In 48 hours, the Knicks gained more Instagram followers than they did in three weeks of NBA Finals basketball.

That’s what winning does.

We used Booking Agent Info’s sports database to track the Instagram followings of every player on the Knicks and Spurs from May 22 through June 15, from the start of Finals prep through two days after the championship.

Through Game 4, the Spurs were actually winning the follower race:

Spurs players: +1,421,438 followers

Knicks players: +911,731 followers

Then Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in Game 5, New York ended a 53-year drought, and the championship premium kicked in immediately.

Final totals (May 22 → June 15):

Knicks players: +1,833,931 followers

Spurs players: +1,611,368 followers

The Knicks flipped the entire follower race in 48 hours.
A few standouts from the data:

→ OG Anunoby: +96% growth. One game-winning tip-in. Didn’t even play in Game 5.

→ Jalen Brunson: +570,649 followers. Finals MVP. The longest wait in franchise history, over.

→ Dylan Harper & Stephon Castle: +228K and +209K — on the losing team.

The Spurs lost the series. They found a generation of new fans anyway.

Winning isn’t just a trophy. It’s a brand multiplier — and the numbers prove it.