Eight years after Landry Shamet became the first Park Hill High School graduate to reach the National Basketball Association, the 2015 graduate has reached another milestone no other Panther has accomplished.
New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet, a 2015 graduate of Park Hill, won his first NBA championship.
Shamet is now an NBA champion.
The guard helped the New York Knicks defeat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals, appearing in all five games of the championship series and contributing throughout New York’s historic postseason run.
“It’s emotional,” Shamet said. “Just considering everything: training camp deal two years in a row, on the verge of being out of the league, injuries, ups and downs. It’s crazy.”
Over the five Finals games, Shamet totaled 34 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while playing a key role off the bench. He finished the playoffs with 114 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists as the Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers before taking down San Antonio.
“It’s going to be a lot for the next few days, to be honest with you,” Shamet said. “I’m just really, really grateful and proud of myself for not giving up.”
The championship adds another accomplishment to a career that began at Park Hill, where Shamet helped revive the Panthers’ basketball program.
Landry Shamet scores for Park Hill against Hayden (Kan.) in the 2015 Bobcat Invitational.
As a three-year letterman under head coach David Garrison, Shamet helped Park Hill snap a 20-year postseason drought. He earned two district player of the year awards, two conference player of year honors and two all-state selections.
During his senior season, Shamet averaged 17.4 points per game and was named a finalist for the DiRenna Award, which recognizes the top basketball player in the Kansas City metro area.
He also helped Park Hill capture its first-ever William Jewell Holiday Tournament championship in 2015, earning Nelson’s Division Player of the Tournament honors after scoring 58 points during the event.
From there, Shamet continued his rise at Wichita State University, where he was named Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2017 and earned Associated Press All-American honorable mention recognition in 2018.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Shamet in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, beginning a professional journey that has taken him through stops with the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards before joining the Knicks.
The road to a championship was not always easy. After dealing with injuries and uncertainty surrounding his NBA future, Shamet found a role in New York as a defensive-minded guard willing to do whatever was needed.
“You have to adjust as you come into the league,” Shamet said. “That wasn’t really my calling card as I was a rookie and in my first couple years. If you want to survive and stay around, you’ve got to get better.”
The Knicks’ championship run featured one of the most memorable NBA Finals games in league history.
In Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, New York faced a 29-point deficit before completing a stunning comeback against San Antonio. The Knicks trailed 81-52 in the third quarter before their defense completely changed the game, holding the Spurs to just 30 second-half points.
New York erased the deficit behind a 32-point fourth quarter, eventually cutting the game to one possession in the final minutes. Jalen Brunson gave the Knicks their first lead of the night with a go-ahead basket, but the Spurs quickly responded.
With 1.2 seconds remaining and New York trailing by one, Brunson took the final shot — a deep 3-pointer that bounced off the rim. OG Anunoby followed the miss with a game-winning tip-in, giving the Knicks a 107-106 victory and a 3-1 series lead.
The comeback became the largest in NBA playoff history and shifted the momentum of the Finals.
Landry Shamet featured in all five NBA Finals games for the New York Knicks, coming off the bench to score 34 points, grab 10 rebounds and assist five buckets.
The Knicks finished the job in Game 5, overcoming another early deficit before closing out the Spurs and capturing the franchise’s first championship since 1973. Brunson earned Finals MVP honors after a 45-point performance in the title-clinching game.
Throughout the series, Shamet was used primarily for his defensive abilities. It is a role that has evolved throughout his NBA journey.
“Your role changes, and your job changes a little bit,” Shamet said. “You’ve got to buy in and understand what’s needed of you. It’s kind of just the journey of my career, and I’m grateful to have that for my role this year.”
Now, Shamet returns home as an NBA champion, adding his name to a legacy that started on the courts of Park Hill and reached the highest level of basketball.