OG Anunoby Brings Championship DNA to Knicks’ Quest for an NBA Title

OG Anunoby does not openly speak of “remember when” while contributing to a historic display of dominance from the New York Knicks, en route to their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.

Despite being just 28 years old, Anunoby has already played a full 10 seasons in the NBA. He has earned his keep and commands respect in virtually every domain. Theoretically, OG could be outspoken as one of the foremost, loudest voices in the room. But that is not how this Knicks team rolls. As All Star point guard Jalen Brunson put it:

“I think, most importantly, we have a bunch of individuals in that locker room who work really hard and they are very psychotic about their work and the things they do... so when their number is called and when there is time to go out there, they are ready.”

Anunoby, like Brunson and pre eminent Knicks superstar Karl Anthony Towns, prefers to praise the man beside him, or his predecessors, before ever giving himself a pat on the back.

Towns, known as KAT, is quick to pay homage to the Knicks teams he grew up admiring while playing high school basketball in New Jersey. He often credits Patrick Ewing with laying the foundation for the success of the current roster.

The Champion in the Room - OG Anunoby

Hidden within the collective accolades viewed as milestones along the path to the ultimate prize is Anunoby’s championship pedigree. As an integral part of the Toronto Raptors’ unlikely 2019 NBA Championship run, the shooting forward plays hard, disciplined basketball on both ends of the court. He has always possessed the ability to attack the rim, draw fouls, shoot efficiently from the free throw line, and hustle back for defensive rebounds. Add in his ability to consistently knock down the three point shot, which he did repeatedly against Cleveland, and the value of having Anunoby on the floor becomes abundantly clear.

Nothing appears to shake the nerves of the former NBA champion. Granted, he was injured during the 2019 Finals against Golden State, but every one of his teammates, including Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, credited OG’s contributions as one of the key reasons the Raptors captured the title that year.

Now, with a hamstring issue that appears fully healed, a healthy Anunoby approaches the 2026 NBA Finals with a mindset centered on unfinished business. He will contribute, and for whichever Western Conference team emerges to face this juggernaut Knicks squad, that is very bad news.