New York Knicks return to NBA Finals prompts trip back to 1999 - ESPN

It's time to party like it's 1999 because the New York Knicks have advanced to the NBA Finals.

New York swept the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, defeating them 130-93 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.

This will be the Knicks' first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1999, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games. It's their ninth Finals appearance overall, which is tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the fourth most in NBA history, according to ESPN Research.

It has been a long time coming for the Knicks. New York won just one playoff series between its loss to the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 conference finals and its run to the second round in 2023. The Knicks had the 12th-longest Finals drought among active franchises. Now, the franchise is vying for its first championship in 53 years.

A lot has changed since the last time the Knicks were in the Finals. Here's a look back at what was going on in the sports and pop culture world.

Before he collected four NBA championships and became the NBA's all-time leading scorer, LeBron James had to overcome a hurdle — dunking.

Then an eighth grader, James was playing in a teachers-versus-students game at Riedinger Middle School in Akron, Ohio.

«I got a fast break, and this was the first time I ever even tried it. I said, 'I'm going for it,' James recalled in 2011. „It was an unbelievable moment for myself when I realized I could dunk.“

Twenty-six years later, James dunked the ball 97 times in his 23rd NBA season, his most since the 2017-18 campaign (120).

The common denominator between the Knicks' previous Finals run and this one? A Brunson on the court.

Rick Brunson played his first season with New York in 1998-99, appearing in 17 regular-season and nine