One former New York Knicks player is not having a good time right now.
The Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973 on Saturday night. They pulled off another late come-from-behind win to secure a 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas and hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
While almost everybody associated with the Knicks and the greater New York area was predictably overjoyed, there was one particular figure who was a little bit salty. That figure was former Knicks big man Precious Achiuwa.
In a post to X on Saturday night, Achiuwa posted the meme from “SpongeBob SquarePants” of SpongeBob and Patrick merrily playing outside while Squidward watches them from indoors. The symbolism there was that Achiuwa was watching his former Knicks teammates celebrate a championship victory … without him.
— Precious Achiuwa (@PreciousAchiuwa) June 14, 2026
Achiuwa, 26, played for the Knicks from 2023-25 and accompanied them as far as their Eastern Conference Finals run last year. He became a fan favorite for his heart and hustle off the bench despite being undersized for a big man at 6-foot-8.
As for this season, Achiuwa was with the Sacramento Kings, who were one of the worst teams in the NBA at a miserable 22-60. Meanwhile, the Knicks were comprised almost entirely of returning players this season, making their championship victory in their very first season since parting ways with Achiuwa all the more painful for him.
