“They’re nowhere close to winning a championship” - Shaquille O'Neal isn’t buying the ‘Nova Knicks‘ hype just yet

It's all happening in New York. The Knicks are trying to recreate the magic of an NCAA championship squad. With the recent acquisition of Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, they now boast a lineup that features four players from Villanova's 2018 championship team: Jalen Brunson , Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and now Bridges. This marks the first time in modern NBA history that these many college teammates from a title-winning team reunite professionally.

Brunson, who received his first All-Star spot, made it to the All-NBA Second Team, and finished fourth in MVP voting last season, will spearhead the "Nova Knicks." Adding Hart and DiVincenzo to the mix only sweetens the deal. And with Bridges rounding out this Villanova reunion, the Knicks are looking pretty formidable. However, not everyone is convinced. Take Shaquille O'Neal , for instance.

Sharing his thoughts on his podcast, Shaquille O'Neal is skeptical about New York's championship prospects. In Shaq's eyes, the Knicks still have a long way to go before they can even think about hoisting that trophy.

"You know what it is. New York is a place that's built on hype, that controls the hype," Shaq said . "They can hype everybody else up. They haven't won sh*t. But 'Oh New York, New York'. Young fella [Brunson] can play, I was wrong about him, he has impressed me but they are nowhere close to winning a championship."

The hype train

Last season, the Knicks ranked second in the Eastern Conference, which was their best year since the 2012-2013 season (they also finished second). They pushed their way to the second round of the playoffs. By their standards, expecting they'd be a championship contender was too much. However, they decided to up the ante by adding Bridges to their roster this offseason.

The Knicks have been in the shadows for about a decade, missing out on the playoffs more often than not. But things have started to turn around recently. They've revamped their roster, securing back-to-back playoff spots. Now, with talents like Brunson, Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and the Nova boys, the Knicks might have built a serious championship team.

As with any revamped roster, nothing can be set in stone until the players go out onto the court and show what they are about. The Knicks will be a chemistry experiment early on, but they'll need to turn the tide quickly to be viewed as a serious threat to the Boston Celtics.

"They're going to win some games and do this but they're not there," the former Lakers star continued. "I'm more impressed at the end of your career the amount of championships you won and not [hype]…"

The Knicks problem

One big reason the Knicks stayed out of the playoffs and championship contention for years was their inability to attract big-name players. One of the franchise's last major stars was Carmelo Anthony , before much of the negative image surrounding the Knicks stemmed from their messy fallout with Melo.

Anthony's legacy with the Knicks is complicated. His time with the team was full of highs and lows — mostly lows at the latter stages of his stint. Things got particularly messy under team president Phil Jackson, leading to one of the NBA's most dysfunctional relationships. This drama significantly damaged the Knicks' reputation, making it even harder to lure top talent to the city. Brunson might just be the biggest talent to emerge in the franchise in years, but it will need much more than his greatness to truly compete.

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