08-27-2026IMPACT COUNCIL

What the New York Knicks can teach corporate leaders

The 2026 championship reveals lessons in team dynamics.

[Photo: Getty Images]

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more.

Anyone who watched the New York Knicks this season saw something that goes well beyond basketball.

They saw team members pass up their own shot when a teammate had a better one. They pulled each other off the floor after mistakes instead of pointing fingers. That had a star player walk away from millions in contract value so the organization could build a winning roster. They saw what most corporate teams claim to want but rarely build. A culture that actually motivates people to give everything they have, not just manage what is expected of them.

I have spent decades studying how high-performing teams work—at Goldman Sachs, Apple, Atlassian, and now through my advisory work with executives navigating growth and change. The biggest threats to organizations usually come from inside. The way people make decisions, share information, and build trust under pressure. The Knicks just spent an entire championship run showing exactly what happens when an organization gets all three right.

In Game 4, Josh Hart broke away and missed a wide-open layup. He hit the floor. Before he could spiral, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges were right there, pulling him to his feet and telling him “next play.” Brunson said afterward that this was the moment he knew they were going to win the championship. Ironically, not when the score was in their favor, but when his teammate missed an easy shot and nobody flinched.

The Knicks’ reaction was........

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