Tuesday - June 16th, 2026
Apple News
×

What can we help you find?

Open Menu

What I Learned About Community From The NY Knicks!

The New York Knicks’ NBA championship run shows us that long-term turnarounds don’t require endless tanking. Through smart leadership, player development, and a “never say die” resilience, they proved that acquiring the right core pieces can rapidly build a title-winning culture. 

Specific and actionable takeaways from the Knicks’ historic season include:

  • Resilience and Composure: The Knicks famously battled back from a massive 20+ point deficit in the Finals, and consistently showed an ability to close games by staying steady when it mattered most. 
  • The “Brunson Effect” on Culture: Jalen Brunson’s evolution proves that smart free-agent acquisitions, trusting the work, and maintaining a refusal to fear failure can turn a Franchise’s fortunes around. 
  • Trusting the Process: Despite immense outside noise, the front office trusted their internal evaluation, showing that fortune favors the brave when you stick to your core identity and address weaknesses. 
  • Winning is a Teachable Moment: Even after incredible winning streaks (including a 13-game sweep in the playoffs), the players continually stressed the importance of film study and resetting fundamentals after a loss.

I didn’t want to make any sweeping assumptions. That’s what I’ve learned when I shelled out tons of Money for grad school and Coaching trainings. 

So yes – whether we are a die-hard fan or a person on the sidelines, the Knicks gave us something special to cheer about – a positive, collective experience. I’ve loved reading the FB and IG feeds that show people cheering from fire escapes, sidewalks and mass transit vehicles.  I’ve that expats, the born and breds, the “left nyer’s-ites” became part of this wonderful experience.  

So this is what I’ve been thinking about. 

The New York Knicks’ NBA championship run shows us that long-term turnarounds don’t require endless tanking. Through smart leadership, player development, and a “never say die” resilience, they proved that acquiring the right core pieces can rapidly build a title-winning culture.

Specific and actionable takeaways from the Knicks’ historic season include:
Resilience and Composure: The Knicks famously battled back from a massive 20+ point deficit in the Finals, and consistently showed an ability to close games by staying steady when it mattered most.

The “Brunson Effect” on Culture: Jalen Brunson’s evolution proves that smart free-agent acquisitions, trusting the work, and maintaining a refusal to fear failure can turn a franchise’s fortunes around.

Trusting the Process: Despite immense outside noise, the front office trusted their internal evaluation, showing that fortune favors the brave when you stick to your core identity and address weaknesses.

Winning is a Teachable Moment: Even after incredible winning streaks (including a 13-game sweep in the playoffs), the players continually stressed the importance of film study and resetting fundamentals after a loss.

 Finally it shows me about the power of Connection and Celebration – when it’s not just about me – it’s about us. 

So buddy up, partner with others  so we can work together to celebrate each other’s  championship moments. 

If you are interested in learning how you can connect with your team and community please consider learning how you can find your champion story.

The post What I Learned About Community From The NY Knicks! appeared first on jryanpartners.com.

Originally Published on https://jryanpartners.com/feed/

Julienne Ryan Humorist, Speaker, Trainer, Facilitator, Coach

Julienne B. Ryan began her professional career at age five when she did TV commercials and learned important things like “the teamsters always eat first,” her social security number and how to endorse checks for bank deposit.

Ryan studied psychology in college because she wanted to understand humans. She conducted her “field work” in a variety of roles, hearing the phrases “merger synergies, reorganizations, downsizing and rightsizing for change” more times than she cares to mention.

Later she enrolled in an Ivy League graduate school where she paid oodles of money to validate her prior on-the-job learning experiences. However, she did learn to name drop up-to-date theories and trendy psychologists with alarming ease.

Ryan evolved into working in “Talent Management,” a fancy way of saying “try to find people and keep them moderately happy.” With inadequate budgets and staff allocations, she had to find creative ways to encourage her staff to work effectively. These ranged from begging and borrowing resources, improvising childcare, telling stories and even giving snacks as rewards. She tried to convince herself that working a bazillion hours and “multi-tasking” equaled achievement.

Her work took place in cubicles, conference rooms or, with luck, in offices with a door. Occasionally she would make the time to emerge from her allotted real estate to really talk to people. Ryan learned something transformative in the process:

Yes, she was effective. But not because she used fancy theories – or gave great snacks. Ryan’s success, her staff believed, was a result of her uncanny knack for weaving storytelling with humor to motivate and encourage them. Crucially, they encouraged Ryan to de-emphasize “that normal HR stuff” and focus on bringing her unique storytelling skills to a broader stage.

Thanks to them, Ryan continues to collect, connect and tell stories in her work helping people find their “true selves in the world of work.

She is the author of the humorous, all true "The Learned It In Queens Communications Playbook - Winning Against Distraction!".that now includes a workbook and is available at booksellers across the globe..

She is a guest contributor to The Procurement Foundry, LifeBlood, and the global storytelling community.

Certifications include
Accumatch (BI) Behavior Intelligence
Narativ Applied Storytelling Methodologies
Collective Brains – Mentorship Methodologies

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted