After 25 Years of Wrongful Conviction, He Watched His Favorite Team Win It All From the Business He Once Dreamed Of

Jabar Walker at Lux Bar and Grill, which he co-owns with his brother, on July 28, 2026. (Image: Daniele Selby/Innocence Project)

On June 13, as Lux Bar and Grill bar erupted with cheers from Knicks fans decked out in blue and orange, owner Jabar Walker watched as two decades-long dreams were fulfilled. Just three years after being exonerated from a wrongful conviction that took 25 years of his life, Mr. Walker celebrated the Knicks’ first NBA championship win in 53 years inside the local business he’d always dreamt of owning.  

“Seeing the Knicks win in the end made me feel almost as good as I felt about my fight and my victory against my wrongful conviction,” said Mr. Walker. During his long fight for justice, Mr. Walker said Knicks games were a welcome distraction.

“Just putting wagers on Knicks games, checking the scores, and checking the highlights gave me something to look forward to at the end of the day,” Mr. Walker said. “The Knicks gave me a mental escape from prison throughout the years and helped drive me through difficult seasons.”

In 1998, Mr. Walker was wrongfully convicted for two murders in Manhattan. He always maintained his innocence, yet despite no physical evidence connecting him to the crime, Mr. Walker was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, based on the false testimony of a coerced witness and an erroneous identification. In prison, he fought relentlessly for his freedom, spending hours in the library studying the law. After a joint reinvestigation between the Innocence Project and the Post-Conviction Justice Unit of the New York County District Attorney’s Office, Mr. Walker was finally exonerated in 2023.

Jabar Walker at Lux Bar and Grill, which he co-owns with his brother, on July 28, 2026. (Image: Daniele Selby/Innocence Project)

“The courts weren’t kind to me, and I didn’t have the ability to hire representation. So when I filed my last motion in court to overturn my conviction [in 2019], I had belief, but I didn’t have enough to feel confident that I would get out, kind of the same way I felt when the Knicks made it to the finals,” Mr. Walker said. “I felt like I may have had to just be happy with them making it to the finals, no different from getting the court to give me a hearing on my motion [even if I didn’t win]. Just getting that far in the fight would have meant a lot. However, I won, and so did they.” 

After 25 years of wrongful imprisonment, Mr. Walker returned home with little financial support to rebuild his life. Though he eventually received some compensation from the state for his wrongful conviction, the money did not bring the closure he had anticipated.

“The compensation didn’t come with anybody taking accountability for stealing all of those years of my life, for robbing me of watching my kids grow, for being able to help my children’s mom, for not seeing my mom. So the money didn’t feel enough.” Mr. Walker explained.

The money did give him something he hadn’t had in decades: the chance to build a future. It enabled him to live a more financially stable life, support his family, and fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a store owner in his community. Mr. Walker recalled that as a child, the store owners on his block were his “heroes.” They took care of him and his mom when they were unable to afford necessities, giving them food and supplies for free.

In May, after finding out that the Lux Bar and Grill was looking for new ownership, Mr. Walker swiftly decided to dive into his next venture and purchased the bar together with his brother. When the Knicks made it past the first round in the playoffs, he started putting up fliers around Harlem promoting his lounge as a space for Knicks watch parties and celebrations.

With each game, more people showed up, and Mr. Walker formed bonds with fellow Knicks fans who soon became loyal customers. When the Knicks won the championship, Mr. Walker said his lounge erupted in euphoric tears, cheers, and disbelief that echoed the joy he felt on Nov. 27, 2023 — his exoneration day decades in the making. 

Mr. Walker hopes the Knicks’ win will be just the start of his business’ success and that his neighborhood continues to grow and prosper with his lounge.

He hopes to set an example of perseverance and success, particularly for young people in his community who might be facing adversities of their own. His goal is to encourage people to believe in themselves and understand that they can achieve whatever they set their mind to.

“I want to be there for people like the store owners in my block were for me … To create jobs, opportunities, and positive energy for my community means everything to me,” Mr. Walker said. 

“Never give up. Never lose hope. Knicks in Five.” He added.