OG Anunoby’s championship night turned into something a little messier than a toast. After the New York Knicks clinched their first title in 53 years with a Game 5 win over the San Antonio Spurs, Anunoby tried tequila in the locker room and immediately learned why the bottle had a reputation.
The moment, reported by Fred Katz of The Athletic, was the kind of scene that makes a title celebration feel real instead of staged. Anunoby, who does not normally drink, grabbed the tequila, took a swig and coughed as it poured down his face. He screamed at the burn in his chest, then laughed so hard he could not stop, a reaction that turned a quick taste into one of the night’s most replayed details.
It was not the only reason New York had cause to celebrate. Anunoby had been central to the run, averaging 21.2 points per game in the Finals, and his winning tip-in in Game 4 helped clinch a comeback from a 29-point deficit, the largest comeback win in NBA Finals history. That made his tequila misfire feel less like a random clip and more like the last loose end of a season that kept swinging between control and chaos.
The friction was simple: a player who does not normally drink tried tequila anyway, and his body answered immediately. Katz described Anunoby lifting the glass, tilting his head back and taking the swig with the confidence of someone reaching for water, then coming up coughing as the liquor hit him. He went back for a second drink anyway, then bent at the waist and clutched his stomach, which is about as honest a celebration as a champion can give.
That is why the moment matters beyond the laugh. The Knicks are finished playing, but the image of Anunoby doubled over in the locker room hangs over the title party as the most human snapshot of the night. The banner season is over; the question now is whether this is remembered as the celebration where New York lifted a trophy, or the one where Anunoby briefly met tequila and lost.
