Former NY athletes discuss how winning titles in Big Apple were life-changing events

Close to four decades have passed since Carl Banks was a part of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew that helped the Giants win Super Bowls XXI and XXV. Yet it is rare for more than a couple of days to go by without someone stopping him on the street to thank him for giving fans two Super Bowl titles.

“There’s nothing like winning a championship in New York,” Banks told Newsday when asked what he would say to the Knicks as they prepare for next week’s NBA Finals. “I want it to happen for them. It’s just everybody loves you for what you did. No one can ever take that away from you.

“It just changes your life.”

The Knicks will have a chance to win the franchise’s first title since 1973 when they play either Oklahoma City or San Antonio in the NBA Finals. While it’s hard to win a championship anywhere in professional sports, there is something particularly life-changing about accomplishing the feat in the hyper-competitive New York area, according to a half-dozen championship players who talked to Newsday.

Perhaps no one knows this more than Darryl Strawberry, who won a title with the Mets in 1986 and three titles with the Yankees in 1996, 1998 and 1999.

Strawberry was only 24 when he helped lead the Mets to the franchise’s most recent championship, hitting a solo home run in Game 7 of their World Series win over the Boston Red Sox. Though he already was a big-time star in New York, having been named Rookie of the Year three years earlier, earning that World Series ring elevated Strawberry to a legend-like status that he freely admits he struggled with at times.

“There’s nothing greater than winning a title in New York because you have to deal with so much animosity through the media and fans,” Strawberry told Newsday. “They demand a lot. When you finally do reach that pinnacle, it brings so much joy to everyone. And it’s forever.

“You’re an icon. You are a hero here . . . It’s very hard. But the fans love you forever. I’ll put it this way, they love you forever and they embrace you because you stood up to the challenge. It’s not just about playing here. It’s about everything that goes on. If you never played here, you would never have a clear understanding of it.”

Chris Canty was born in the Bronx and grew up hearing stories about the great New York teams who had been celebrated with parades through the Canyon of Heroes. Still, the Giants defensive lineman never truly appreciated the magnitude of winning a title in New York until he and his teammates rode through the Canyon after beating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

“I can say unequivocally that if I had not been part of the 2011 championship team, I would not be doing what I’m doing now, having a national morning show on ESPN,” Canty said. “It’s life-changing.”

Canty said that when he looks at the Knicks team and the connectivity that they seem to have with one another, it reminds him of that Giants championship team. He believes the Knicks have an opportunity to do something unique, given the way they’ve been embraced by New Yorkers of all backgrounds.

“It’s that connectivity that’s created amongst New Yorkers when they are all rooting for their team,” he said. “It’s a rallying cry for the entire city. I think that’s a special thing about what the Knicks are doing because at a time where we are divided across so many lines, to be able to bring 20 million people together the way they are, it’s pretty cool.”

Banks believes that it’s the nature of the city that makes winning a championship here both difficult and extraordinary.

“Look at New York, it’s always been about excellence,” he said. “You have Wall Street here. You have Madison Avenue here. You have Broadway. We have the best restaurants. Everything is about being the best and the expectation is that. So the heartbeat of a lot of what is going on runs through New York, and when it comes to New York sports, the expectation is that.”

Because of the expectations, you need to be a certain type of athlete to want to come here. Immediately after leading the Liberty to the franchise’s first WNBA title in 2024, Breanna Stewart talked about wanting to be known as that athlete.

“Oh my God! This is incredible!” Stewart said. “I knew I was going to make it for this city. This is something special right here. It means everything. I wanted to come here and I wanted to be the person. We fought through because we wanted to bring it home for this city and this crowd.”

While the payoff of winning big in New York is immense, Strawberry said the stress is something certain players just can’t handle.

“There is nothing like having success in New York. No place can compare,’’ he said. “A lot of players won’t come here and play because they know it’s pressure. They prefer to go make their money somewhere else and not deal with the pressure every day. You have to deal with the criticism and the media. Everyone has an opinion. Even the guys who played forget how hard it was.

“In New York, you have to prove to people that you have it in you. The fans have great knowledge and you can’t fool them. They will stay with you when you are good and tough . . . They love when they know that you are not afraid of pressure.”

Perhaps the one area franchise that has won big time and enjoyed unwavering support from its fans is the Islanders, who won four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-83.

“The fans on Long Island, they were such dedicated fans,” said Bobby Nystrom, whose overtime goal against Philadelphia clinched the first championship. “We could have gone into the third period losing 5-0 and they would still think we would win it for them. Very loyal. That first Cup was so many years ago, and I still get recognized. The fans are so appreciative that we won.”

Bryan Trottier, who won the first four of his six Stanley Cups with the Islanders, called the fan base unique for its loyalty.

“We felt that if we played hard for ourselves and the fans, something great would happen,” Trottier said.

Right now, Knicks fans are so loyal that the least expensive ticket to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the first game at Madison Square Garden, went for $3,600 on StubHub.

Knicks fever appears to have taken over the city as they have stormed through the Eastern Conference and are riding an 11-game playoff winning streak.

Banks, whose office in New York is just a few blocks from the Garden, believes there is an aura around this Knicks team similar to the aura around his Giants team that won two Super Bowls.

“We had a fan base that had never won a Super Bowl. They haven’t won one in a long time,” Banks said. “This Knicks team is the embodiment of what New York champions are about. The way they are playing, the focus they are showing. I am looking and feeling energy around this team.’’

In other words, he would love to be able to welcome them to that select club of New York champions.

Said Banks: “I so want it for them.”