For 53 years, Knicks fans have endured heartbreak, bad luck and countless “maybe next years.” Now, with New York one game away from its first NBA championship, many fans aren’t taking any chances.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.They are performing rituals, avoiding live broadcasts and waiting anxiously for the result to go in their favor.New York City is spotted orange and blue with fans focused on one mission: bringing the NBA Finals trophy back home.
On Saturday morning ahead of Game 5, fans flocked to a specially painted subway exit, a communal sign of the entire city willing the Knicks to win.While fans hope the celebration begins Saturday night, they know the series is not over.Trishna Sharma, from Long Island, has been a lifelong Knicks fan.
Since the playoffs, she has been doing a special Hindu ritual to ward off the “evil eye,” something her mother did before her wedding.Using salt, mustard seeds and a picture of the team, Sharma places the ingredients in her hand and moves her fist clockwise seven times around the image to invite positive energy.
A similar ritual, with her hand going counterclockwise, can be done to ward of negative energy, she said.At the end of the rituals, one is supposed to burn the ingredients to get rid of the negative energy.
Sharma won’t be able to do the burning from the bar where she’ll be watching the next game, but she does plan to discard them somehow.“I’ll have enough [ingredients] prepared for if I need to do the second ritual at halftime, as well,” Sharma said.
She has started each game of the playoffs doing the ritual and is prepared to continue it into the next season, regardless of how this championship series ends up.“Through thick and thin, I will support this team, not just when they’re winning,” Sharma said.
“I think those types of fans are what makes the team so special.”The specially painted subway exit at 34th...