To understand why Tsai’s words cut so deep, you have to look at where both teams stand.
The Knicks: On Top of the World
The Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought in June, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals. Led by captain Jalen Brunson, they swept the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers en route to the title. More than two million fans turned out for the championship parade through Manhattan. The team landed on the covers of Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker, and Time Magazine.
The Nets: Rock Bottom
Meanwhile, the Nets finished the 2025-26 season with a dismal 20-62 record — the third-worst in the league. They’ve missed the playoffs for three straight seasons and haven’t advanced past the second round since relocating from New Jersey to Brooklyn in 2012.
The turning point came in the summer of 2024, when the Nets traded Mikal Bridges to — wait for it — the Knicks, receiving a haul of future first-round picks in return. That deal effectively ended whatever short-term ambitions remained and set the rebuild in motion.
The “Big 3” That Never Was
Tsai’s frustration is understandable given the history. He took a massive swing at bringing a championship to Brooklyn when he became majority owner in 2019. That summer, the Nets signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency, and traded for James Harden in January 2021 to form their own “Big 3”.
But injuries and off-court drama kept the trio from ever reaching their full potential. The closest they came was a heartbreaking Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. Two straight first-round exits followed, and the franchise has been in rebuild mode ever since.
Sticking to the Plan
Despite the embarrassment, Tsai and Nets general manager Sean Marks are not changing course.
“No, not at all. We’re not going to be motivated or less motivated by what somebody else is doing. I think all we control is our path.” — Sean Marks
The Nets are building around a young core that includes Mikel Brown Jr. (the No. 6 pick in the 2026 draft), Egor Dëmin, and veteran leaders like Julius Randle (signed in free agency after his Knicks stint) and Michael Porter Jr..
Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment CFO Peter Stern offered a more diplomatic take, saying the franchise was “happy for the Knicks” and that “more people loving basketball” because of the run could activate dormant fans for the NBA.
What’s Next: The Battle for New York
The rivalry isn’t going anywhere. The Knicks and Nets will face off four times in the 2026-27 season, starting with a November 2 matchup at Madison Square Garden.
For Tsai, those games are more than just division rivalries. They’re a measuring stick for how far Brooklyn still has to go — and a reminder of what the franchise is ultimately building toward.
Joe Tsai’s comments-
have poured gasoline on an already heated New York rivalry. He admitted what everyone already knew: watching the Knicks hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy stung. But he also made something else clear — the Nets aren’t going to let a little embarrassment rush their rebuild.
The Knicks are champions. The Nets are rebuilding. And the battle for New York is only just beginning.
