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Episode details

World Service,29 May 2026,23 mins

New York Knicks reach the NBA Finals for first time in 27 years

More than the Score

Available for over a year

The New York Knicks are in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years after they swept aside the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. They'll face either defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder, or Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs, for the NBA title. The likes of Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet, Anne Hathaway and Larry David are expected to take their seats on Madison Square Garden's "Celebrity Row" come game time in June. But why has it taken so long for one of the most storied franchises in sport to return to basketball's biggest stage? Jonathan Macri is Dean of the New York Knicks Film School podcast. He tells Ed Harry why the city is confident this current Knicks team, led by Jalen Brunson, can emulate the teams of 1970 and 1973 and be crowned NBA champions for only the third time. BBC Sport's Jonty Colman explains why having a competitive Knicks franchise is good for basketball. This episode was recorded on Thursday 28th May, before game six of the Western Conference finals. More than the Score tells stories beyond the scoreline from all over the world of sport. From the World Cup to F1, golf to figure skating, and Grand Slam tennis to Diamond League athletics. We've got interviews with extraordinary athletes like heavyweight boxing champion Fabio Wardley, Tour de France winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, trailblazing Samoan athlete Alex Rose and cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, as well as the experts working behind the scenes, from football super-agents to the coaches keeping athletes in peak form. Plus, we've got the expertise of the BBC's top journalists, who share their insights from decades of covering sport at all levels. And if you've got your own take on the stories we cover, we'd love to hear from you. Email morethanthescore@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 0044 800 032 0470. You can find more information, along with our privacy notice, on our website: www.bbcworldservice.com/morethanthescore

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