CJ McCollum knew OG Anunoby and the New York Knicks were going on a memorable run in the 2026 NBA Playoffs that would culminate with the raising of the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
McCollum and the Hawks turned out to be the team that gave the Knicks the biggest challenge, as Atlanta won two games against New York in the first round of the playoffs before losing the series.
Since then, the Knicks lost just once through the next three rounds on their way to winning the franchise’s first NBA title in over five decades.
During the Knicks series, McCollum said he had a prescient message to Anunoby.
“I wasn’t surprised they won. I actually told OG [Anunoby] at the free-throw line, ‘I think you guys can win the championship,'” McCollum shared during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“Looking at their roster, how they were playing, meshing, and their focus and intensity, I saw a team capable of making a deep run.”
“[The Knicks] figured something out. We pushed them to the limit”
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 12, 2026
CJ McCollum reflects on the Hawks’ series loss to the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs with @termineradio, @jumpshot8, and Ryan McDonough.
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McCollum’s assessment of the Knicks was spot on, but he and the rest of the league now have an even bigger target on the Knicks’ backs.
Atlanta is running it back with McCollum after signing him to a 1-year, $21 million contract extension in June, and will be looking to dethrone the Knicks in the Eastern Conference after winning 46 games in the 2025-26 campaign — the franchise’s most over the last 10 seasons.
