Netflix Drops “Empire on the Rise”: A Deep Dive into the Knicks’ 2025 NBA Championship Journey
On the morning of May 18, 2025, Netflix dropped a documentary that instantly captivated not only basketball fans but the entire city of New York. Titled “Empire on the Rise,” the film chronicles the New York Knicks’ triumphant journey through the 2025 NBA season, culminating in their long-awaited championship win—their first since 1973. Clocking in at just under two hours, the documentary is already being heralded as one of the most emotionally resonant and cinematically compelling sports documentaries ever released.
“This isn’t just about basketball,” director Ava Santiago states in the opening moments of the film. “It’s about belief, legacy, pain, redemption—and New York.”
A Cultural Milestone
“Empire on the Rise” is more than a recounting of games, stats, and playoff drama. It’s a portrait of a team that redefined what it means to be resilient in the face of decades of mediocrity and heartbreak. The documentary weaves together behind-the-scenes footage, emotional interviews, archival clips, and poetic narration that turns each step of the Knicks’ season into a larger-than-life metaphor for the city they represent.
The film opens with a haunting sequence: grainy black-and-white footage of the Knicks’ 1999 Finals loss, intercut with shots of a despondent Madison Square Garden. Fans sit slumped in their seats, the pain palpable even through 25-year-old camera lenses. That scene quickly transitions to the electric atmosphere of Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals—orange and blue flooding the screen, chants of “Knicks in Seven!” echoing as Jalen Brunson sinks the final free throws that secure New York’s first NBA championship in over 50 years.
The Season That Changed Everything
At its core, “Empire on the Rise” tells the story of a team that no one expected to win it all. The 2025 season began with tempered optimism. Coming off a solid playoff run in 2024 that ended in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks retained much of their core: Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson. But what changed everything was the offseason acquisition of forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in a shocking trade deal that stunned the league.
The documentary captures the moment Giannis first steps onto the Garden court in a Knicks jersey—fans screaming, phones in the air, a child holding a sign that reads “The Greek God of Gotham.” In a sit-down interview, Giannis reflects, “I wanted to play where basketball mattered like religion. The Garden isn’t just a court—it’s a cathedral.”
From that point, the season took on a mythic quality. Game after game, the Knicks climbed the standings. The chemistry between Brunson and Giannis was electric. Randle found his stride as a complementary piece rather than a primary scorer, while RJ Barrett blossomed into a two-way star. Thibodeau’s defense-first identity became sharper and more adaptable, and the team embraced a “No Excuses” mantra that carried them through injuries and adversity.
Behind Closed Doors
One of the most gripping aspects of the documentary is its access to the team behind closed doors. Cameras captured intense moments inside the locker room—halftime speeches from Thibodeau that feel like war cries, quiet one-on-ones between Brunson and younger players, and Giannis leading post-practice huddles with infectious energy.
Particularly moving is a scene from January, following a brutal overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in Giannis’ first game back in Milwaukee. The team sits in silence. Then Brunson stands and says, “This is just fuel. This is what makes us champions—not what happens when we win, but what happens when we lose.”
That quote would become the unofficial slogan of the season. T-shirts, fan signs, and even murals across New York adopted the phrase.
The Playoff Gauntlet
The second half of the documentary centers on the Knicks’ epic playoff run. The Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Miami Heat were physical and emotionally charged. Netflix captures a particularly vicious altercation between Josh Hart and Jimmy Butler, and the resulting drama that lit a fire under the Knicks for the rest of the series. They won in six games.
The Eastern Conference Semifinals featured a dramatic, back-and-forth series against the Celtics—ironically, a rematch from the year before. In one unforgettable scene, Netflix overlays footage of Game 6 of the 2024 series (a turning point in the Knicks’ culture) with Game 6 of 2025, showing how far the team—and the city—had come.
Then came the Eastern Conference Finals: Knicks vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers. Darius Garland and Evan Mobley led a strong Cavs team that pushed the Knicks to the brink. Game 7 at the Garden is given nearly 15 full minutes of screen time, complete with fan reactions, sideline mic’d-up segments, and split-screen footage of New York bars erupting with every made basket.
The Finals: Knicks vs. Warriors
When the Knicks finally reached the NBA Finals, they were up against a familiar dynasty: the Golden State Warriors, still led by Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. The Warriors were chasing their fifth ring; the Knicks, their first in five decades. The contrast between the two franchises—one built on modern dynasty, the other on decades of longing—provided a narrative arc that the documentary executes to perfection.
The seven-game series is chronicled with a cinematic flourish. Game 1: a narrow Knicks loss in San Francisco. Game 2: a triumphant road win behind a 45-point night from Brunson. Game 3: the Garden shakes with every bucket. Game 4: a gut-wrenching loss in overtime. Game 5: Giannis explodes for 38 points, 14 rebounds, and a game-sealing block on Curry. Game 6: back to San Francisco, where the Warriors even the series.
And then, Game 7. The documentary’s final 30 minutes are devoted entirely to the day of the deciding game. It begins at dawn: empty Garden hallways, locker room attendants preparing jerseys, street cleaners outside prepping for the inevitable celebration or devastation. The climax, of course, is the Knicks’ 112–108 victory—sealed with a Brunson floater, a Robinson rebound, and the iconic image of Thibodeau raising both arms in the air as confetti rains down.
The City’s Response
“Empire on the Rise” doesn’t just focus on the team—it shows the citywide impact of the Knicks’ championship. Fans from all five boroughs are featured: a Bronx schoolteacher crying with her students, a Queens barber who vowed to give free cuts if the Knicks won, an elderly couple in Brooklyn who hadn’t missed a game in 35 years.
Netflix producers followed the team’s championship parade in Manhattan, capturing the sheer scale of the celebration. A drone shot soars over a sea of blue and orange. Banners hang from every balcony. Children sit on parents’ shoulders. Chants ring out: “We here! We champions!”
One particularly emotional moment shows Spike Lee, long regarded as the most iconic Knicks fan, weeping during the victory parade. “This is what I prayed for,” he says. “I’ve been yelling from those front row seats since the Reagan administration. It was worth it.”
Artistic Brilliance
Director Ava Santiago brings a poetic touch to the entire project. Known for her award-winning documentary work on community activism and urban resilience, Santiago treats the Knicks’ season not as a sports story, but as a saga. Her lens focuses equally on small moments—a pregame prayer, a mother dressing her son in a Knicks jersey for school—as it does on the big plays.
She also makes brilliant use of music, blending classic New York hip-hop with orchestral compositions. The Game 7 sequence is set to a haunting rework of Nas’s “The World Is Yours,” while scenes of the parade use Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” in its original form—a choice that feels earned, not cliché.
The editing is sharp and immersive, weaving in media clips, radio call-ins, newspaper covers, and social media trends. TikTok videos of Knicks fans dancing in subway stations are intercut with slow-motion footage of Brunson executing a perfect crossover. It’s New York in all its noise, chaos, and glory.
Interviews and Insights
The documentary features candid interviews with all the key players and personnel. Jalen Brunson, now an undisputed superstar, speaks with humility and purpose. “I’m not the biggest. I’m not the fastest. But I work. And I love this city like it raised me,” he says in one standout moment.
Giannis is equally charismatic, blending humor and intensity as he recounts the emotional weight of leaving Milwaukee and joining a city hungry for greatness. Julius Randle is introspective, acknowledging past struggles and reflecting on his new role as a veteran leader. “Winning here? It’s the pinnacle. There’s nothing like it,” he says.
The documentary also includes voices from outside the organization: sportswriters like Adrian Wojnarowski and Doris Burke, broadcasters like Mike Breen (who delivered the now-iconic “BANG! Knicks are champions!” call), and cultural figures like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Spike Lee.
Reception and Legacy
Within hours of release, “Empire on the Rise” shot to #1 on Netflix’s trending chart globally. Critics are already calling for Emmy and Peabody nominations. Fans have flooded social media with emotional reactions—many posting videos of themselves watching and crying.
The documentary cements the 2025 Knicks as not just champions, but cultural icons. More than that, it validates the fandom of generations who endured heartbreak after heartbreak yet never gave up. This is their moment, preserved in frame after frame.
And for the city of New York, long known for its grit, grandeur, and unpredictability, “Empire on the Rise” is more than a sports film. It is a love letter. A time capsule. A masterpiece.
As Ava Santiago says in the closing narration:
“Some stories are about glory. Some are about grit. This one? It’s about home. The Knicks didn’t just win a championship. They brought New York back to itself.”
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