John Starks has seen what Philadelphia and Miami did this summer. He still believes the Eastern Conference runs through New York.
The former Knicks guard weighed in after the 76ers added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to a roster already featuring Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, while the Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo in one of the offseason’s biggest trades.
“Their teams are gonna be good. You can’t discount them,” Starks told TMZ Sports, specifically pointing to James, Brown, Maxey and Edgecombe in Philadelphia.
For Starks, however, offseason star power has yet to dislodge the defending champions. The Knicks are coming off their first NBA title since 1973, and he believes the mentality that carried them through last spring will be critical now that the league is chasing them.
Starks Wants the Knicks to Keep Their ‘Underdog Mentality’
New York finished last season 53-29 before completing a championship run that transformed the expectations surrounding the franchise. Starks believes the next challenge is psychological.
“They’re getting their respect, but I know coming back into the season you have to be hungry,” he told TMZ Sports. “If they still have that underdog mentality coming into the season, it’s gonna be good for them.”
The Knicks return a veteran core led by Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. NBA.com’s season preview notes that New York’s offense reached another level during the 2026 playoffs and frames the central question for this season as whether that postseason form can carry over.
There has been some turnover. Mitchell Robinson is gone, while Andre Drummond joined the roster, but the foundation of the championship team remains intact.
Philadelphia Put LeBron and Jaylen Brown Around an Already Talented Core
The Sixers created one of the East’s biggest offseason challenges by adding two established stars to a roster that already had significant offensive talent.
Philadelphia traded for Brown and signed James, placing them alongside Embiid, Maxey and second-year guard Edgecombe. The NBA’s Sixers preview calls it the most talented core the franchise has assembled around Embiid.
Several of Philadelphia’s best players are accustomed to controlling the ball. Embiid, Brown and Maxey all carried heavy usage last season, meaning the Sixers will have to determine how those responsibilities change with James joining the offense.
Starks already has an idea about James’ place in that equation. TMZ Sports reported that the former Knicks guard sees the 41-year-old James functioning more as a “facilitator” at this stage of his career.
That role would allow Philadelphia’s other scorers to carry more of the shot creation while James uses the passing that has defined his game for more than two decades.
Miami Added Another Major Threat in Giannis Antetokounmpo
Philadelphia was only part of Starks’ assessment of the East. Miami transformed its roster in July by acquiring Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee.
The NBA reported that the Heat sent Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakučionis and a package of draft assets to the Bucks in the blockbuster deal, with Bobby Portis also going to Miami.
Starks acknowledged that move along with Philadelphia’s additions while summing up the changing conference. “We got a lot to fight for this upcoming season,” he told TMZ Sports.
The Knicks and Sixers Get an Early Look at Each Other
New York visits Philadelphia on October 5 for a preseason game at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The meeting will offer an initial look at the new-look Sixers, although preseason rotations and minutes make it a limited preview of what a full-strength matchup could eventually become.
The more consequential meeting arrives October 20. Philadelphia visits Madison Square Garden for the regular-season opener on the night the Knicks raise their championship banner. The NBA’s schedule announcement says it will be New York’s first championship banner ceremony since 1973, with the game airing nationally on NBC and Peacock.