Mets congratulate Knicks, take inspiration from their journey to championship

This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- When the Mets reported to their clubhouse late Sunday morning, roughly 11 hours after one of the most seismic events in New York sports history, only one topic was on their minds.

“That was fun,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the Knicks. “What an unbelievable season.”

Like most of his players, Mendoza went home following the Mets’ Saturday afternoon game and watched all four quarters of the Knicks’ Game 5 clincher against the Spurs.

As Mets manager, Mendoza has a unique perspective on what it takes not just to win, but to do so in New York. He has conversed with various players about the 2024 Mets playoff run and the World Series titles that several of them won with other franchises. They’ve talked about how much that type of thing means to the city.

“Obviously, they love winners here,” closer Devin Williams said. “And they want a winner.”

The Mets can certainly relate to the previous troubles of the Knicks, who finally won a title after 53 empty seasons. That’s been a trend throughout New York City-area professional sports, where the Jets (57 seasons), Nets (50 seasons), Islanders (43 seasons) and Mets (40 seasons) all have active championship droughts of at least four decades. The current generation of Mets players hasn’t had many opportunities to witness greatness across town. This month, the Knicks gave them that chance.

Because they had so little time between their own games, most Mets players watched NBA Finals Game 5 at home, alone or with their girlfriends or wives. A.J. Ewing waited until late in the fourth quarter before wandering onto the balcony of his Long Island City apartment, where he gazed upon his neighbors’ revelry.

“I was locked in watching it,” Mendoza said. “It’s just special the way they came back, never gave up. You can really tell they play as a team.”

Last month, several Mets players met Knicks guard Jose Alvarado, who attended a game at Citi Field and hung around the cage during batting practice. Juan Soto, an avid NBA fan, celebrated a recent homer by flashing Jalen Brunson’s signature three-point celebration, which Brunson later said was “pretty dope to see.” Soto also attended Game 3 at Madison Square Garden last Monday night and said afterward that he wished all his teammates had been able to witness the atmosphere in the building.

“When you see the fans and how they get crazy like that, it always motivates you to be at the top,” Soto said. “It’s impressive.”

The Mets, still in last place in the NL East despite a solid end to their homestand, have a long way to go to achieve that type of success. (Some of the loudest cheers at Citi Field on Sunday were for Knicks highlights shown on the center-field scoreboard.) But they’ve seen now what it looks like.

Like many New Yorkers, they’re still buzzing about the experience.

“You watch what they were able to do and how the city rallied around them, it’s pretty crazy,” Mendoza said. “It’s what makes New York one of the greatest, if not the greatest, city in the world. From my seat, for us here, we have that opportunity to do something special. … Every day you show up with that goal in mind.”