The last time the Spurs won the NBA championship, Kawhi Leonard was the Finals MVP. The team had veteran leadership in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The No. 1 song was Happy, by Pharrell Williams. Others in the top 10 included John Legend, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande.
That was the scene in 2014. It’s been a little while, but these names are all familiar to most people over age 20. Certainly people over 30.
The last time the Knicks won the NBA championship, the Finals MVP was Willis Reed. Their leading scorer was Walt Frazier. The other All-Stars were Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley. People under age 35 probably don’t even remember when Bradley was a legitimate presidential contender, let alone an All-Star in the NBA. All in the Family and Sanford and Son were TV ratings juggernauts. Tony Orlando and Dawn had the year’s top song, Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree. The Vietnam War was still going.
You get the point. It’s been 53 years. Technically, the Knicks have won the NBA championship in my lifetime, but I was too young to remember. I only know about the Knicks of 1970 and 1973 from DeBusschere’s book, The Open Man: A Championship Diary. (I was in a couple of classes with his daughter in college and didn’t make the connection until after graduation. I am not smart.)
So sentimentality will surely favor the Knicks here. Those who want to see the official start of the Wemby era will favor the Spurs.
Let me know who you’re supporting and why. No judgment here.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2026/jun/03/nba-finals-2026-game-1-new-york-knicks-san-antonio-spurs-live-score
