The Knicks celebrate their 2nd NBA Championship in 53 years at City Hall. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
After breaking a 53-year drought to win the 2026 NBA Championship last summer and momentarily uniting New Yorkers to bask in the team’s blue and orange glow, it’s no surprise that New Yorkers are calling the New York Knicks their favorite sports team, according to a poll conducted by Honan Strategy Group leaders earlier this month.
The poll, titled the ‘5 Borough Barometer,’ asked 1,302 likely NYC general election voters, ‘Of the following New York City sports teams, which are you the biggest fan of?’ and New Yorkers chose a clear winner, even as the beloved team got a rough start to its 2026-2027 season last week, casting a slight shadow over ‘The World’s Most Famous Arena,’ finally being adorned with the first championship banner in over half a century.
While 20% of voters went for the Knicks, another orange and blue team trailed right behind with 19% selecting the New York Mets, followed by 17% for the Yankees. Hockey fans still represented with 8% of voters making their voices heard for the Rangers, but just 3% put their vote in for the Islanders. Not far from that bracket, 6% of pollers voted for the Giants and 6% showed their spirit for the WNBA’s Liberty.
While the city has plenty of hometown favorites, 15% of those who participated said they don’t follow any NYC team.
It might seem like it was ages ago now, but it was only months ago in June that the Knicks had the city buzzing with electric energy and camaraderie at a time when New Yorkers of all backgrounds and beliefs sat together on summer evenings to watch the NBA finals, from the lawns of Central Park to neighborhood bars and restaurants. Fans were on the edge of their seats witnessing the Knicks have a historic 29-point comeback in Game 4, followed by recovering from a 16-point deficit in Game 5 to win the championship. Even though the team is presently 0-3, it appears New Yorkers are still rallying around their favorite team to have another memorable season.
Interestingly, despite the Yankees having a much better season than the Mets, Queens voters just might have shown a bit more loyalty than the Bronx by edging out the Yanks by 2%.
The fall season, especially October and November, are often considered one of the best times of the year to watch sports. With NFL and college football in full swing, the 2026 World Series happening right now, and the NBA and NHL seasons just beginning to unfold, it’s the one time of the year when NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL games can all be enjoyed on the same day.
Whether sports fans are already loyal followers of one team or they’re part of the 15% who don’t follow any NY team, with so much unfolding, it’s the perfect time for New Yorkers to find their favorite team and lock in for the season.
