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Miles "Deuce" McBride says winning the NBA championship has brought the New York Knicks even closer, with the team's group chat remaining active as players celebrate their historic achievement.
The Knicks point guard, 25, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about life with his teammates following their 2026 NBA Finals victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He also revealed the simple name the team chose for its group chat after securing the title.
"The group chat's been going crazy," McBride said on the 40/40 red carpet at Fanatics Fest in July, just weeks after the Knicks defeated the Spurs.
According to McBride, the players have been sharing messages as they celebrate the championship with their families and loved ones.
"Everybody's celebrating in so many great different ways with their families, with their loved ones and it's just been a lot of celebration texts going back and forth," he said.
When asked what the group chat is called, McBride immediately had an answer.
"What do you think? 'Champs,' baby! Champs," he said.
The championship was a historic moment for the Knicks and their fans, marking the franchise's first NBA title in 53 years. Even a month after the victory, McBride said the accomplishment still had not completely sunk in.
"Hasn't sunken in," he told PEOPLE. "Every time I hear 'champ,' it's like, it feels right but it's still such a blessing, such a surprise, I feel so grateful."
McBride previously credited resilience and determination for helping him become an important part of the Knicks' championship run.
"It wasn't really handed to me, I just always had that mindset," he said. "I knew I was talented enough. I knew I had a lot of the intangibles to make it work. Sometimes, things just take longer, and I think that's God's way of just making you ready for big-time moments, as long as you just prepare for them."
His path to becoming an NBA champion was far from immediate. McBride joined the Knicks in 2021 but spent his first two seasons primarily playing for the Westchester Knicks, New York's G League affiliate.
He recalled driving to Bridgeport, Connecticut, for G League games before eventually establishing himself as a regular contributor in New York.
"I stayed patient," McBride said. "The organization, the coaching staff, and my teammates all just believed in me. I kept working."
Now, after years of patience and hard work, McBride and his teammates have a championship to celebrate, along with a group chat name that reflects their biggest achievement yet.
