When the Knicks received the NBA championship, first-time mother Yvonne Gonzalez-Bradford was 7 months pregnant. She and her husband Vance Bradford had names picked out for his or her child: Woman Victoria if the infant was a woman and Status Knowledge if the infant was a boy.
However then got here the large win.
Residing on the twenty ninth flooring of a Lengthy Island Metropolis highrise throughout the river from Manhattan, the couple opened up their home windows and heard the town chanting, “Knicks in 5! Knicks in 5! Knicks in 5!”
The next day, Vance tells TODAY.com his spouse checked out him and stated, “’What if we give our son a reputation for a champion? What about Knickson?’”
Vance beloved the concept, particularly since he comes from a household of die-hard Knicks followers, and even with out the sports activities part, the title stands by itself. “Knickson Bradford sounds implausible! He owns oil, in case you ask me,” Vance jokes.
And two days later, Yvonne advised Fyve as a possible center title.
“You understand how when one thing occurs so properly in your favor, you don’t need to jinx it?” Vance says, remembering how he needed to attempt to downplay his pleasure. “I used to be similar to, ‘Yep! Completely. That’s it!’”
Fyve has a extra layered which means for Vance.
“The Roman numeral for 5 is ‘V,’ like my title, so he’s named after me in a manner,” says Vance. “5 can also be an indivisible quantity. So he’s our indivisible champion. You possibly can hear him cooing within the background proper now.”
Knickson Fyve Bradford (go forward — say it out loud!) was born on Aug. 8, 2026, weighing 8 kilos, 8 ounces, making the quantity 8 important to his arrival. And to high all of it off, he was born on Yvonne’s birthday.
Courtesy Jennifer Nunez
Courtesy Jennifer Nunez Knickson Fyve comes from a household of die-hard Knicks followers.
And his connection to the Knicks runs deep into household historical past.
Vance’s mom, Sydell Johnson, was the scorekeeper for the workforce after they final received the championship in 1973. She handed away unexpectedly final yr. The devastation he felt in 2025 gave option to pleasure in 2026.
“I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, Ma, you went up there and also you despatched us one,’” Vance says. “She despatched down a Knicks championship!”
Though Knickson Fyve appears to be destined to assist the Knicks and the Brooklyn Knights, similar to his mother and father, Vance performs it cool about folks on Instagram asking what occurs if he begins cheering for a special workforce.
“If he seems to be a Celtics fan or a Sixers fan, once more he’s nonetheless Knickson Bradford, who’s within the boardroom,” Vance says with good humor. “We needed to have a really robust and agency title that will result in a cool life. Knickson Fyve is certainly our motto. Knickson Fyve ceaselessly!”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. Extra from TODAY:
