We Them Media logo We Them Media Community-made Back the work →

A walk through Brooklyn on the night they won.

Nine minutes of walking and asking on a Brooklyn night, filmed the evening the Knicks won. There is no sit down interview here. One person with a camera goes street by street with the same two questions: how are we feeling about this Knicks win, and what does this mean for the city.

The fullest answer arrives early and comes out as a list of names. “Oh, bro, it means Sprewell. It means Alonzo Mourning.” From there it is years of people calling the Knicks losers, people who switched to the Nets, and the fact that “I haven’t seen a Nets jersey in forever.” The filmer’s own summary is shorter: “New York been in their slump. Knicks just changed the script.”

Midway through, a woman stops him on the sidewalk to ask for money. He offers to buy her food at the chicken spot he is heading to, she says it is too far, and he lets it go without making a scene of her: “But you know, I’m not really here to put people on blast. It’s not that deep. Life is hard.” That leads straight into why he is out at all: “That’s why we’re turning on a camera and just creating value, because the world needs to know this isn’t just any moment, man.”

Consent comes up on its own. “You shooting a video?” somebody asks, and the answer on the tape is “I’m trying to get better at telling people in advance instead of instead of filming them.” Two people take the offer and use it. “Congratulations, New York City.” Asked what the night means, one of them says “It means everything to the city”, and when the filmer pushes on why, gives him the whole season: “Everything. We turning up the whole summer.”

Late on, two young women give the reason plainly, that “it’s been so long since they ever like, um, won a game and won the championship”, and that it will move money: “Probably gonna make fans like millions of dollars.”

He finishes talking to the camera, walking, having admitted he is not a New Yorker. The last thing he says is not about basketball at all. “I think you needed to win, bro. Your work is worth something.” Then he tells the city to turn the camera on and get active, and goes to find something to eat.

What is in it

Jump straight to a moment.

Transcript

Transcribed and speaker-separated with AssemblyAI from the original audio, so nothing is masked. The letters are the model's speaker labels, not names; fillers are dropped by the model. Names corrected. Published in full so it can be read, searched and quoted. Search every transcript →

0:31AHave a good night.

0:31BHave a good one.

0:32AGo next. Go next. Okay, if you out here playing, uh, Young M.A, Fabio Foreign songs. Songs we used to -- We never hear again. How are we feeling about this Knicks win?

1:49CAmazing.

1:52AAre y’all from the city? Literally not. You don’t like Jersey?

1:58BBut this is sick.

1:59AYou made it work.

2:00CYeah, that’s --

2:02AI feel like that’s a valid take. Shout out Knicks. How y’all feeling about, about the Knicks taking this game?

2:11DI’m stoked. I’m from New York.

2:13AOkay, what does this mean for the city? What do you mean, what does it mean for the city?

2:16EWhat does it mean for, for those who don’t know?

2:18AWhat does it mean for the city?

2:19DOh, bro, it means Sprewell. It means Alonzo Mourning. It means fucking Patrick Ewing. It means fucking years and years of niggas calling New York Knicks teams losers and us persevering anyway and still backing the Knicks. So many of them niggas who switched up and became Nets fans, fuck you. Y’all real quiet right now. I haven’t seen a Nets jersey in forever.

2:39AOkay.

2:39DI haven’t seen a Nets jersey in forever. I don’t know. I guess that’s what it means.

2:42AOkay. Say, tell them.

2:44DI don’t know.

2:44AI guess that’s what it means, man. New York been in their slump. Knicks just changed the script. Stop playing with it.

2:51CHow you doing? Excuse me. Yeah, can you please give me $7.71?

2:59EI’m trying to get something to eat.

3:00AYou said you need a dollar? Where do you want to get food from? I’m going to a chicken spot to get my kids something to eat. I can get you food there, but I don’t have any cash. The chicken spot is far. All right, take care of yourself. And I’m trying to feed 3 kids. I heard you. Like I said, I would take you there. It’s like I’m trying to feed 3 kids. I don’t, I don’t have any cash for 3 kids, but I get them food. It’s too far for us to go to. But you know, I’m not really here to put people on blast. It’s not that deep. Life is hard. Life is so fucking hard, bro. That’s why we’re locked in. That’s why we’re having fun. That’s why we’re turning on a camera and just creating value, because the world needs to know this isn’t just any moment, man. This is New York in 2026, and Knicks just fucking won. They don’t even know what that shit means. All these motherfuckers in New York have no idea what that shit means. Bro, I’ve been watching New York. I see you got on the Knicks shorts. So what is this? What does this win mean to you?

4:15CExcuse me?

4:17DWhat’s up?

4:17AWhat does this Knicks win mean to you?

4:19COh, it’s amazing.

4:19AI mean, it’s great for the city. Are you interviewing me right now? Yeah, low-key. Oh no, I’m sorry.

4:28COkay, okay, I’m going, I’m going.

4:44AYou a big Knicks fan? Can I ask you, what does this win mean to you? Can I ask you, what does this win mean to you?

4:52CIt’s the best.

4:52AI like that, I like there. I’m shooting a video. Anything you guys want to say about the Knicks winning tonight?

5:56BYou shooting a video?

5:57AYeah, yeah.

5:58BI’m trying to get better at telling people in advance instead of instead of filming them.

6:04AExactly. Instead of showing up like anything to say. I’m on YouTube. No. Say anything y’all want to say. Let’s go Knicks. Okay, okay, okay.

6:13CLet’s Let’s go!

6:14AI love Mad Liquor.

6:15BCongratulations, New York City.

6:16AOkay, what does this mean to the city?

6:18BIt means everything to the city.

6:20AWhy is that? Why is that?

6:21BEverything. We turning up the whole summer. It’s up, it’s stuck. New York, we the finest.

6:27AAmen, amen. Have a good night, y’all.

6:32BGood night.

6:32AAnything you want to say? All right, man, take care. Be blessed.

6:37CBe blessed.

6:40AYou a Knicks fan? And happy day one, that’s all. Okay, okay. I could be in Times Square, but I need to figure out where I’m at. So how do you end up in New York, don’t know where you’re at? I started off the train, started walking. I said, I’m gonna ask people how they’re feeling about the Knicks winning. and see what they got to say. I see these girls right here. Let’s see what they got to say. If they want something, then ask that. And if not, I’m probably gonna get something to eat. How are you doing, ladies? I’m doing a video asking how they feel about the Knicks winning. How are we feeling? I’m happy they won. Why are we happy? Why are we happy?

7:48EBecause like, you know, New York City, it’s been so long since they ever like, um, won a game and won the championship. Like, it’s a big thing. Yeah, you know, I’m very happy for them.

7:56AAre y’all from New York?

7:57EYeah, we’re from New York.

7:59AOkay, so what does this mean for the city?

8:00EUm, you know, like, it’s just a big win, you know. Probably gonna make fans like millions of dollars. Like, I already see it skyrocketing. So yeah.

8:08AOkay, I think New York needed a win. I’m happy for y’all. Have a good night. Have a good night.

8:12COkay.

8:18AYeah, but I definitely found something to fucking eat and not just keep walking in any random direction because I feel like the odds are that I’m walking in a direction not that’s not great, but that might take me further from the public transit, and that’s really not the wave. All right, y’all, I came outside. Knicks won tonight, man. I’m not a New Yorker. I feel like boarding school though, really -- I listen to a lot of New York music and it’s like I look at Nigerians like, niggas get to it. That’s how I look at Nigerians. And that’s how I used to look at New Yorkers, but I haven’t been looking at New Yorkers like they are getting to it lately.

8:18ASo I’m just saying, I think you needed to win, bro. Your work is worth something. I feel like a lot of folks don’t feel like their work is worth anything, but Your work is worth something. This is fucking New York City. Turn on the camera, get active. You have the biggest platform. People with money are in this city. You know, you could be anywhere in the world trying to do your shit, bro, and nobody got no fucking money. This is the United fucking States, so act like it. That’s what I gotta say. Shout out to y’all though. Shout out to everybody, and congrats on this one.

8:18AI think I couldn’t be happier for New York. That’s, that’s really what I feel.

More from Single dispatches.

The whole project →