Some opinions take months to make sense. Back in January, a former NBA superstar shared a surprising take about the modern New York Knicks. Dwyane Wade’s January praise for the New York Knicks now looks prophetic after the team clinched an NBA Finals berth.

The conversation happened on the podcast Time Out with Dwyane Wade on the WY Network. The clip started making rounds on social media again on May 26, 2026, after being shared by the X account @wynetwork. At the time, New York was playing well, but few people expected them to go this far. 

Dwyane Wade shared his admiration by saying, “This is my favorite Knicks team that I’ve seen probably since I watched them play against the Bulls back in the day. It’s my favorite Knicks team.”

During the original episode, Wade explained the chemistry and defensive trust of the roster. He spent time looking at how the team played together rather than relying on just one person.

The host of the show was surprised by the statement and asked if Wade even preferred them over the squads from a decade ago. Wade doubled down on his stance.

He brought up the era of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire to show the difference in how the teams were built.

Wade remembered facing those older teams and joked, “We 4-1’d them.” He explained that Anthony was an amazing individual player, but the overall roster back then just did not have the same balance. 

The comparison to the 1990s battles against the Chicago Bulls comes from Wade's own childhood. Growing up in the 1990s, he watched physical players like Patrick Ewing and Anthony Mason fight for every single possession. 

He witnessed that same grit and confidence in this Knicks team.

The Knicks proved Dwyane Wade right 

New York completed a 4-0 sweep against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. The franchise reached its first NBA Finals since 1999 and ended a 27-year drought. They secured Game 4 with a 130-93 win on May 25, 2026.

Jalen Brunson bagged the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award after averaging 25.5 points and 7.8 assists per game. But as Wade stated, this success is about the whole roster. 

Players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby also supported the team in crucial moments. The squad enters the Finals on an 11-game winning streak with a plus-271 point differential.

Head coach Mike Brown praised the team after the game for their work ethic. The roster was built after Brunson signed a team-friendly contract extension, allowing management to bring in the perfect pieces. 

This modern group has given New York fans a team that shows the legendary toughness of the 1990s. Do you think this current roster is better than the Carmelo era teams?

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles! 

Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Koushik Biswas