In just about all respects, 2021 could have been better for New York. But the sports in the city could have been worse, too.
The Knicks surprised, the stars of yesterday (Derek Jeter) and today (Kevin Durant) came through and New York finally won a title — not in football but in fútbol.
Here are The Post’s rankings of the 10 best sports moments of the year:
1. Knicks make the playoffs
This year saw the advent of the most successful Knicks team of the past eight years. For the first time since 2013, there was playoff basketball at the Garden, with a defense-oriented, upstart team that got enough offense from breakout star Julius Randle to shock its way to home-court advantage in the first round. The Knicks fell in five games to Trae Young’s Hawks, but it has been a long time since the Garden witnessed that kind of excitement.
2. Derek Jeter’s Hall of Fame induction
No. 2, naturally. Of course it was a gorgeous autumn day, the perfect setting to salute the perfect New York career, when Jeter officially entered the Hall of Fame. The Captain’s speech was pitch-perfect.
