Angel Alejandro is CFSY’s Co-Director of Development and a member of the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network. He’s pictured with his dog, Midnight, also a Knicks fan.

As a lifelong Knicks fan, this year’s playoff run has felt different.

If you’re from New York, you know what I’m talking about. The energy has been everywhere. On the trains. In bodegas. On street corners. In conversations with complete strangers wearing orange and blue. For the first time in a long time, it felt like the entire city was united around one thing: believing that the Knicks could actually do it.

The last time the Knicks won an NBA Championship was 1973, years before I was born. I grew up with my uncles telling me stories about Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, and those championship teams, but I’ve never experienced one of my own.

The last time the Knicks reached the NBA Finals was 1999. I watched every game, but my life looked very different then. I was in the middle of fighting a federal RICO case tied to things that happened when I was just 15 years old. While the city was cheering on Patrick Ewing (my favorite player) and the Knicks’ run, I was fighting for my life.

I remember watching those games, but I couldn’t fully enjoy them. United States v. Angel Alejandro just hits different!

So watching this Bruson, KAT, Hart, OG, and Bridges-led team make its run this year brought back a lot of memories.

It reminded me how much life can change between seasons.

Back then, I couldn’t imagine where I’d be 27 years later. Today, after serving 21 years behind bars and being home for six, I get to watch the Knicks with a different perspective. I’ve survived things that once felt impossible. I’ve seen victories, setbacks, heartbreak, and healing.

Being a fan isn’t really about championships. If it were, Knicks fans would have given up a long time ago. It’s about loyalty. Hope. Growing and getting better. Believing next year could be the year, even after decades of disappointment.

This playoff run gave New York something special. It gave us something to believe in together. And for me personally, it was a reminder of how far I’ve come from that young kid watching the 1999 Finals in jail while wondering if I’d ever be free again.

The Knicks gave me something almost as valuable: a chance to reflect on the journey.

And as every Knicks fan knows, hope springs eternal.

Let’s goooooooooooo Knicks!

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