New York Back on Top After Half a Century, Brunson Steps Out of Dončić's Shadow

The New York Knicks brought the title back to where basketball sounds like a city - after a series in which Jalen Brunson was untouchable. He was named Finals MVP averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds, becoming only the second Knicks player in history with that award, after the legendary Willis Reed in 1970 and 1973. The irony is bigger than the trophy: Brunson began his career in the shadow of Luka Dončić in Dallas, written off as a short second-round pick, and now he has a ring and recognition the Slovenian still lacks. The final between San Antonio and New York was the most-watched of the 21st century, and after the title the city was literally on fire - a burning bus, a smashed police vehicle, riots. Glory celebrated with chaos - very New York.

Giannis Chose Miami, the Summer Saga Gets Its Ending

One of the biggest names in the league finally showed where he wants to be. Giannis Antetokounmpo has chosen Miami and, according to reports, will soon have a contract too. For months there was speculation about his future - Boston, the Heat, anywhere with room for another star - and now the game looks settled. When an MVP decides to leave the club where he was an icon, the whole league restructures around that decision. It remains to be seen whether Miami is getting a ready-made champion or just the biggest name on the market that still needs a team built around it.

LeBron Facing a New Move, Šarić Returns to the EuroLeague

At 40-plus, LeBron James is still the subject of every transfer story - this time the reports link him with San Antonio, the team that just lost in the final. Whether the legend is chasing one more ring at the end or just one more stage is hard to say when it comes to a player who long ago outgrew ordinary measures. Meanwhile, Europe gets a familiar face back - Dario Šarić returns to the EuroLeague, a move that means more to Balkan basketball than any NBA rumour. Sometimes a return home is bigger news than a departure into the unknown.

Macedonia's Basketball Players Gather for Ireland and Luxembourg

At home, the national team has begun preparations for the duels against Ireland and Luxembourg - opponents who on paper are within reach, but basketball taught us long ago that no game is won on paper. For Macedonian basketball, every qualifying window is a chance to show that the country which once commanded respect in the region can still fight. Wins against rivals like these bring no glory, but losses bring needless questions - and that's exactly why these games have to be taken seriously.

The Junior National Team Has Also Got Going

Alongside the seniors, the junior basketball national team is also up and running these days with its own preparations. That's the part of the system that rarely gets written about, and yet every future generation comes from there. Macedonian basketball has for years lived off individuals who break through on their own; an organised young squad that trains and plays regularly is the only way to change that. Whether this generation will produce someone who returns the country to the elite - no one can promise that, but if there's no work with young players, the answer is certainly no.