Dream Yankees-Knicks connection continued during Red Sox series with Aaron Judge, Josh Hart

The "One City" theory of sports dominance helped carry Boston from the New England Patriots' upset Super Bowl title all the way through Tom Brady's departure (and potentially to the Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown Celtics ring). Two decades is a long time for sports teams to feast off one another's dominance and set a new standard for excellence, but it can't have been an accident that, when one Boston team galvanized the city in a totally unexpected way, the others raised their games and followed suit. The players met, interacted, and saw first-hand how to meet the standard for greatness.

Maybe, just maybe, the New York Knicks' NBA Championship run, filled with mind-bending comebacks for the ages and against-all-odds brotherhood, can be the same galvanizing moment for the city of New York.

No one expected the Knicks to finish with a ring this season. Even true believers who loved every element of the roster, from Jalen Brunson's unparalleled ability to finish to Josh Hart's hardwood hustle, felt as if the franchise was destined to always be close but never grip the cigar. But instead they climbed the mountaintop and took a lifetime's weight off the collective shoulders of all New Yorkers (sans-Nets fans, sorry YES Network). It was possible. A thing we did not believe was possible not only was, but actually happened.

The Knicks-related theory tossed around Aaron Judge these days is unfortunately the Ewing Theory, but as the Captain works his way back towards game action - his chances increase with the more winning the Yankees do - he hasn't stopped trying to galvanize his teammates around a common goal. As he noted in the locker room on Wednesday night, he's specifically looked towards the Knicks to provide motivation.

Yankees, Aaron Judge want to raise their game after watching Knicks give New York the title they deserve

As the Yankees try to measure themselves alongside the other local champions and ask, "How can we get a little bit closer everyday?" they're also lucky that ... those champions are fans of theirs, too. Brunson was at the Stadium this summer for a first pitch, alongside Josh Hart.

Hart, blood-related to Yankees catcher Elston Howard, who resides in Monument Park, tweets along with every game and sounds a lot like your everyday boisterous fan. He had the same thoughts we all did about Sonny Gray. He let the Twitterverse hear it when Game 2 ended. The Yankees have always been New York's gold-standard franchise, the one that has inspired the rest of the city to play along. The Knicks and their band of brothers stole the torch back - but these guys love the Yankees, and would do anything they could to pass the momentum on.

Now, all that's left is for the Yankees to continue to ignore the odds, do their jobs, sacrifice for the good of the team (Jazz vs. Volpe, anyone?), and push forward unselfishly.

And maybe, just maybe, when everything settles, Judge will get to have his own Willis Reed moment after all.

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