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

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.

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