New York has barely stopped celebrating its first NBA title in 53 years, and the Knicks are already chasing a repeat in a league that is built to stop one.

The NBA has crowned a record eight different champions in the last eight seasons. Rules that make it tougher to stack a roster with superstars have turned the league into a free-for-all.

The Knicks, however, have a big edge: the band is back together. New York retained their five best players, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns, along with the chemistry that carried them to the title.

The off-season’s biggest story was where the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, would land after splitting with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The surprise winner of the sweepstakes was the Philadelphia 76ers. James admitted he would have liked to play for the Knicks, but said that door closed once they won the title.

So the 41-year-old will take his talents to Philadelphia instead of the Big Apple, although he will reportedly be living part-time in New York and commuting by helicopter.

There he joins Jaylen Brown, who was stunningly traded by the Boston Celtics in the off-season, along with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.

The question is whether the pieces fit, since all five players are accustomed to having the ball in their hands.

“They are like a room that has five beautiful couches in it,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told ABS-CBN News.

“But you don’t need five couches in a room. You need a couch and a chair, a table, a TV and a mirror, and that’s going to be a challenge. Can they all fit, or do you have to put one couch up along the wall.”

James could hardly have a more dramatic debut. The four-time champion opens his Philadelphia career at Madison Square Garden on Oct 20 , just after the Knicks raise their championship banner.

His teams have often started slowly in his first season with them. If that happens again, Philadelphia’s famously impatient fans may not wait long to let everyone know how they feel.

The payoff could be historic. A title in his record-extending 24th season would make James the first player to win championships with four different teams.

But the San Antonio Spurs, with Victor Wembanyama in their ranks will want revenge after a bitter Finals loss to the Knicks.

Wembanyama and the Spurs were predicted to win the 2027 title with the French superstar taking Most Valuable Player honours in an NBA team general managers survey released earlier this week.

In the 25th annual survey, general managers answered 48 questions and could not vote for their own team or personnel.

The Spurs were ranked the top choice as champions for the upcoming campaign by 50% of the 30 executives, with Oklahoma City Thunder second on 43% and New York and Philadelphia also receiving votes.

Last season, Oklahoma City won the poll with 80% of GMs picking the Thunder to retain the title they won in 2025. REUTERS