A Tale Of Two Orange-And-Blue Cities: 3 Leadership Lessons From The Knicks And Mets
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 18: The New York Knicks celebrate during the Championship ticker tape parade and victory rally celebrating winning the 2026 NBA Finals on June 18, 2026 in New York City. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win their first NBA Championship in 53 years. (Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesCharles Dickens opened A Tale of Two Cities with the famous line, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." That perfectly describes New York's two orange-and-blue franchises.
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Both play in America's largest media market. Both have owners willing to spend. Both have passionate, demanding fans. Yet one sits in last place. The other—the New York Knicks—have gone from the NBA's laughingstock just a decade ago to NBA champion. And for context last week I watched the 2026 ESPY awards (July 15, 2026) -- for decades the gold standard by ESPN of Excellence in Sports Performance – and the Knicks completely dominated all sports with: Best Team, Best Play and Best Championship Performance.
As a parallel, a few years ago I interviewed Randy Levine, President of the New York Yankees. He shared that out of the many companies the Yankees own, their goal with Baseball Operations is only to win, not strictly P&L, and that once they win all their other businesses succeed significantly. That philosophy reinforces what Leon Rose has built as President of The New York Knicks.
1. Stay True to Your Cultural Identity
Leon Rose didn't simply collect talent. He assembled people who already shared the same DNA. Jalen Brunson. Josh Hart. OG Anunoby. Mikal Bridges. Karl-Anthony Towns. Each had already built a reputation for toughness, professionalism, selflessness, and winning. Rose never asked players to become someone different. He chose people who had already demonstrated the behaviors he wanted to define the Knicks.
Great CEOs don't hire resumes. They hire habits.
2. Championship Organizations Are Built on Selflessness
Nothing symbolizes the Knicks' culture more than Jalen Brunson's decision to leave approximately $113 million on the table by signing an early extension, giving the organization greater flexibility to build a championship roster. His message was unmistakable: winning comes before maximizing my paycheck. Tom Brady did the same during the New England Patriots dynasty, helping create six Super Bowl championships.
The greatest leaders don't ask others to sacrifice. They sacrifice first.
3. Invest to Complete the Team, Not Win the Headlines
Perhaps Leon Rose's most brilliant work came after assembling his stars.
Instead of chasing another headline acquisition, he strengthened the roster by adding or retaining: Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet, Andre Drummond, and Mohamed Diawara for roughly$20 million combined—less than many teams pay a single high-profile player.
Each filled a specific role: Alvarado brought relentless perimeter defense; Clarkson added instant offense; Shamet provided dependable shooting; Drummond supplied rebounding and veteran toughness; Diawara added athleticism and long-term upside. None were splashy signings. Collectively, they completed a championship team.
That is how exceptional CEOs allocate capital. Every hire fills a need. Every investment reinforces the culture. Every dollar advances the strategy.
… In summary, the Mets by contrast have too often asked fans to believe in long shots. I recently spoke with a 50-year Mets’ fan, Brett Sullivan, who summed it up, “The Mets rely on maybes. Maybe a player can learn a new position. Maybe injuries won't return. Maybe a former star will rediscover his best years. Maybe if we let our stars leave we can acquire someone cheaper who can duplicate the results.”
Championship organizations don't eliminate risk, but they minimize it by investing in proven behaviors rather than hopeful projections.
The Knicks and Mets wear the same colors, play in the same city, and compete for the same fans. Yet they demonstrate two very different leadership philosophies. One built a championship culture. The other is still searching for one.
For CEOs, the lesson couldn't be clearer: Culture isn't what you say. It's who you choose, what you reward, and where you invest.
And as a final thought, while the New York Jets don’t wear blue and orange, they find themselves in the same market with passionate fans -- and where the Knicks were a decade ago – perennial underachievers. Perhaps they too can learn these lessons from these Knicks.
To hear the interview with Randy Levine, President, New York Yankees, go to: www.ceoshow.com
This article was originally published on Forbes.com