Jewish rapper Kosha Dillz, whose real name is Rami Matan Even-Esh, is known for his love of New York City and sports. So it was only a matter of time before the Brooklyn resident released a music video celebrating the Knicks’ run to the 2026 NBA Finals, where they are facing the San Antonio Spurs.
The upbeat anthem captures the excitement surrounding the Knicks’ deepest playoff run in more than two decades and features a cast of distinctly New York characters.
“The City is alive and I hope the Knicks can win it all, it’s been a long time,” Dillz told Unpacked.
He said he recognized that the Spurs pose a major challenge, particularly because of center Victor Wembanyama, who stands 7-foot-4. Wemby is widely regarded as one of the NBA’s most unique talents, earning the nickname “The Alien” from fans and commentators.
“I know there are a lot of Jewish Knicks fans and it’s great to see the team get to the finals and I hope this gives a chance for New Yorkers of all religions and cultures to unite,” he said.
He said he thought the Knicks would win, but added that in sports and in life, one should never underestimate an opponent. He also said he hopes fans celebrating in the streets will stay safe, regardless of whether the team wins or loses.
The Knicks currently hold a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals after winning Games 1, 2, and 4. A victory in Game 5 would secure the franchise’s first championship since 1973.
The team’s playoff run has attracted a number of celebrity fans. Jewish actors Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller have been a regular presence courtside throughout the postseason, while comedian Larry David attended at Madison Square Garden. Game 4 drew an even more star-studded crowd, including Jewish sisters Este Haim, Alana Haim, and Danielle Haim who attended alongside Taylor Swift. Other Jewish celebrities spotted throughout the Finals have included Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, and longtime Knicks superfan Spike Lee, underscoring how the team’s championship run has become a citywide cultural event.
Dillz has filmed videos at iconic New York locations, including outside Katz’s Delicatessen on the Lower East Side and outside Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. With ticket prices soaring throughout the Finals, many New Yorkers will be watching from sports bars, watch parties, and living rooms across the city.
In “Parade” (Knicks Anthem 2026), Dillz appears alongside a colorful cast of New Yorkers. At one point, he raps next to a man balancing a tire on his head. The video also features Georghe “The Messiah” Papoutsis, a social media personality known for playing basketball at the famed West 4th Street courts in Manhattan. Several young Jewish Knicks fans wearing kippot also make appearances.
“I hope people can enjoy the song and have a great time,” Dillz said.
The song includes an homage to Jewish entrepreneur and rapper Jesse Itzler’s famed “Go New York Go,” which he recorded in 1993 and which has since become synonymous with Knicks basketball.
Throughout the track, Dillz packs in references to current Knicks stars. A shoutout to “Captain Clutch,” point guard Jalen Brunson, highlights the team’s leader, while the lyric “Kosha Dillz in the Towns, I’m an OG” references both Karl-Anthony Towns and forward OG Anunoby. The line also plays on the term “OG,” meaning “Original Gangster.”
The song also contains a nod to 1999, the last time the Knicks reached the NBA Finals, when they ultimately fell to the Spurs. In keeping with the team’s signature orange-and-blue color scheme, Dillz sports a bright orange blazer throughout the video. The video’s orange-and-blue bagels provide another playful nod to the team’s colors.
Jewish history of the Knicks
For many Jewish New Yorkers, the Knicks’ Finals run feels personal. Basketball was once known as the “Jewish game,” especially in New York’s immigrant neighborhoods, where the children of Eastern European Jews embraced the sport as a path into American life. Settlement houses, YMHAs, and neighborhood gyms across the city helped make basketball a fixture of Jewish culture long before the NBA existed.
That connection extends directly to the Knicks. When the franchise played its first game in 1946, six Jewish players were on the roster, including Sonny Hertzberg, Leo “Ace” Gottlieb, and Ossie Schectman, the Jewish Brooklyn native credited with scoring the first basket in NBA history.
Hall of Fame coach Red Holzman led the franchise to its only two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973, while former All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire became one of the most prominent Jewish figures in modern Knicks history after embracing Judaism and later receiving Israeli citizenship.
Today, Jewish fans remain a visible part of the Knicks community. As the team moves within one win of its first championship since 1973, many Jewish New Yorkers have embraced the run as a rare moment of civic unity in a city often divided by politics, religion, and current events.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source unpacked.media ’
