Before the Knicks raise their championship banner at Madison Square Garden, a different one was erected somewhere else.
Well, not exactly a banner.
Josh Hart, appearing with the rest of the Knicks on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Monday night, reminisced about the time he pranked Fallon during the team’s magical championship run.
During the third quarter of Game 1 of the second round against the 76ers, which the Knicks won 137-98, Hart reached down and untied Fallon’s left shoe.
Fallon was sitting courtside at MSG.
Fallon had everyone on the Knicks sign the shoe, but left one spot open for Hart to be the final autograph during Monday’s show.
It became Fallon’s good luck charm — when the Knicks fell behind in their Game 5 clincher, Fallon told his daughter to untie his shoe.
Everyone knows what happened next.
Fallon and Hart on Monday raised that shoe into the Studio 6B rafters.
The Knicks’ appearance on “The Tonight Show” came amid a full day of partying, celebrations and media appearances.
The full team, along with coach Mike Brown, was there at 30 Rock.
Brown, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns spoke with Fallon in the first segment and OG Anunoby, Hart and Mikal Bridges appeared in the second segment.
Brown, no longer in his Knicks quarter zip or sweats, showed off a chain and a new pair of glasses and, like he did on the stage at the Frost Bank Center, barked out “Who let the dogs out?!”
Brunson and Towns jokingly covered their faces in embarrassment.
Later, Fallon quipped that Anunoby “actually showed a bit of emotion,” when talking about his game-winning tip-in.
Towns paid homage to his late mother.
Brunson spoke about the moment he shared with his father, Rick right after the final buzzer sounded.
The fans in attendance at the taping were all Knicks superfans, a bit rowdier than the normal clientele.
Spike Lee was the one who introduced the team.
President Leon Rose sat amongst the crowd with his wife, Donna, which sparked constant “Thank you Leon” cheers.
Fallon briefly went into the crowd and asked Rose a few questions.
Who/what was the first player/decision he made that made him believe this could lead to something special?
“Brunson.”
Did he ever have any doubts amid all their deficits in the Finals?
“This team never quits.”
Then, when Fallon began taking questions from the fans, one actually had one for Rose — how did he plan to keep this core together?
Rose was true to form.
Looking at the couple of reporters in the attendance, he said “You know I don’t talk to the media.”
Wu Tang Clan — who performed at halftime of the epic Game 4 win during the Finals — was the musical guest and performed “C.R.E.A.M.” Even the Knicks City Dancers had their own moment.
Lin-Manuel Miranda was there to tape a segment for Tuesday’s show — he was originally scheduled for Monday but moved to accommodate the full Knicks takeover episode.
These Knicks, after all, are the biggest superstars in the city right now.
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