It's time to party like it's 1999 because the New York Knicks have advanced to the NBA Finals.
New York swept the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, defeating them 130-93 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.
This will be the Knicks' first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1999, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games. It's their ninth Finals appearance overall, which is tied with the Philadelphia 76ers for the fourth most in NBA history, according to ESPN Research.
It has been a long time coming for the Knicks. New York won just one playoff series between its loss to the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 conference finals and its run to the second round in 2023. The Knicks had the 12th-longest Finals drought among active franchises. Now, the franchise is vying for its first championship in 53 years.
A lot has changed since the last time the Knicks were in the Finals. Here's a look back at what was going on in the sports and pop culture world.
LeBron dunks for the first time
Before he collected four NBA championships and became the NBA's all-time leading scorer, LeBron James had to overcome a hurdle -- dunking.
Then an eighth grader, James was playing in a teachers-versus-students game at Riedinger Middle School in Akron, Ohio.
"I got a fast break, and this was the first time I ever even tried it. I said, 'I'm going for it,' James recalled in 2011. "It was an unbelievable moment for myself when I realized I could dunk."
Twenty-six years later, James dunked the ball 97 times in his 23rd NBA season, his most since the 2017-18 campaign (120).
Another Brunson suits up for New York
The common denominator between the Knicks' previous Finals run and this one? A Brunson on the court.
Rick Brunson played his first season with New York in 1998-99, appearing in 17 regular-season and nine playoff games. He played in just one Finals game that postseason and didn't record a stat.
However, his experience has proved valuable over 20 years later. Brunson is on the Knicks' coaching staff with his son, Jalen, leading the way on the court. It's a bit of déjà vu for the Brunson family with New York again competing for a title.
Star Wars dominates box office
After its original trilogy captivated audiences, the first Star Wars prequel released May 19, 1999: "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." The film was a box office hit.
It opened to $64 million in its first weekend and grossed over $1 million domestically for 61 consecutive days, the fourth most of any film in history, according to IMDB. It also made $924 million worldwide in 1999, the most of any film and over $200 million more than second place.
Y2K concern takes over the globe
While the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs battled in the Finals, the world prepared for the potential Y2K bug.
The predicament focused on a presumed software glitch. The fear was that computers were programmed to read years such as "99" as 1999; therefore, when the calendar shifted to 2000, it was unclear whether the computer would see it as 1900 or 2000. If computer systems were potentially affected by this bug, power outages, bank shut downs and transportation issues were among the problems that could arise.
On Dec. 14, 1999, the Bill Clinton administration revealed that "99.9 percent of the government's mission-critical computer systems are Y2K compliant," and once the ball dropped on a new century, most computers stayed intact, alleviating the Y2K fears.
Houston Comets win third straight championship
The Houston Comets won their third of four straight championships as the WNBA's first dynasty in 1999. Houston went 26-6 in the regular season before defeating the Los Angeles Sparks to reach the Finals.
The Comets then took down the New York Liberty 2-1 for the title. Cynthia Cooper led Houston with 20.3 points and 6.8 assists per game in the playoffs, while Sheryl Swoopes added 14.7 points.
Jennifer Lopez has first No. 1 track
The Knicks' championship quest coincided with the first No. 1 hit for Jennifer Lopez, who was born and raised in the Bronx. The pop star released "If You Had My Love" on May 4, 1999, and it debuted at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100.
However, the track rocketed up to No. 1 on June 12, a position it held for five weeks. It was the first of four No. 1 hits for Lopez and spent 31 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 -- her longest run for a song.
Other tracks on the chart during the 1999 NBA Finals included Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida Loca" at No. 2, TLC's "No Scrubs" at No. 3 and 702's "Where My Girls At?" at No. 4.
Napster launch changes music scene forever
Speaking of music: On June 1, 1999, Napster launched, suddenly changing the music listening habits of millions. Napster allowed users to share music files with one another from their personal computers.
In less than one year, 20 million people downloaded the program with more than 4 million songs in rotation, according to a Harvard business study. Napster shut down in 2001 because of a federal court decision, but it set the stage for a new wave of music streaming.
John Elway goes out on top
The Hall of Fame quarterback finished his final season in the NFL in storybook fashion. Elway led the Denver Broncos to consecutive Super Bowls, with the second one coming in January 1999.
Elway threw for 336 yards and one touchdown and ran for another score to lead Denver to a 34-19 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. He won Super Bowl MVP honors at age 38, becoming the oldest to do so until Tom Brady (42) in 2019.
Trio of hit TV shows debut
Three shows that dominated the 2000s and beyond debuted in 1999.
First, it was "The Sopranos," which premiered Jan. 10 on HBO. Three weeks later, "Family Guy" hit the airwaves following Super Bowl XXXIII. On May 1, another iconic animated show, "SpongeBob SquarePants," debuted.
Each show captivated specific audiences throughout the first quarter of the 21st century. "Family Guy" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" still produce new episodes. "The Sopranos" concluded in 2007 and is considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time.