The New York Knicks just ended their 53-year drought by winning their first NBA championship since 1973. As iconic as the Knicks franchise is, their championship run means just a bit more when compared to some previous winners. Naturally, that got some to talk about the NFL, and which team(s) have that iconic brand that hasn't won a championship in a number of years but could bring an added layer of prestige with a Super Bowl win.
When asked himself, NFL reporter Albert Breer named the Miami Dolphins. The Knicks are miles ahead of the Dolphins in terms of contender status in their respective leagues. New York just became the last team standing in the NBA, while Miami is almost a shoo-in for a top-five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. But yet, Breer's comparison makes a ton of sense.
The Knicks made their mark in the early 70s, as did the Dolphins. And while neither finished at the top in the decades to follow, they were nearly always in the conversation, leading up and into the turn of the century. So, although Breer understands the Dolphins are in a rebuilding mode, things can and do change fast in the NFL, and Miami could also end its drought in a short period of time.
Albert Breer compares Knicks and Miami Dolphins as flagship franchises
Discussing the topic on his podcast, The Breer Report, Breer said, "I'm gonna give you the Miami Dolphins as the one that could set up a little bit like the Knicks. At least, has the most parallels to who the Knicks are...I still think the Dolphins are a relatively iconic brand. And one that I think, people of my age, people who grew up in the 80s and 90s, viewed as one of these flagship franchises, but we didn't really get to see how they got there."
Breer would go on to discuss Miami's success in the early 70s with back-to-back Super Bowl victories, including an undefeated season with the legendary head coach Don Shula at the helm. Likewise, at this time, the Knicks had their biggest successes, winning the NBA championship in 1970 and 1973. Then, fast forward to the 80s, and New York lands Patrick Ewing at No. 1 overall in 1985. Two years prior, the Dolphins drafted some guy named Dan Marino.
As Breer alludes to, both were obvious stars in their own right, but they couldn't quite get over that hump of a championship. As a result, each franchise turned to a legendary coach in the 90s in attempts to bring them the one accolade they hadn't yet accomplished.
"So, that's Pat Riley going to the Knicks...and in Miami, it was landing Jimmy Johnson."
Pat Riley made his name with the Los Angeles Lakers previously and was massively successful with the Miami Heat later in his career. Yet, he was unable to bring a championship to New York alongside Ewing, despite reaching the NBA Finals in 1994.
Jimmy Johnson, meanwhile, had already won a national championship with the Miami Hurricanes and was fresh off back-to-back Super Bowl victories with the Dallas Cowboys. Johnson's "homecoming" made Marino's first title feel inevitable. But it never came to fruition, and both Johnson and Marino saw their Dolphins careers end following a 62-7 beatdown at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round of the playoffs in January 2000.
From then on, success has been limited for both the Knicks and Dolphins, outside of a few moments that Breer properly described as "upticks." Breer pointed to the 2008 season for Miami under the late Tony Sparano, who organized the introduction of the "Wildcat" formation to the Dolphins' offense. That year, Miami finished with an 11-5 record and an AFC East division title -- just one year removed from finishing 1-15.
"...I think in some ways (it) changed the way NFL offenses are designed, are run. Because it opened people's minds to doing things a different way. And that's where we saw the introduction of more college context into the NFL game.
"And right around that time, you had Linsanity in New York," Breer stated.
That 2008 season was a magical one for the Dolphins, but they were no match for the Baltimore Ravens come playoff time. Likewise, Jeremy Lin was a sensation of the Knicks just a few years later and the talk of the town.
An undrafted player on the verge of being cut, Lin was a real-life Cinderella story. He was claimed by the Knicks off waivers in December 2011 but was buried on the depth chart as the team's fourth point guard. On the brink of being released by New York as well, the injury bug hit the Knicks, forcing them to keep and, eventually, start Lin in the rotation.
Lin was an instant star and became an overnight sensation. "Linsanity" was alive and well, but it was to be short-lived. His popularity didn't turn the Knicks into a contender, and when the Houston Rockets offered Lin a three-year deal the following summer, New York didn't match it.
Since then, both franchises have been dealing with more downs than ups. But to make his last point, Breer noted that the Knicks won this year's championship in their first year with Mike Brown as head coach, with a previously undervalued free agent in Jalen Brunson. Similarly, Jeff Hafley is entering his first year as head coach, and the Dolphins signed their own somewhat undervalued FA in quarterback Malik Willis.
As Brunson has become in New York, Willis could turn into the franchise QB Miami has desperately been seeking since Marino. But having played limited snaps thus far in his career, the jury is still out on Willis. I'm not keen on Breer's Brown and Hafley comparison, seeing as this is Hafley's first gig as an NFL head coach, and it feels like Brown has coached half of the NBA. (Yes, I know he's only been with four teams; it's called sarcasm.)
But I get the first-year comparisons with their teams, nonetheless. Overall, I think Breer makes an excellent comparison in general of the Knicks and Dolphins. He made it clear that he doesn't believe Miami will win the Super Bowl this year, but his point still stands.
These are iconic franchises that have failed to meet expectations and deliver championship titles over the years. However, the Knicks have turned the page by bringing home the Larry O'Brien Trophy in dramatic fashion. Dolphins fans can only hope and dream of joining them in celebration by first ending their playoff-win drought that currently stands at 25+ years, followed by the hoisting of their third Vince Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
Add us as a preferred source on Google