Unknown date; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Kansas City Kings head coach Bob Cousy against the Atlanta Hawks at The Omni. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-Imagn Images Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

Celtics Legend Rips Knicks Despite Playoff Events

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Geoff Magliocchetti | Last updated Aug 8, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The luck of the Irish may have gotten the New York Knicks by the Boston Celtics last postseason.

So hinted legendary Celtic Bob Cousy, who took both sides of the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup to task in an interview with Owen Crisafulli of NESN. The legendary point guard couldn't believe that his successors' quest to earn back-to-back Larry O'Brien Trophy hoists was stopped by the Knicks, who took a six-game series in the second round of spring's Eastern Conference playoffs.

"In the playoffs, in my experience, the best team wins," the New York-born Houdini of the Hardwood, set to turn 97 on Saturday, said. "There are upsets occasionally, but I have no understanding of how the Celtics could collapse, especially against the [expletive] Knicks. As the Knicks proved in the next round, they were not a legitimate contender.”

Bob Cousy The Tennessean-USA TODAY NETWORK

Though they fell to the Indiana Pacers in the conference final, the Knicks' six-game upset of the Celtics is viewed by some as one of the more unexpected NBA playoff victories in recent memory.

New York had dropped four games against the defending champion Celtics during the regular season but earned their first visit to the NBA's final four round in a quarter-century by beating green in the playoffs. The conference semifinal set against the Celtics opened with two comeback victories from at least 20 points down in Beantown and the Knicks secured the series win with a 119-81 shellacking at Madison Square Garden.

The series was partly marred by the Celtics losing franchise face Jayson Tatum to a devastating Achilles tendon injury during Game 4 in Boston but it nonetheless served as a monumental triumph for the Knicks and may have helped create a power shift in the Eastern Conference's immediate future.

With Tatum out indefinitely, the Celtics spent most of this offseason dealing away some of the major contributors from their 2024 championship group in an attempt to stay out of the restrictive second salary apron. Jrue Holiday and ex-Knick Kristaps Porzingis were respectively traded to Portland and Atlanta while Al Horford is not expected to return to Beantown.

That sets the stage for the Knicks to make headway on the Eastern leader, as they're on pace to keep carrying most, if not all, of last year's conference finalist squad. Joining the traditional starting five of OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns are depth stars Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, respectively signed from Utah and Philadelphia.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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