For some Jewish fans of the New York Knicks, the most salient number related to the team’s NBA championship win on Saturday was not 94 — the team’s final point tally — or 53 — the number of years since the last title.
It was 613 — the date of the victory (6/13) and the number of commandments (mitzvot) in the Torah.
For years, the number 613 has hung from the rafters at Madison Square Garden — the number of lifetime wins by Red Holzman, the Jewish coach who led the Knicks during their previous championship runs, in 1970 and 1973.
For some Jews, the confluence of 613’s was evidence of divine intervention in the Knicks’ title win.
“Today is 6/13. There are 613 commandments in the Torah. Tonight, the Knicks are the champions ????” tweeted Simone Weichselbaum, a native New Yorker. “I rest my case.”
Yossi Farro, who has made a name online by posting pictures of himself aiding Jewish celebrities, including athletes, in doning tefilin, tweeted an image showcasing the 613s in Knicks lore. “Faith. History. Legacy,” he wrote. “Amazing how sometimes everything comes full circle.”
Some online Jewish commentators found even more to read into the date.
Moshe Spern, a New York City educator, noted that not only is 613 significant in Jewish tradition, but so is 26, the rest of the date (6/13/26) —the gematria of Hashem’s name,” he tweeted, referring to the numerical values of Hebrew letters.
Manhattan psychologist Ike Hershkopf, wrote to Red Lolzman “that 613 is the single most special number in the Jewish religion. I told him the highest praise that one could give to a Jew is to say he is a 613 man. … Subsequently he told me that he was so taken with this that he not only framed the letter but sent out copies to his friends.”
Even those who satirize Jews online got in on the action on Saturday night.
For OG Anunoby, the Knicks’ forward who scored the game-winning putback in game four, the date of the victory had its own significance: It was the seventh anniversary of his first NBA title, with the Toronto Raptors.
“It’s a great day — what’s it, June 13th?” he said during a postgame press conference. “Yeah, June 13th is an amazing day.”
Not everyone appreciated the numerical reading between the lines, at a time when many Jews feel under siege in New York City, and when politics have driven wedges between neighbors.
“Guys stop giving divrei Torah about the date being 613 and the Knicks winning. There’s no connection between the number of mitzvot, today’s English date and a basketball team. Y’all are far-fetched,” tweeted a New York woman who goes by the Jewish Meme Queen online.
“You know what’s actually inspiring?” she continued. “NYC coming together despite our differences.”