finals, Mikal Bridges, Hart and he "share a bond and a brotherhood." Three kids who became friends in college are now adults, just four wins away from an NBA championship. It's the stuff they make Disney sports movies about that makes kids (and their parents) cry. Which does not mean that brotherhood is always earnest. The interaction between Hart and his podcast partner Brunson highlights one of the great two-man standup acts in recent sports memory. They bust each other's chops reflexively. When Brunson isn't hugging Mariska Hargity courtside or teasing reporters about their group chats, he's usually messing with Hart the way only brothers can. When Hart rolled his ankle in the Cavs series, Brunson responded with that special brand of tough love and told him to walk it off. And after Hart went for 26 points and made five 3-pointers in a win over Cleveland, Brunson couldn't help but tease him.

Full marks for the deadpan delivery. Timing is everything. Hart would no doubt agree, though how, when and where he executes his gags is decidedly different in style from Brunson. Some guys prefer dry humor, others are into more physical comedy. 

Who's having more fun than the Knicks right now? KAT reminisced about Jeremy Lin's run back in the day and how he ran off to Model's sporting goods store as a kid to track down his jersey. Brown revealed how he's gotten tight with Fat Joe and that his wife "freaked out" about seeing Ben Stiller. Even OG Anunoby, in his own laid back manner, rolling his eyes when Charles Barkley asked him what his real name is. Every media appearance seems designed to further endear them to the basketball-watching public (or at least the non-auto-haters).

Adam Silver and the league office have to be ecstatic about this Finals matchup. It has all the makings of a potential classic from an on-court standpoint, not to mention the storylines and stars. Wembanyama and the young, upstart Spurs jumping to the front of the line to battle one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports, a team that happens to have a roster full of charming media darlings. It should be a fantastic series, and regardless of who hoists the Larry O'Brien trophy in the end, the inherent entertainment figures to be massive. As Anunoby put it the way only he can when asked about the Knicks being back in the Finals for the first time in more than a quarter century, that should have everyone feeling a certain way.