For the first time in over two decades, and only the second time this century, the New York Knicks basketball team has reached the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks secured this achievement by defeating the Boston Celtics in six games (4-2). Crucial to their victory were the first two games of the series and an important Game 4.
Since the 1999-2000 season, when the Knicks last reached this stage of the playoffs, the team had three previous opportunities to repeat the success – in 2013, 2023, and 2024. All of them fell short, including a seven-game series against the Indiana Pacers last season.
Let`s take a look back at what the world was like on May 23, 2000 – the date of the Knicks` last appearance in the Conference Finals.
Tom Thibodeau and Rick Brunson: A Link to the Past and Present
Since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach for the Knicks in 2020, the team has made the playoffs four times after a seven-year drought.
Thibodeau previously worked in New York as an assistant coach from 1996 to 2003, including the period when the Knicks last played in the Conference Finals.
Interestingly, one of the players Thibodeau coached back then was Rick Brunson, the father of current Knicks star Jalen Brunson. Rick Brunson appeared in two games of that series against Indiana. Today, he himself is an assistant coach on the Knicks staff, holding this position since the 2022-23 season, after the club signed his son Jalen.
Carlos Santana Topping the Charts
Just months after his first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, `Smooth,` Carlos Santana followed up with another successful track. The song `Maria Maria` spent another week at No. 1 while the Knicks were getting closer to the 2000 NBA Finals.
This track stayed at the top spot for 10 weeks and a total of 26 weeks on the charts. Featuring hip-hop duo The Product G&B, the song won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Other popular songs from that time in the top 10 included `Breathe` by Faith Hill, `Say My Name` by Destiny`s Child, `Bye Bye Bye` by *NSYNC, and `Try Again` by Aaliyah.
The Triumph of `Gladiator`
The epic historical film `Gladiator` was released on May 5, 2000, and became the second-highest-grossing film worldwide that year. It received an impressive 12 nominations at the Academy Awards.
`Gladiator` won Oscars in the categories of Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.
Lakers` Historic Comeback
Although the Knicks lost to the Pacers in six games, the Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers was a true seven-game classic.
Having fallen behind 3-1 in the series, the Blazers managed to force a decisive Game 7, which took place at the then-Staples Center.
Despite Portland holding a 15-point lead with ten minutes left in the game, the Lakers made an incredible surge. The climax was the famous alley-oop from Kobe Bryant to Shaquille O`Neal, which gave Los Angeles a six-point lead with 41 seconds remaining, a lead they did not relinquish.
