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During the New York Knicks magical run to the NBA championship, and after they won it, there were several questions asked to Aaron Glenn and Jets players about whether they could draw inspiration from what the Knickerbockers did.
It’s a great story, but it’s apples-and-oranges.
No issue with reporters asking a couple of questions about the Knicks. It’s a huge story here. Huge.
They might have gone overboard with the volume of questions about the Knicks, but asking a couple is understandable.
But the Jets taking anything away from the Knicks would be no different than the Jets taking something away from the previous NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, or from the Seattle Seahawks, the winners of the last Super Bowl.
As Tony Robbins likes to say, “Success leaves clues.”
So this is really more about learning from successful operations than being in the same market.
And are they really in the same exact market?
They play their games and hold their practices in New Jersey.
Yes, they are viewed as being in the New York market, but the Jets (and Giants) aren’t exactly in the same boats as the Knicks, New York Rangers, New York Yankees, and New York Mets, who all play in New York City.
Now, in defense of the Jets, Woody Johnson tried to build a stadium in New York City, but Sheldon Silver stopped it.
But let’s be honest, the Jets/Giants market vibe is slightly different than the Knicks, Rangers, Yankees, and Mets.
But I don’t want to get into the stadium and market stuff too much, but more about championship teams leaving “success bread crumbs.”
Aside from the requisite talent to compete for a championship, the Knicks and Thunder also had the right mix of players, locker rooms loaded with character, and team players.
Same with the Seahawks.
Former Jets coach Al Groh said, “I don’t want the most talent, I want the most team.”
In 2025, the Jets didn’t have the “most talent” or the “most team.”
This off-season, it certainly looks like they did a lot to alleviate both issues.
The talent and depth on the 2026 roster are like night and day compared to last year.
And so many of the players seem like high-character team players led by new middle linebacker Demario Davis, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, and defensive tackle David Onyemata, the new spine of the defense, three key players up the middle. Just like baseball, being strong up the middle is important in football.
The draft is loaded with team players with excellent character.
Think about rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq. He was a 4-star recruit out of high school, but was a backup his first two years at Oregon. He didn’t hit the transfer portal like so many players in his shoes these days would do, but rolled up his sleeves and worked diligently to improve his game on the field (and in the weight room), and all the hard work paid off last college season, his first as a starter, with him exploding on the scene and becoming a first-round pick.
When Indiana wasn’t very good early in his career in Bloomington, WR Omar Cooper could have transferred, but he stuck it out and was part of the Hoosiers’ incredible turnaround, culminating in a national championship. He was also asked to move from the outside into the slot in his last year, for the sake of the team, which some would have balked at, but he embraced it. This turned out to be a boon to the Indiana offense.
So the biggest lessons the Jets can take from the Knicks, or other champions, have nothing to do with the market, but being more of a team this year, and having fewer players acting like independent contractors.
June 19, 2026
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