Every great title run needs an origin story. The New York Knicks’ first NBA championship since 1973 has an unlikely one: a “very nice, very evil” WWE cult hero named Danhausen, who declared the Knicks UNCURSED in the middle of the playoffs — and then New York simply stopped losing.
The legend of the uncursing
As the story goes, Danhausen lifted the curse on the franchise during the first round against Atlanta — and the Knicks reportedly ripped off a 15–1 run the rest of the way to the title. He’s since crowned himself “The King of New York,” rolled out “Forever Uncursed” merch, and started making demands now that his prophecy came true. Very nice. Very evil. Very 8–seed-to-champions.
Enter Brunsonhausen
Here’s where it gets fun for fans: Finals MVP Jalen Brunson is a genuine WWE guy (he stood tall at SmackDown inside MSG back in 2024), and pairing him with Danhausen gave us “Brunsonhausen” — the crossover that’s now pure Madison Square Garden folklore. And it may not be over: reports say WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event hits MSG on July 18 with the champs reportedly invited. We broke that rumor down here.
Put the magic on your wall
The Brunsonhausen plaque has been ready since before the curse lifted — a genuine licensed Jalen Brunson card on a solid-wood plaque, made for the fan cave. The exact card may vary slightly from the one pictured — you’ll always get a genuine licensed card of this player.
As the city gets ready to celebrate its champions, the only thing left is to hang the moment up. See the full lineup on our Knicks 2026 Champions page — uncursed, and finally on top.