In the sports world, the past 10 days have been, for lack of a better word, a little wild. The New York Knicks clinched their first NBA title in 53 years, the UFC staged an event on the White House lawn, and the first World Cup on American soil since 1994 kicked into high gear.
NBC News had reporters on the ground for all of it, so we thought we’d empty our notebooks and give you a peek behind the scenes of all these historic events. We don’t typically publish a Saturday newsletter, but for a stretch like this? We made an exception.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some wild NBA playoff games, but none really compares to the New York Knicks’ 29-point comeback against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. What stood out most to me was what happened in Madison Square Garden after the game.
First, the fans refused to leave. It was an absolute party in the bowl of the arena, with fans staying and cheering long after the final buzzer had sounded. In the tunnels, the excitement was equally high. Taylor Swift and the Haim sisters had an impromptu dance party immediately after leaving the court. Ben Stiller high-fived people as he walked into the press conference room with a look of simultaneous joy and disbelief.
Even hours after OG Anunoby’s incredible, game-winning tip-in, the buzz was palpable. As I made my way to the train at Penn Station well after midnight, seemingly every third or fourth person had their Knicks gear on. And at least on my subway car, multiple people went through a list of their favorite moments from the game. The enduring thrill was a surefire sign that night will be one New York fans won’t forget — and won’t stop celebrating — for a long time.
—Rohan Nadkarni
In a span of 24 hours, I watched two games in two different sports, in two different time zones. What tied both together was how each left fans disbelieving what they had just witnessed.
The 4-1 win by the U.S. men over Paraguay to open the World Cup last week was their most lopsided World Cup win since 1930, and each successive goal built the noise to a volume that ranks among the loudest of any stadium in which I have ever covered a game. Walking the concourse, I overheard discussions from fans in Uncle Sam costumes who, having never seen their team play so dominantly, suddenly believed anything was possible in this tournament.
The next night in San Antonio, the Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years. After the broadcast of the trophy presentation ended on TV, the celebration spilled into a hallway underneath the grandstands, where players and coaches took turns waiting in line for their official picture with the trophy.
William Wesley, a Knicks team executive, sat in the back row of New York center Mitchell Robinson’s press conference and took a puff of a cigar. The current players perhaps were too in the moment, and perhaps weren’t the best to ask about what the title meant. But one look at franchise icons Patrick Ewing and Walt Frazier — who both appeared a mix of relieved and stunned — communicated the weight lifted by the title.
“I was here in ‘73, and praise God I’m here 53 years later to see another championship,” Frazier said on the court after it was all over.
—Andrew Greif
I’ve been to countless fights, including many world title bouts in both boxing and MMA, and nothing compares to my experience watching the UFC host a card on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday night.
My day started at 2 p.m. ET and didn’t officially end until 4:30 a.m. The small group of 20 reporters and photographers began our day going through Secret Service security and then straight to the White House briefing room, where we waited about four hours. Members of the president’s administration walked by, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We were then escorted through a hall onto the lawn and to our seats on the upper left part of the newly built arena.
“The Claw,” a 90-foot-tall structure above the octagon, was truly impressive to see in person — especially mere feet from the Oval Office. To the right and left of our seats were active military members, and down, to the right of the cage, sat a military band. As the national anthem was sung, a group of bomber planes flew overhead.
Oh, and there were fights. Good ones. The first bout of the night was a back-and-forth slugfest won by Diego Lopes, who hopped onto the cage and celebrated feet above President Donald Trump. He was shouted out by multiple fighters following victories. The main event was an all-timer as fan-favorite Justin Gaethje forced previously unbeaten champion Ilia Topuria’s team to throw in the towel.
All in all, it was a successful event no matter how you look at it. The rain held off, the fights were good and vibes were high. I’m not sure I’ll go to anything quite like it again.
—Greg Rosenstein
Leading up to the World Cup, much had been made about transportation getting to and from the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside of New York City, which will host several group stage games, a few more in the knockout round and the World Cup final. Last Saturday, I made the trek for the Brazil-Morocco match — and lived to tell the tale.
Around 1 p.m., about five hours before the game, I arrived at Penn Station and purchased one of those infamous $98 public train tickets via an app. Lots of Brazil and Morocco fans had the same idea, and they made the most of it. On the train ride, fans sang and chanted and bantered with one another.
Inside the stadium, the party continued, though the crowd was mostly a sea of Brazil yellow. In the press box, when Vinícius Júnior scored, the Brazilian media couldn’t help but cheer.
After 10 p.m. that night, about two hours after the game had ended, I left the press room and headed back for the train. Lots of fans were reportedly stuck in traffic or having rideshare issues, or had rushed out early to catch the Knicks game. That meant the train was mostly empty. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I had a pleasant ride home.
—Tim Rohan
World Cup! All the games are on Telemundo and Peacock, and all times are Eastern:
That’s it for now! We’ll be back Monday.
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