NEW YORK – Should the New York Knicks clinch the championship this year, Evan Pfeufer will be the one who predicted it six years in advance, with documentation to support his claim.
While his peers filled their yearbook entries with mentions of academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and sports honors, this Long Island native chose to make a succinct and bold statement.
Inscribed next to his photo in the 2020 Smithtown High School West yearbook, Pfeufer simply wrote: “Knicks in 6. 2026 NBA Finals.”
Recently, Pfeufer’s foresight has captured attention online, going viral after he posted images on social media. One of his Instagram posts has already amassed over 130,000 views.
Currently, the Knicks are leading the San Antonio Spurs 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Despite losing Game 3 on Monday, which was notably attended by President Donald Trump as the first sitting president at an NBA championship game, the teams are set to clash again this Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
At 23, Pfeufer is now working in sales and reflects on his yearbook choice as a passionate Knicks fan. He admits that back then, the team was performing poorly, ending the 2020-21 season with a 41-31 record.
“I was at my good buddy’s house and I said, ‘Knicks, six, 2026’,” he said. “It rhymed so well that I just figured, all right, I’m gonna put that there.”
“I could have said Knicks in 5, 2025, or Knicks in 7, 2027,” he added. “I guess I got the right year.”
Pfeufer said he took some grief, particularly from his parents, for not using the yearbook space to spotlight his school achievements, which included being a member of the honor society.
“I kept it just as the quote because I thought that if it happened, it would look way better than if I had a bunch of awards underneath,” he says.
Pfeufer says his parents have since come around to his thinking.
“Now that it’s happening the way it is, they said for the first time in their lives, alright, you were right,” he said.
Early in the playoffs, the lifelong Knicks fan said he swore off watching the team’s games because every time he tuned in, they lost. Since they’ve reached the finals and his prediction is inching closer to reality, he’s been watching them at home with family.
Pfeufer believes the current squad has what it takes win the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973 — even if it isn’t in six games.
“I absolutely love that they play ethical basketball,” he said. “It’s team basketball. Everyone knows their role and cares so deeply, and you can see it whenever they play. They have heart.”
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