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TORONTO — As Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and the rest of the New York Knicks celebrated the franchise’s first title in 53 years in San Antonio, Yankees manager Aaron Boone slept soundly in the comfort of his Toronto hotel room on Saturday night.
“Unbelievable,” the manager, who dozed off with six minutes left in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, said in a self-deprecating tone Sunday morning.
Unhappy with himself, Boone made sure to watch SportsCenter’s coverage of the game before reporting to Rogers Centre for the Yankees’ series finale against the Blue Jays. And while he didn’t see a generation-spanning drought that’s as old as he is come to an end in real time, he made sure to share in the excitement that has swept over New York City since the final buzzer sounded.
“It’s just a great example of a team that’s certainly faced more than their share of adversity and questions and all that,” said Boone, who grew up a 76ers fan. “I think their mental toughness and championship mettle just ended up winning the day.
“It’s fun to see that, because each one of those guys, to varying degrees, went through rough moments, getting beat on at different points for different reasons, and they all persevered through it. That’s not an easy thing to do, and that’s why they’re champions.”
Boone added that he is particularly fond of Jalen Brunson, who he got to meet when the point guard visited Yankee Stadium in July 2024. Brunson was named the NBA Finals MVP after dropping 45 points on the Spurs in Saturday’s clincher.
“I loved him,” Boone said. “Genuine guy. It was really fun talking to him. I became a fan on the spot.”
With the Knicks now set for a parade down the Canyon of Heroes on Thursday, the Yankees hope to follow in their footsteps soon.
Their championship dry spell hasn’t come close to the pain and suffering that Knicks fans endured, but the Bombers haven’t won a World Series since 2009. That’s a long time in Yankee years.
Asked if he’s thought about what it would be like to win it all, Boone – who has lost the World Series once as a player and once as a manager – deflected by saying there’s a lot of baseball left to play this season.
Instead of getting into the Yankees’ aspirations, he kept the focus on New York’s newest championship squad.
“I’ve had the fortune of meeting a handful of those guys over the last few years, so I’m really happy for them,” Boone said. “Just to see that team, the way they came together, the amazing run they went on in the postseason, that team will be immortalized. So I’m just excited for them, and I’m obviously excited for a lot of the people in New York. That’s been a long time coming.”
Giancarlo Stanton will get more tests done on his calf on Monday after having “a little bit of a setback” this past week.
“It’s clearly going to slow him down a little bit, but to what level, I don’t know yet,” Boone said. Asked if Stanton is now back to square one, the skipper added, “I don’t think so, but I don’t know that.”
The designated hitter hasn’t been running since his setback.
Austin Wells (headaches) will play in some minor league rehab games this week, Boone said. He wasn’t sure with what affiliate yet.
Boone previously mentioned that Wells has been headache-free since resuming baseball activities.
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“Unbelievable,” the manager, who dozed off with six minutes left in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, said in a self-deprecating tone Sunday morning.
Unhappy with himself, Boone made sure to watch SportsCenter’s coverage of the game before reporting to Rogers Centre for the Yankees’ series finale against the Blue Jays. And while he didn’t see a generation-spanning drought that’s as old as he is come to an end in real time, he made sure to share in the excitement that has swept over New York City since the final buzzer sounded.
“It’s just a great example of a team that’s certainly faced more than their share of adversity and questions and all that,” said Boone, who grew up a 76ers fan. “I think their mental toughness and championship mettle just ended up winning the day.
“It’s fun to see that, because each one of those guys, to varying degrees, went through rough moments, getting beat on at different points for different reasons, and they all persevered through it. That’s not an easy thing to do, and that’s why they’re champions.”
Boone added that he is particularly fond of Jalen Brunson, who he got to meet when the point guard visited Yankee Stadium in July 2024. Brunson was named the NBA Finals MVP after dropping 45 points on the Spurs in Saturday’s clincher.
“I loved him,” Boone said. “Genuine guy. It was really fun talking to him. I became a fan on the spot.”
With the Knicks now set for a parade down the Canyon of Heroes on Thursday, the Yankees hope to follow in their footsteps soon.
Their championship dry spell hasn’t come close to the pain and suffering that Knicks fans endured, but the Bombers haven’t won a World Series since 2009. That’s a long time in Yankee years.
Asked if he’s thought about what it would be like to win it all, Boone – who has lost the World Series once as a player and once as a manager – deflected by saying there’s a lot of baseball left to play this season.
Instead of getting into the Yankees’ aspirations, he kept the focus on New York’s newest championship squad.
“I’ve had the fortune of meeting a handful of those guys over the last few years, so I’m really happy for them,” Boone said. “Just to see that team, the way they came together, the amazing run they went on in the postseason, that team will be immortalized. So I’m just excited for them, and I’m obviously excited for a lot of the people in New York. That’s been a long time coming.”
MORE TESTS FOR STANTON
Giancarlo Stanton will get more tests done on his calf on Monday after having “a little bit of a setback” this past week.
“It’s clearly going to slow him down a little bit, but to what level, I don’t know yet,” Boone said. Asked if Stanton is now back to square one, the skipper added, “I don’t think so, but I don’t know that.”
The designated hitter hasn’t been running since his setback.
WELLS TO REHAB
Austin Wells (headaches) will play in some minor league rehab games this week, Boone said. He wasn’t sure with what affiliate yet.
Boone previously mentioned that Wells has been headache-free since resuming baseball activities.
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