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In the NBA, winning can mean many things to different individuals. While some may perceive winning as individual accolades and milestones, others may place a higher value on team victories. In that regard, New York Knicks guard Miles McBride seems to have a fairly concrete idea of what winning is.
Having won the NBA title with the New York Knicks this season, Miles McBride is in a unique position to speak about winning culture in the league. While discussing what is necessary for a team to secure victory during an interview at the Fanatics Fest, McBride touched on the concept of players understanding their roles, stating:
“[It’s] huge. I think if more guys bought in and understood their roles, the NBA would look a lot different… That’s why I give so much credit to KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns]. I mean, you’re number one your whole life, then you come here and, not necessarily take a backseat, but you understand that you’re playing with a very talented player.”
“For a lot of guys who weren’t even drafted No. 1, who were drafted in the second round, they can’t even comprehend that mindset, because they’ve been the best on their team, All-American in college, whatever you want to say. But to have that mindset of just, ‘I want to win,’ … I think a lot of guys care about winning, but not in the same sense.”
McBride does an excellent job of using Karl-Anthony Towns as a key example of a player who embodies winning culture. During his tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Towns was the face of the franchise before Anthony Edwards came along. Even after Edwards’ rise, Towns remained a primary option, emphasizing his role as the team’s best player.
After being traded to the New York Knicks, Towns faced a dramatic shift in role, essentially playing second fiddle to Jalen Brunson. Although this wasn’t as apparent in his first year, once Mike Brown took over as the Knicks’ head coach ahead of the 2025-26 season, it was clear that Towns was asked to make significant sacrifices for the team.
The change in role had a massive impact on Towns’ production, as he averaged 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.9 steals per game, considerably lower than his averages in the 2024-25 season (26.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.6 SPG). But when considering how this helped the Knicks lift the trophy, it is safe to say that the big man’s sacrifice paid off.
On that note, McBride’s comment on winning culture holds, but he pointed out a flaw that prevents more players in the NBA from fully committing to this mindset.
“Honestly, I think it’s the NBA’s fault because we reward guys that don’t win. We reward guys that lose and pay guys that lose, truthfully,” McBride stated. “I think the NBA has got to do a better job of rewarding winning.”
The final segment of the Knicks’ guard’s comments may have been a sneaky shot at the superstars who signed lucrative contracts with teams despite having nothing to show for it. For the most part, however, it can be argued that McBride speaks from personal experience.
Like Towns, several Knicks players have made sacrifices to help the team win. To that point, even a superstar like Jalen Brunson famously took a $113 million pay cut to improve New York’s chances. With such models in front of him, the 25-year-old is bound to have a different outlook on winning.
While such a philosophy may not be palatable for every player, it certainly separates the ones who are committed to winning from those who aren’t. Given that the current iteration of the Knicks’ roster is built on the foundation of sacrifice and teamwork, they certainly seem geared to win. Still, with financial issues likely to plague the team in the future, it will be intriguing to see how long New York can keep this show on the road.
