What Spike Lee told Michael Jordan over a phone call after Knicks won NBA Championship
Spike Lee had waited decades to see the New York Knicks win another NBA Championship, so his celebration was always going to reach beyond a normal courtside reaction. The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5, sealed the series 4-1, and ended a title drought that str
Spike Lee had waited decades to see the New York Knicks win another NBA Championship, so his celebration was always going to reach beyond a normal courtside reaction.
The Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5, sealed the series 4-1, and ended a title drought that stretched back to 1973.
For Lee, the win carried the joy of a lifelong fan and the history of someone who had watched New York fall short through several painful eras.
That made one post-title phone call feel especially fitting, because Lee chose to celebrate by turning back toward an old Knicks villain with a smile.
In a clip shared by Legion Hoops on X , Lee was shown leaving Jordan a message after the Knicks finally became NBA champions again.
“We haven’t talked in a minute. The New York Knicks are world champions. Call me back! Orange and blue skies! Wassup Mike!” Lee said.
The message worked because it sounded playful, but it also carried decades of Knicks history. Jordan’s Bulls repeatedly stood in New York’s way during the 1990s, turning him into one of the great symbols of what the Knicks could not overcome.
Lee was there for much of that pain, often courtside at Madison Square Garden as Jordan answered Knicks pressure with performances that became part of NBA history.
