The New York Knicks' 2026 NBA championship wasn't a pleasure for everyone across the Big Apple.
Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai admitted that the Knicks' title run was "embarrassing" for his franchise.
"Every year, some team is going to win a championship," Tsai told NetsDaily. "So it happens that this year that team is in the same city. It doesn't make us feel very good. It irritates our fan base and it is embarrassing."
The Knicks' first title since 1973 elicited mass celebrations across New York City - even in Brooklyn.
The Nets, meanwhile, have never won an NBA championship. They haven't made it past the second round of the playoffs since relocating from New Jersey to Brooklyn in 2012, and finished 28th in the standings with a 20-62 record in 2025-26 to miss the postseason for a third straight campaign.
However, the success of rival Knicks won't change how Tsai plans to rebuild the Nets.
"In business or in competition, in sports, or in anything, you shouldn't let the embarrassment factor affect how you perform," Tsai said. "(We) had a plan and we're rebuilding and I think right now we are on a positive trajectory. So it doesn't change my thinking at all."
Tsai became majority owner of the Nets in 2019.
