Leon Rose took many risks to build this Knicks championship team

SAN ANTONIO — None of the moves were clear slam dunks.

Every one of Knicks president Leon Rose’s biggest decisions brought plenty of skepticism. And each one only increased the pressure on him to be right.

He was, as the Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years, defeating the Spurs on Saturday night to win the Finals in five games.

Going all out — clearing $30 million in cap space — to sign Jalen Brunson as his envisioned cornerstone to build around had plenty of critics. Most thought he was a nice player, but did not see him as a face of the franchise worthy of how aggressively they pursued him.

Trading RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley — two homegrown, burgeoning stars who enjoyed success with the team — for OG Anunoby split the fanbase. Anunoby at the time was seen as a strong 3-and-D piece but had never been an All-Star and was injury-prone.

Sending five first-round picks to the crosstown Nets for Mikal Bridges became one of the most controversial moves in local history. That kind of haul should be reserved for a Giannis Antetokounmpo-level superstar, most argued, not a third or fourth option. Were they overpaying to bring in a Villanova buddy?

Even the Karl-Anthony Towns trade was contentious. Julius Randle, though he had his detractors, had been at the center of the team’s rise out of the gutter into a playoff team. Donte DiVincenzo was a fan favorite and part of the original ’Nova Knicks trio. Towns had plenty of pedigree but carried a reputation — one that Brunson said was “unfair” — of being soft and not necessarily a winner. His previous co-star, Jimmy Butler, thought little of him.

And, lastly, firing Tom Thibodeau — after reaching the conference finals last year — and hiring Mike Brown brought all sorts of second-guessing, right up until they reached this year’s Finals.

But Rose never wavered in his belief. He never speaks publicly, but rather operated behind-the-scenes to put together a group whose parts fit together perfectly, regardless of what all the armchair executives said at the time.

“He’s been an absolute, no matter what happens going forward, I don’t care what happens going forward, he’s been an absolute joy to work with,” Brown said. “His family’s been great. His wife, my wife, they get along fantastic. That synergy between me and him, our two wives, it helped the whole organization align horizontally and vertically. That’s what you have to have in these situations, especially when things get tough. He’s not going to waver.”

His rise was unique. He did not come from a scouting or player evaluation background. He did not have front office experience.

Rose’s prominence came from the other side of the industry — as one of the most powerful agents in basketball. His client list — which included LeBron James for seven years — read like an All-Star roster. He had connections all across the league.

And he made those connections and amassed that influence with his shrewd personality. It is not something fans or anyone on the outside ever gets to see, given his lack of public availability. Most probably don’t even know what his voice sounds like.

But that personality has been key to his success. And it trickles down to his players.

“When you’re an agent, I think anyone who knows the sports agency business, it’s all about relationships,” Towns said. “What Leon is one of the best in the world at is having genuine, loving relationships with people. I think because of that, you see the way our team acts, the way our team conducts itself. We conduct ourselves like family, and he’s always had that family mantra in everything he’s done. Doing that, I think that’s real. The connectivity, the unity this team represents every single night regardless of what the deficit is.”

Hiring agents rather than front office executives is a growing trend across sports. Bob Myers, who built the dynasty Warriors teams, was the most prominent example to kick it off.

Rose can be the next great success story.

“I think he’s a great basketball mind,” Brunson said. “I also think he surrounds himself with good people. The way he’s been able to do this, especially here with all the scrutiny people do to him and everything — I just think the way he goes about his business is as good as anyone.”

Rose is certainly a man of mystery.

But at this point, there’s not much doubting his work.