The NBA regular season opened earlier this week with three WVU basketball players on opening day rosters for the second consecutive season and just the third time since 1970. And one of those three former Mountaineers, Miles "Deuce" McBride, picked up right where he left off in the NBA Playoffs for the New York Knicks.
McBride is now a fifth-year NBA veteran and has spent his entire career with the Knicks, slowly earning a critical role within the franchise. Last season was his best yet, as he posted career highs in minutes per game (24.9), points per game (9.5), assists per game (2.9) and rebounds per game (2.5). And he got right back to business as the Knicks opened the new season with a 119-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
McBride scored 15 points and added two rebounds and one assist in the win over the Cavs, and did so by going 4-of-6 shooting from behind-the-arc while also converting 3-of-4 free throws. He also found himself playing 26 minutes during the game, which eclipses his average from last season as well.
Miles McBride : 15 points on 4-6 shooting from 3 & 3-4 from the FT line in 26 minutes off the bench pic.twitter.com/SWvNoXagAv
— Lee Harvey (@Sayian_Warrior) October 23, 2025
McBride has become a key player for the Knicks, even though he's not a consistent starter, and it's clear after a strong preseason effort and a big first game of the regular season that his career-best season last year was far from a fluke, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him have an even better season-long performance over the coming months.
The Knicks will likely be near the top of he league again this year as well, as Vegas oddsmakers have consistently placed them among the top five betting favorites to win the NBA Championship and among the top three favorites to win the Eastern Conference – and the Cavs, who they just beat, have consistently been one of the few teams ahead of them in those odds. It will be exciting to see how McBride can contribute as the Knicks gear up for another big season.