Get out your brooms and cue up Frank Sinatra: New York City is celebrating after the Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to head to the NBA finals for the first time since 1999.
Captain Jalen Brunson and his squad, guided by head coach Mike Brown, became the Eastern Conference champions on the other team’s court on Monday in Cleveland, with diehard fans Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller cheering them on at the away game. Brunson also won the Larry Bird Trophy as the unanimous pick for the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
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The Knicks, longtime underdogs who have undergone quite the transformation in recent years, have proven their talent — but what are the basketball shoes helping to facilitate their on-court skills? FN takes a look at the sneaker game of the star players from Monday’s conference-clinching game.
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One shoe in particular, a style which nodded to New York, was worn by not one, not two but at least three Knicks for game four of the Eastern Conference Finals: It was Jalen Brunson’s first Nike Kobe sneaker release, the Kobe 6 Protro “Statue of Liberty” style which launched around the 2025 holiday season after he debuted it as a player exclusive colorway last NBA season.
Repping their home base, Brunson, Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti were all wearing the style which features a turquoise and copper palette in homage to the iconic monument.
Mikal Bridges was in the mood for turquoise as well, but he wore a different Nike style, opting for the Ja 3 “12-Time” style. With a Bleached Turquoise/Safety Orange/Vivid Purple colorway, the sneaker features a vertical Swoosh on the lateral profile. Meanwhile, Josh Hart showcased the Nike Kobe 5 Protro “X-Ray” shoes, which feature a glow-in-the-dark X-ray image of a skeletal foot against a royal blue backdrop.
In a non-Nike moment for the starting lineup, Skechers athlete OG Anunoby wore the Southern California-based brand’s SKX Nexus sneaker in a white, blue and black colorway. The shoe features a mesh upper, lockdown ankle support, a torsion plate for improved stability, 5GEN cushioning, and Goodyear rubber to help with traction. Knicks fan and Skechers partner Martha Stewart recently noted that Anonoby was wearing her “favorite Skechers” for game two of the Eastern Conference Finals. (He had a player-exclusive colorway of the SKX Nexus.)
Among the various shades of blue and orange (and other colors) worn by the Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns showcased an indigo Nike G.T. Jump 2, a go-to style for the athlete. This pair featured a silver Swoosh and a subtle speckled shimmer throughout.
As the Thunder and the Spurs continue to face off in the Western Conference finals, it’s yet to be determined who the Knicks will take on in the NBA finals, which kick off June 3.