Kevin Durant says he never believed the Knicks could finish the comeback until Game 7

Kevin Durant said he was stunned by the New York Knicks’ championship run and admitted he doubted they could complete their most dramatic road to an NBA title until the final game of the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. In comments reported by Yahoo Sports, Durant described watching the Knicks overcome large deficits at different points in the series and repeatedly not knowing whether they could actually close out the championship.

Durant’s point was less about one specific swing and more about the pattern. Across the Finals, the Knicks mounted comebacks that forced even elite, league-level observers to reassess what was possible in-game and as the series unfolded. Durant said that uncertainty lingered with him longer than it typically would, even as the Knicks kept finding ways to keep their season alive.

The Finals series itself has been framed as one of the most volatile runs of the postseason, with the Knicks repeatedly responding when they appeared to be falling behind. That volatility, in turn, created a different kind of test for the players and coaching staff. It was not only about making a run, but sustaining it long enough to prevent the opponent from reasserting control and taking the series out of reach.

For Durant, the Knicks’ ability to pull themselves back into contention changed his own expectations. He said his belief did not fully arrive until the end, implying that the Knicks’ early and mid-series surges were still not, in his view, proof that they could reach the finish line. That distinction matters because it reflects how difficult the task was to gauge moment-to-moment, not just in the biggest moments.

The Spurs, who reached the Finals with their own brand of resilience, served as the counterweight. When a team makes a late-series run, the opponent’s response usually defines the follow-up. Durant’s comments suggest the Knicks repeatedly got the better of those moments enough to create doubt, then enough again to extend that doubt until the final game.

This is also a reminder of how championship seasons can alter the way players interpret risk and momentum. Even players who have lived through deep playoff runs can find themselves adjusting their beliefs when a series refuses to follow a single script. For New York, the lasting impression from Durant is not just that the Knicks won, but that the path involved enough swings to surprise even someone accustomed to the highest stage of NBA competition.