SAN ANTONIO, TX - MAY 28: Jamal Crawford talks to the media before the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs during Game Six of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 28, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Good morning, BBN!
We have all been on Milan Momcilovic watch over the last few days as we wait for the top uncommitted transfer to announce where he will play his college basketball next season.
It finally came late Monday night when Momcilovic announced his commitment to the Kentucky Wildcats. It marks one of the biggest commitments in recent memory for the basketball program, as well as the biggest recruiting win Mark Pope has had as a coach.
It also saved Kentucky’s 2026-27 season. While the pre-Momcilovic roster had some nice potential, it’s hard to see that group doing anything more than maybe sneaking into the Sweet 16 with a good draw.
Now we can start thinking about a fun season that ends with a special March Madness run.
While Kentucky now has its roster pretty much set, should we also be on commitment watch for a new assistant coach?
Only one name has really been connected to the final assistant coach opening on Mark Pope’s staff as they have honed in on former NBA superstar and current announcer Jamal Crawford.
It has been over a month since Crawford was initially linked to the job, and according to the most recent reports by Jack Pilgrim and Jacob Polacheck of KSR, he is still considering it.
With his NBC duties now over as the NBA Finals move to ESPN and ABC, will we finally get an answer from Crawford? If we do, it should be coming soon, especially with the summer recruiting circuit heating up.
This once again has some similarities to the Tyran Stokes recruitment all-over it. How so? Well, if Crawford really does finally turn it down, they will enter summer basketball with an open seat. Now, although we haven’t heard any other names connected, you have to believe they have been doing their due diligence.
At least, that is what we can hope.
Now, we wait on the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
May 25, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) lifts the 2026 Eastern Conference trophy with teammates after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images
Last week, I had recap duties for the Mets’ series opener against the Reds. After the Mets suffered another in a long line of hapless losses, I chose to mostly write about the New York Knicks, who at that time were one win away from the NBA Finals. A dereliction of duty? Perhaps, but in my defense: Can you really blame me for preferring in that moment to talk about the Knicks—who went on to finish their sweep of the Cavaliers that night and be declared Eastern Conference champions for the first time since 1999, i.e. the first time since I’d started watching them in the mid-2000s—over a Mets team that has spent their 2026 trying—and mostly failing, despite a decent winning streak here and there—to simply hold their head above water?
I don’t even live in New York right now, but even hundreds of miles away it’s pretty clear that a certain blue and orange squad has taken over the hearts and minds of the city, and it ain’t the one we usually talk about on this site.
From my Mets fan point of view, 95% of me has appreciated having the Knicks as a diversion from the awful baseball we’ve been subjected to over the past couple months. No matter how terrible things have been at Citi Field, it’s been a comfort to know that all I needed to do was wait until the next game at Madison Square Garden to experience some significantly better vibes. I fear for what things will be like in the dog days of July and August when I will be forced to give all my attention to the Mets once more (perhaps some people could simply spend those months building up anticipation for football season, but as a Jets fan… well, yeah).
That other 5%, however, is a different story. That other 5% is looking at what’s happening with the Knicks and wondering when we will get to experience something similar with the Mets. And to be clear, I’m not just talking about making a championship run, though of course, that is the ultimate goal in all sports. But what I’m looking at is not just the last two months of basketball, but rather the past four years of it. During that time, the Knicks have accomplished something that the Mets have pretty much never accomplished during their entire history: continuous relevance.
Let’s back it up. Even those who don’t watch basketball probably know that the 21st century had not been kind to the Knicks before the 2020s. The organization spent the first two decades of the 2000s being a perennial laughingstock, putting up just three winning seasons in nineteen years from 2001 to 2020 and winning just one playoff series in those three winning seasons from 2011-2013. But then Leon Rose took over as team president in 2020, and a series of moves—most notably, the free agency signing of Jalen Brunson—transformed the team’s identity. They easily made the postseason in all four seasons since Brunson joined the team, and they had some measure of success once there in each of those seasons, as they won at least one playoff series in all four years before finally making it to the Finals this year. Now they are a mere four wins away from giving Knicks fans their first title since 1973, an event which would undoubtedly cause New York City to burn to the ground. If you need any more evidence for how thoroughly the team has taken over the city, look no further than Mayor Zohran Mamdani signing an executive order to repeal kids’ bedtimes for the Finals, a decision I was sure to inform my sister about so she could adjust my three-year-old nephew’s sleeping schedule accordingly.
Again, winning a championship is the final goal, and if the Knicks don’t manage to get it done this year or in the near future it will certainly limit the level of fondness we can feel about this era in the years to come. But there is still something to be said about rooting for a team that is always a factor come playoff time, that goes into each season genuinely believing that it has a chance at being the last squad standing. Having spent most of my life rooting for a team that was always a laughingstock of the sport instead of at the forefront of it, it has been a special feeling to get to experience the latter for a change and I have tried not to take that for granted.
The Mets, on the other hand? Making the playoffs four years in a row is something the franchise has quite literally never done. Their record is two straight years, which they’ve only accomplished twice (1999-2000 and 2015-2016). In theory, it should be easier than ever to finally break that streak nowadays with the expansion of the wild card. They had the chance to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the third time in history last year, but their collapse prevented that from happening. And barring a miraculous turnaround, odds are they won’t be making the playoffs this year, either, so the stretch of perennial irrelevance will continue for an unforeseen period of time. Despite playing in a league whose collective bargaining agreement is far more generous towards big market, deep-pocketed franchises in comparison to a salary cap league like the NBA, the Mets have simply never been able to establish the kind of year-to-year consistency that the Knicks have had for the past few years.
This should all be familiar enough to those of us who have rooted for the team for a while, so why complain about it now? Well, beyond the fact that the Knicks are now reminding us what extended success looks and feels like, there’s also the fact that this time a year ago, it really and truly seemed like things were finally changing for the better.
The Mets had their rich owner and a president of baseball operations who was seen as one of the best in the business. They were coming off a magical 2024 season in which they came up just short, but not before getting one over on some of the foes (the Braves and the Phillies, namely) who have historically been the ones to get the last laugh over the Mets. They had won a bidding war for one of the best players on the planet, beating the goddamn Yankees, of all teams. And in the first half of 2025, they were succeeding at the major league level while also boasting a strong farm system and improved player development apparatus. A World Series victory was not guaranteed, of course, but it seemed like another playoff berth was in store and that a string of them would still follow in the years to come. If you get enough bites at the apple, eventually it stands to reason that you’ll have a pretty good chance at winning it all.
Mets fans have certainly fallen victim to false hope before, but this didn’t feel like that at all. This felt sustainable. This felt real.
But we all know how things played out from there. The second half of 2025 was a slow-moving train wreck, and they missed the playoffs by one game. After a tumultuous offseason which still ended with most people feeling optimistic about how things would go this year, 2026 has largely picked up right where the end of last season left off. And now, 2024 looks like what 2015 and 2006 were before them: not the start of an exciting new era of Mets baseball, but rather a flash in the pan, an oasis of glory (and fairly limited glory at that, given that all of these seasons ended without a ring) amid a desert of ineptitude. Indeed, one good season a decade seems to be all that the baseball gods see fit to give us.
So while watching the Knicks has given me all sorts of joy over the past couple months, it has also made me look at the Mets and wonder: When is it their turn? When will we finally get to see not just a good season here and there, but rather an extended period of meaningful, important, and just plain good baseball? Every single time we think they’re on the verge, things go wrong. Players get hurt, prospects bust, managers and GMs get fired. All of this has happened before, and seemingly, all of it will happen again. And again. And again. It’s the sort of thing that can make a skeptic believe in curses.
So again: When it is the Mets’ turn? Usually when we ask a question like that, we’ll be able to offer some kind of attempt at a sensible answer. But I’ve got nothing for this one. All I can do is watch the Knicks and be reminded of what it is that we’ve been missing.
If there’s a silver lining here, it’s this: The current success of the Knicks showed how dramatically a franchise’s fortunes can change before you know it. One day you can be the worst-run team in the league, and then you hire the right person and sign the right player and suddenly you’re at the top of the organizational rankings. One day, perhaps we will look up and the Mets will have accomplished the same level of annual relevance that the Knicks have achieved over these past few years. Maybe it will even still be the current people in charge to get them there; after all, for all the things that have gone wrong over the past calendar year, they still have some bright young players on their roster, and their player development apparatus remains far ahead of where it was just a few years ago.
So yes, maybe we will finally see the Mets get over the hump if we just wait a little bit longer. But we have already been waiting so long, and despite all the positive steps they had seemed to have taken over the past few years, it still oftentimes feels like we remain so far away.
Now, just four wins away from an NBA title, these young Spurs are on the cusp of recasting the balance of power in the league and announcing itself as a dynastic force.
Wembanyama is 22. Stephon Castle 21 and Dylan Harper 20.
The average age of the Spurs (25.06 years old) makes San Antonio the second-youngest team to reach an NBA Finals in the shot clock era.
Even their head coach, Mitch Johnson, is young; he’s 39 and in his first full season on the job. And if he can top the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, which begin Wednesday, June 3, he would become the fifth-youngest head coach to win an NBA championship since 1970.
These Spurs, it would seem, are ahead of schedule.
That has been the predominating thought surrounding San Antonio’s ascension, but that framing is too simplistic. Yes, the Spurs are winning as a very young team, but that notion minimizes other qualities necessary in championship teams, qualities the Spurs have: commitment to an identity, maturity, a willingness to adapt, a willingness to sacrifice.
“People don’t talk as much about the habits, the character, the togetherness, the competitive response — the things we talk about in these media sessions every single day,” Johnson said May 30, after San Antonio dethroned the Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. “And this team has now been pretty damn consistent for a long time, for over 100 games for the most part.
“When you look back at how we started the year, how we got to the (NBA) Cup on the road versus Denver and L.A., what we did in the Cup, playing (the Thunder) around Christmastime a few times, expectations. We’ve played in three playoff series, (at times) without Victor, without (De'Aaron) Fox multiple games — I don’t know who has as much experience as we do, this year, in terms of the 2025-2026 season.”
Whether you subscribe to the notion that this team is ahead of some nebulous schedule, the Spurs are nonetheless favored to win the Finals, primarily because of one thing: this team is much more than just Victor Wembanyama.
The Spurs showed that in Game 7, when they topped the Thunder, 111-103, on their home floor. Seven different players reached double-figures in scoring, and contributions from all over the rotation predominated.
Julian Champagnie, who finished with 20 points, dropped 11 in the third quarter. Backup center Luke Kornet, who played just six minutes, hustled back during a pivotal Thunder fastbreak to pin a momentum-changing block against the backboard in an eventual four-point swing. De’Aaron Fox was a menace on defense all night and collected three steals and later found his shooting stroke. Harper knocked down huge shots down the stretch and scored 12 points off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting. Backup Keldon Johnson, the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, knocked down two massive 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, both of which came when the Thunder had trimmed the deficit to two points.
And then there’s Mitch Johnson, the coach who came up in the organization and who was hand-picked to be Gregg Popovich’s successor.
San Antonio has built a culture of hard work and discipline, of growth and learning, of consistency. Wembanyama and Johnson are merely the next stewards of that culture, but this front office recognizes that it’s about building a structure and empowering players to own their results.
The Thunder are still a force in the West. The Timberwolves, with Anthony Edwards, and the Nuggets (with three-time Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokić) are always lurking. But, first, it’s the Knicks who stand in the way of history.
And with NBA All-Defensive second-team selection OG Anunoby expected to be the primary defender on Wembanyama, and with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns leading an offense that has posted the most dominant stretch in league history over any 11-game stretch, the challenge is daunting. Other Spurs will need to step up.
“Winning the Larry O’Brien, it’s a childhood dream,” Wembanyama said after Game 7. “Having a real shot at it. Having a chance — a tangible chance at winning it — at realizing a dream, it’s a lifetime chance. You never know when it’s going to happen again.
“The day we win it, speaking for myself, it’s going to be an amazing day of the realization of a dream. It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
This week, the player responsible for perhaps the NBA’s most potent cultural phenomenon is stepping into a new broadcast role while the iconic franchise linked to his fame is competing for an NBA championship.
Lin, whose memorable play for the New York Knicks during the 2011-12 season sparked the international “Linsanity” craze, is joining ESPN’s NBA Finals coverage as an analyst. He will appear on "NBA Today," "SportsCenter" and possibly other network programs through the duration of the Knicks-Spurs series.
Lin makes his ESPN debut on Wednesday, June 3 on "SportsCenter" with Scott Van Pelt live in Washington D.C.
And yes, Lin told USA TODAY Sports in an interview on June 1, he is excited to see his former team four wins away from an NBA title.
“I always felt like Knicks fans deserve the best performances. They’re so passionate,” Lin said. “And as cool as it was for me to give good performances only for that stretch of time, I genuinely wish that I was able to do more. I genuinely wish I was able to stay longer, genuinely wish that I could have a lot more success and done things in the playoffs for the Knicks, but that never came to fruition.”
Lin played in the NBA for nine seasons, including two-year stints in Houston and Brooklyn and part of the Toronto Raptors’ championship 2019 season, but he remains best known for his lone season with the Knicks. Current Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who grew up in New Jersey, even credited Lin for influencing his Knicks fandom.
Lin helped the Knicks turn around their season in February 2012 when he joined the starting lineup and led the team on a seven-game win streak while star Carmelo Anthony was out injured. The Knicks made the Eastern Conference playoffs but, with Lin injured and unable to play, were eliminated in the first round.
“I don’t think people understand the agony – putting in that much, having the team be able to turn around and really find good rhythm, and then to not be there for the most important games,” Lin said. “It was really hard for me to not be out on the floor. I know that there were some reports at that time, but the reality was, I was doing everything I could to try get back and contribute, and I wasn’t able to do that.”
Lin went on to play in the NBA playoffs in four different seasons for three different teams and said he plans to lean on that experience in his analyst role with ESPN.
“The goal for me is really how do I bring my previous experience and distill the complexities into something simple and digestible for the fans?” Lin said. “And that’s not just the successes. It’s the failures of multiple first-round exits before I was able to be a part of a team that was able to win it all. And seeing what worked, what didn’t work or what was the differentiator in getting us over the top, those are the things that I want to talk about.”
The whole idea of TV came out of left field for Lin, who said that while playing he never contemplated a broadcast career. But last season, after Lin returned from playing basketball in China and decided to retire, he wanted to figure out his next steps.
This March, Lin made a guest analyst appearance on "NBA Today," which he said was effectively a three-day trial period. He wanted to find out whether he was passionate about broadcasting and whether a network would give him the chance. His analytical breakdown of Luka Doncic’s isolation play was well-received by viewers and answered his own questions.
“I think after those three days, the reception that we got from the fans as well as what I felt internally was definitely beyond what I expected,” Lin said. “So that was nice in the sense of like, oh, people had really appreciated the breakdown, but I also felt joy in being back in NBA basketball.”
He said he’s texted three former teammates-turned-analysts — Danny Green, Iman Shumpert and Steve Novak — for advice. He’s also relied on ESPN anchor Malika Andrews and Guy, the vice president of production, for constant coaching.
“I’m less of the super hot take, loud persona,” Lin said. “I try to be somewhat even keeled, I try to be educated and then I try to be uplifting, even if I have to criticize.”
Lin said he’s learned that broadcasting is harder than it looks, and that he wants to do it anyway. Although his current agreement with ESPN is only through these Finals, he hopes to continue his broadcasting career afterward.
“I definitely have serious interest in trying to do this more and to do this long-term,” Lin said. “Honestly, I’m just really grateful to ESPN for these opportunities and I know that it’s truly special that they were willing to carve the space for me in the Finals. I know that doesn’t grow on trees and is something extremely special, so I’m just very grateful.”
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks on the court during game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Four of the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals on May 25, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Just one more sleep, and the lights will shine bright.
Just one more day for the Knicks to finally grace the NBA Finals stage once again.
We’ve been waiting for 27 years. We can make it there.
Mike Brown was asked what the Knicks can do to contain Victor Wembanyama defensively:
"You just hope a guy like that, you can find ways to make him work. You pray. I had some buddies that are monks, I can't go to them because he's got that part of the religion all wrapped up" 😂 pic.twitter.com/F8w58V2k1a
“You have to have some sort of fight in you. It doesn’t matter where you are. There’s pressure when you’re sitting in the seat. And it’s warranted because of what we get paid.”
On his prior Finals experience making it easier for him to navigate:
“Just the magnitude of it, being through it. This is my seventh time now being in the Finals. It won’t be overwhelming.”
On Mitchell Robinson’s status before Game 1:
“I’m just waiting on the medical staff. He just did individual work today. I’m waiting on the medical staff to let me know what the next step is.”
On getting ready for a hostile road environment in Game 1 at San Antonio:
“[We need to be] aware that we’re going into an environment where the opposing team is going to generate a lot of energy. Our crowd is one of the best, if not the best in the league, and the energy that we get from playing here at Madison Square Garden is unbelievable. There are probably other buildings where, in their players’ minds, they give them that same energy. So, knowing that it’s going to be hostile, we don’t have the energy of the crowd to help us get over the hump. So we have to come out, not coming out jumping on them, but we have to come out with a purpose, not just physically but mentally as well, so that we don’t fall behind big, because the crowd will really feed into that.”
On defending Wembanyama’s size and skill:
“You just hope [with] a guy like that, you can find ways to make him work. You pray. I have some buddies that are monks — I can’t go to them because he’s got that part of the religion all wrapped up.”
On keeping Wembanyama guessing offensively:
“At his size and his talent and his ability, you’ve got to hope he misses some, but you’ve got to keep mixing things up so you can keep him trying to guess. He’s got a great feel, so it’s going to be hard, but you keep him trying to guess and try to make him work.”
On not expecting Wemby to defend Karl-Anthony Towns in the Finals:
“I imagine Wemby won’t guard him as much. They put a small on KAT quite a bit. Either way, whether Wemby is on him or a small is on him, we always wanna try to move KAT around. Hopefully we’ll be able to do that against San Antonio.”
On Josh Hart’s subtle impact on everything:
“He does so many little things that if you’re not careful, you won’t appreciate them. I got to give him probably more leash than anybody else. I got to let him go be him and get out of his way.”
On finding stability through adversity:
“You find stuff that you can hold onto to help lift you up through some tough times. At the end of the day, yes, we get paid a lot of money and yes, this is a big business, and you respect everybody has to have an opinion, because we’re in the public eye, and you respect that there’s going to be change and you just embrace it.”
On Landry Shamet’s playoff surge:
“When you see a guy like him, getting here the hard way, all the work he’s put in, it makes you giddy inside.”
On lessons from the NBA Cup championship against the Spurs:
“There’s a lot. We’re the same but different team, and same with them. We played different guys during that Cup run. They played different guys during that Cup run. You can tell that they’ve matured as a group. You can tell we’ve matured as a group. So just going through that experience and having that type of pressure, where it’s the only game being played, was something that you can always kind of carry over to try to understand that, you know what, there’s a lot going on around you. We still have a job to do. We have to be very intentional with everything we do, because you’re going to be pulled at in a ton of different directions. But at the end of the day, it’s all about going out and playing that game and getting a win.”
On believing the Knicks were built for the NBA Finals:
“I truly felt that this team was an NBA Finals team. I thought we had a true opportunity. Because some jobs you take, you’re like, ‘OK, we can get better. We have a chance to make the playoffs right now.’ But this one, I felt we legitimately had a chance if we could help them figure it out, and the players could stay together during the process, especially when we hit adversity.”
On when he sensed the team peaking late in the regular season:
“Down the stretch of the regular season, like, with, I don’t know, six, seven games to go, after Landry got back, I think I started to see us play some good basketball and do some things, do more things that were selfless, or more sacrificing from the group. So, maybe then. Right where we need to be at the right time of the year.”
"The greatest currency you can earn in New York City is not money, but it's respect. To have the respect of the fans in the city, we are rich beyond belief here in the city."
“I feel like the word hope has been gone from the New York Knicks for a long time. And for me and OG to be part of this team that revives the word hope in the city, it’s something special. It’s something really, really special, and it’s an honor.”
On earning respect from Knicks fans:
“I can remember draft day a while ago. The Knicks were not good, and people didn’t seem to care as much about [them]. It’s been an honor to be part of this team, be part of this organization, like bring the word ‘hope’ back to the city. To have the Knicks be where we’re at right now and to be so respected in the city. I’ve always said the best currency you could earn in New York City is not money, it’s respect. And to have the respect of the fans in the city, we’re rich beyond belief here in the city.”
On maximizing this Finals opportunity:
“I don’t think anybody who’s made the finals would say they don’t feel like a winner. And I also think that when you get an opportunity like this, you have to maximize it. You never know if you get another chance, you never know what life has in store for all of us. And these opportunities are very far and few between, and you gotta make the most of them.”
On finding the 1999 Finals shirt right before his Knicks debut:
“I didn’t know that was gonna come back to be a photo that we all remember. I grew up a Knicks fan, and to be my first game as a Knick, officially, after a wild training camp that I didn’t get to have [because he had to wait a few days for the trade to become official], and really meeting my teammates for the first time at Charlotte for that preseason game… it was a special moment for me and my family. I remember my father was there, my wife was there, and it was one of those moments. I found that shirt in my first days of actually being on the team. I found it in Charleston (S.C.), funny enough. While they were practicing, I was out vintage shopping in the city and I found the shirt and funny enough, I wore that shirt for the first game and here we are. Looking back at that shirt as an omen.”
On not reading too much into previous Spurs matchups:
“The Finals are won by a team, and I think both of our teams are different than what you saw at the [NBA] Cup. Even though we were blessed to be able to win it, we’re not the same team that we were at the Cup, nor are they the same team that they were at the Cup.”
On the need for attacking Wembanyama as a team:
“It’s not even a personal thing for me. It’s about our team doing what we’ve been doing, which is play high-level defense, and utilizing those turnovers in the defense to get our offense going. So as long as our team plays with that kind of energy and discipline and game plan execution, we have a chance.”
On Josh Hart’s impact on winning:
“He just impacts the game. He impacts winning. The perfect example for any basketball player who wants to learn how to truly impact the winning of the team.”
“I think I started to learn to play the game and give myself more grace and not to try to be perfect and I’m happy with that.”
On whether the NBA Cup final offers lessons for the Finals:
“No, that was December. Obviously, there was good energy around that, but I don’t think that’s really going to be any equivalent to what the atmosphere or the energy is going to be like at their place, obviously at the Garden. Technically, that game didn’t happen, so I don’t think there’s anything we can learn from.”
On the team’s selfless identity during the playoff run:
“This team was a selfless group. At the end of the day we know we’re willing to sacrifice our own individual performance or stats or accolades for the betterment of the team. When you have not just one, two or three, but a whole team of those kinds of guys, that kind of character, it puts you in a position to be successful.”
On admitting overconfidence after going up 2-0 in the 2021 Finals:
“I remember going up 2-0 [and] I thought we was good. We ’bout to win the chip, especially in the West, especially then, the West all had tough teams. East, we were like, whatever … We go see Milwaukee, we’re over here like, ‘Pfft.’ I’m like, ‘It’s light. It’s the East. It’s Milwaukee. I know they got Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and obviously they got hoopers, but the West is tougher than the East.’ We’re like, ‘We good.’ Go up 2-0, we’re looking like, ‘Exactly. This is what we’ve been talking about. It’s the East, bruh. We’re about to win this.’ And then they went on to win four straight. I just couldn’t believe it.”
On learning from 2021 and staying focused during the current Finals run:
“[There are] a lot of questions, a lot of talk about how great we are, how great we’ve been. It doesn’t matter. We just got to worry about being ourselves and stay locked in. It’s great to get there, but that’s not our main goal.”
“Yeah, honestly, I think it was a great opportunity for us to play a high-stakes game. Obviously, I didn’t play, but I played in Cup games. So I feel like we treated it close to a playoff game. We haven’t been to the Finals. They haven’t been to the Finals. So it’s going to be totally different and a lot has happened since then, so just excited for this.”
On how to keep Victor Wembanyama out of the paint:
“Obviously, you have to figure out how to get him out of the paint, how to run him, those little things. I feel like OKC did a decent job of that. But he’s a special player. Honestly, what I think they do a great job … their guards put a lot of pressure on the ball handler, which is forcing him into Wemby. If you’re playing off the ball, not setting screens and allowing him to roam freely without being touched, it’s different if somebody is screening you and then you’re getting over things. So I feel like just being physical and bringing a presence to him and to their team.”
"Walking my dog, I'm getting stopped left and right. It's pretty cool."
Landry Shamet talks about his interactions with Knicks fans during their playoff run: pic.twitter.com/NzACjrevvE
On Karl-Anthony Towns’ shooting changing defensive plans from opponents:
“Every team is going to play the game, mess with matchups and whatnot. Obviously, Karl’s shooting is something that anybody has to honor, and that changes the game plan entirely. You have to prepare for that, [as well] the pick-and-roll with Jalen and KAT, with a versatile shooting big who can also roll and make plays in the pocket. As well as he’s been passing the ball and facilitating, I could go on and on about what KAT brings to us. … However they decide to match up with it, there’s going to be pros to that; there’s also going to be cons to that, and areas that we’re going to try to exploit.”
On not dwelling on past series momentum:
“All that [Cleveland] stuff’s behind us. And the reality is our job at hand right now is making sure our bodies are right; making sure our minds are right; making sure we’re paying attention to details. We’ve been incredibly sharp and locked-in, and taking care of [what we can] control was just really all you can do. And then when the ball is tipped up here in a couple of days, it’ll be right back into the swing of things of a series.”
On staying present during the playoff run:
“This has been a special run. I’m trying to not take any of it for granted or miss out on any of it. But the main thing is, stay focused on one minute at a time, one game at a time. I’ll give myself the time to reflect on all that when it’s all said and done. The love from New York has been undeniable and that’s one thing I’ll happily acknowledge and it’s right back to you guys. Now my focus is trying to go win Game 1.”
On Knicks fans waiting decades for a trip to the Finals:
“I can’t tell you how many fans over the past couple of weeks, when you see them on the street or anywhere, they say, ‘Oh, I’ve waited my whole life for this.’ Now, some of them might be 17 years old and haven’t been around for that long, but there are a lot of people, even my age, who don’t really remember the championship years. For them to experience this is special.”
On the Knicks’ resilience during the season:
“They had stretches of uneven play, stretches where you see they were still a work in progress. That, to me, is [what is] most impressive — even in the ups and downs, the ebb and flow of a regular season, they stuck together, they kept working, and it just all clicked in the playoffs to the point where this is one of the great playoff runs in NBA history.”
The '99 Knicks-Spurs parallels are wild, but Chris Childs tells me this era of NY basketball is built different.
From trading Oak to how Jalen Brunson needs to attack Wembanyama’s length—we broke down the blueprint to secure the parade.
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) May 31, 2026
Chris Childs
On similarities between the 1999 run and this Knicks team:
“Yeah, it’s really similar. The only difference is that we swept one series during our run and this current team swept two. It’s like déjà vu all over again. But honestly, I don’t think the results are going to be the same this time around. Being in this current atmosphere and stratosphere, it’s just their time. It’s been so long since New York has been here, and I think these guys have a real taste to get the job done—even though it’s going to be tough. Facing San Antonio is no joke. Whatever that dude is over there—Victor Wembanyama looks like Kevin Durant and Bill Russell had a baby. It’s going to be a battle, but I think our guys are ready.”
On his X-factor and Finals prediction:
“I think this series is going to go six games. As for the X-factor, this championship grind is going to come down to Miles ‘Deuce’ McBride shooting the ball well and giving us that crucial spark off the bench. We also need solid production out of Landry Shamet. If those guys can consistently step up and give the Knicks 10 points or more a game off the pine, the Knicks are beating the Spurs in six.”
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 2, 2026
Jamal Crawford
On the Knicks’ connection with their fanbase:
“This is crazy, I have not played here in almost 20 years at that point, and they still show that kind of love. Once A Knick, Always A Knick, and they truly make you feel that.”
On the Knicks’ belief during this run:
“They’re playing with a certain belief, like no matter the situation, no matter the outcome, they feel like they can win the game, like no matter how they start, if they get down during the course of a game, they play with a different belief. And the belief is like the strength in numbers. They’re believing that somebody will step up, somebody will provide a spark — obviously Jalen and KAT and OG and Mikal and Josh — but then you’ll have Deuce come in, Mitchell Robinson to come in and get some offensive rebounds. They have so many different weapons, and they’re all pulling in the same direction, they have a different type belief in each other. It’s really a championship-contending type belief.”
On whether size determines whether a player can become a champion after Becky Hammon’s take:
“No, I think anybody can be a champion. I think sometimes heart goes over height. I also think thinking quick on your toes and having supreme basketball IQ can negate even the biggest people.”
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 1, 2026
Marcus Camby
On his message to the Knicks entering the Finals:
“I would tell the Knicks right now to enjoy the moment, play for your brothers, and leave everything out there on the basketball court because it’s not promised that we will get to this position again.”
On why he believes the Knicks can win:
“I just think they’re playing their best basketball right now. They’ve been scoring at a high clip, shooting the ball at a high percentage, everything just seems to be clicking right now. … I think if guys can stay healthy during this Finals run, I think we’ll have a real good shot at bringing the title home to New York.”
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order Monday morning repealing bedtime for the duration of the Knicks finals run so the city's children can stay up late and watch.
Watch the Knicks in the NBA Finals on ABC 7! Game 1 tips off on Wednesday, June 3, at 8:30 p.m. More:… pic.twitter.com/LgMnlQ3tsH
New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference)
San Antonio; Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Spurs -4.5; over/under is 218.5
NBA FINALS: Spurs host first series matchup
BOTTOM LINE: The San Antonio Spurs host the New York Knicks to open the NBA Finals. San Antonio and New York tied the regular season series 1-1. The Knicks won the last regular season meeting 114-89 on Sunday, March 1 led by 25 points from Mikal Bridges, while Victor Wembanyama scored 25 points for the Spurs.
The Spurs have gone 32-8 in home games. San Antonio is 8-5 in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Knicks are 23-19 on the road. New York is seventh in the league with 45.6 rebounds per game. Karl-Anthony Towns paces the Knicks with 11.9.
The Spurs make 48.3% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.3 percentage points higher than the Knicks have allowed to their opponents (46.0%). The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field, 2.7% higher than the 45.1% the Spurs' opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is averaging 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks for the Spurs. Stephon Castle is averaging 19.5 points over the last 10 games.
Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson is averaging 27.4 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 51.8% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 6-4, averaging 116.3 points, 47.9 rebounds, 25.0 assists, 8.9 steals and 6.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.3 points per game.
Knicks: 10-0, averaging 123.8 points, 45.0 rebounds, 28.8 assists, 9.5 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 53.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.2 points.
INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).
Knicks: Mitchell Robinson: day to day (finger).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
It’s been almost three weeks since the NBA Lottery, when the #2 pick was given to the Utah Jazz. My guess is that a lot of Jazz fans were preparing themselves for disappointment, as always. But instead, it was shock and elation at their pick jumping in the lottery for the first time.
Now, the anxiety of hoping the Jazz jump has turned into the anxiety of who the Jazz will pick. If we’re being honest, there are only two real options: AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.
Now, the issue for Utah is that that decision is likely being made for them, but let’s consider the Wizards make the analytical pick and take Cam Boozer, who is the upside pick and who is the best fit between Peterson and Dybantsa?
This could be argued in a myriad of ways, but when you look at the Jazz roster, the starting unit as it stands is likely Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler. That’s a huge lineup that will be really interesting next season. The issue? There’s not a lot of reliable ball-handling and playmaking with that roster. The other thing to consider is if Ace Bailey is ready to be an unquestioned starter. In my opinion, he’s not quite there yet, and come draft night, regardless of whether the Jazz draft Dybantsa or Peterson, Bailey is likely coming off the bench. So in that scenario of Bailey as your 6th man, Darryn Peterson is definitely the better fit. Both he and Dybantsa can handle the ball, but Peterson would slide into the 2-spot seamlessly. He can play off of Keyonte George and be an off-ball shooter, whereas Dybantsa, as of right now, is more effective with the ball in his hands. Considering how lethal Peterson is as a shooter, it immediately makes the Jazz offense a candidate for top-5, if not the best, if the best-case scenario happens.
But where Peterson is the best “fit,” Dybantsa is definitely the upside pick between the two. His size at 6’9”-6’10” with shoes combined with his length and an astounding 42” vertical at the combine makes his ceiling as high as they get. You can see Dybantsa becoming an absolute demon once he becomes a more consistent three-point shooter. He also has the best ability in the draft to penetrate the paint and get to the rim, thanks to his body control, strength, and crazy-long strides. As soon as you see Dybantsa with NBA spacing, you’re going to see a player that is going to control games for 15 years.
With all that said, the Jazz can’t go wrong with either pick. Both Dybantsa and Peterson are worthy of the #1 pick. Right now, FanDuel has the odds strongly in favor of AJ Dybantsa going #1. In the rare occasion that the Jazz can pick between Dybantsa or Peterson, and the choice was up to you, should they go with fit or upside?
The last time the Spurs and Knicks met in the NBA Finals, you could not have watched highlights from the game on your iPhone — the first iPhone was eight years away. There also would have been no highlights on YouTube (2005), Twitter (2006, now X), or Instagram (2010).
Yet there are some similarities between those 1999 Finals and this year's showdown. The Spurs are led by a big man (Tim Duncan then, Victor Wembanyama now), with quality perimeter players around them (Avery Johnson and Sean Elliott then, Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox now). The Knicks were gritty and found ways to win then, just as they do now, even if the roster makeup is a very different style (Patrick Ewing-focused rather than Jalen Brunson-focused).
In 2026, San Antonio enters as the betting favorite even though the Knicks have won 11 in a row and enter the Finals on a historic hot streak. Who do the NBC Sports experts expect to take home the title, the Spurs in a repeat of 1999, or the Knicks getting some revenge and their first title since 1973? Here are our picks.
Predictions
Kurt Helin (lead NBA writer): Spurs in 6
I preface this pick with an acknowledgment: The Knicks can win this series. If they stay red hot from 3, if they dominate the offensive glass (as they did in the NBA Cup Finals matchup of these teams), and if their wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges can put up big numbers, they can take the Finals and hoist a banner at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks match up as well as anyone with Wemby, and the best way to attack the Knicks is not the Spurs' preferred style of play.
I just don't believe New York can keep that going at a high enough level to win four of seven. I think the soft East has led to a perception that this good team is a little better than it actually is. In the end, talent wins out in the NBA and I think the Spurs are more talented, more versatile (especially with De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper looking healthy again), and will ask questions the Knicks just can't answer. This San Antonio team is different — better, more confident, and now battle-tested — than the one the Knicks beat during the season. New York will win a couple but not enough, and the Spurs take the series.
Raphielle Johnson (fantasy basketball lead writer): Knicks in 7
Entering the playoffs, many assumed that the winner of the Western Conference would waltz to the NBA title. However, since Game 4 of its first round series against Atlanta, New York has been flat-out dominant. Playing more through Karl-Anthony Towns has paid dividends, and Mikal Bridges' resurgence from Game 6 of the Atlanta series onward has been huge. OG Anunoby and Josh Hart have filled their roles, and the bench has stepped up, most notably Landry Shamet and Miles McBride.
Last but not least is the captain, Jalen Brunson. He's capable of taking over a game with his scoring, but the subtle changes made by head coach Mike Brown have lightened the workload some, especially in the first three quarters of games. As good as San Antonio has been, the Knicks have appeared to figure things out after an, at times, uneven regular season. I think this series goes the distance, with the extra rest that New York has picked up after the last two rounds being a factor in the end.
Jay Coucher (NBC lead betting analyst): Spurs in 7
The Knicks pose interesting matchup issues for the Spurs with the sheer size and strength they can throw at Wemby in the frontcourt, but ultimately the Spurs are the more talented team here and have home court advantage. De'Aaron Fox looked much more spry last game as his ankle continues to heal, and the extended rest schedule of the Finals should favor San Antonio - Wemby, with Sean Sweeney's weaponized defensive gameplans, should be an unstoppable force in this series.
New York vs San Antonio NBA Finals Schedule 2026
All times are Eastern (* = if necessary). Game 1: New York at San Antonio, Wednesday, June 3 (8:30 ET, ABC) Game 2: New York at San Antonio, Friday, June 5 (8:30 ET, ABC) Game 3: San Antonio at New York, Monday, June 8 (8:30 ET, ABC) Game 4: San Antonio at New York, June 10 (8:30 ET, ABC) *Game 5: New York at San Antonio, June 13 (8:30 ET, ABC) *Game 6: San Antonio at New York, June 16 (8:30 ET, ABC) *Game 7: New York at San Antonio, June 19 (8:30 ET, ABC)
SAN ANTONIO — Dylan Harper is too young to have seen the Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Gregg Popovich, left, talks with Victor Wembanyama on the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets March 5, 2024,
“I’ve been to so many Knicks playoff games, Knicks games — I live 25, 30 minutes from the arena — … It’s a dream come true,” Harper said after the Spurs defeated the Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. “My dream has always been to play in [Madison Square] Garden in the NBA Finals and I get to do that my first year. I’m not gonna take [anything] for granted.”
Harper, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s NBA draft and an All-Rookie First-Team selection, was in high school just two years ago, leading Don Bosco Prep to a state title.
Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals on May 30, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NBAE via Getty ImagesGregg Popovich, left, talks with Victor Wembanyama on the bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets March 5, 2024. AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Last year, he paired with Ace Bailey to form Rutgers’ greatest recruiting class, but they were unable to lead the Scarlet Knights to a winning record (15-17).
“I think that if you would have told [me] this last year, I would have told you you’re crazy,” Harper said. “I think that you kind of go through what you go through to get to moments like this.”
The 6-foot-5 guard’s arrival to San Antonio enabled the Spurs to elevate from a non-playoff team to their first NBA Finals in 12 years. In his first postseason, Harper has exuded the confidence of his five-time champion father (Ron), ranking first among all guards in the postseason in true shooting percentage (57.9) while averaging 13.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals in less than 26 minutes per game.
After being slowed by an adductor injury during the Western Conference finals, Harper received a message from Gregg Popovich — the five-time champion turned Spurs President of Basketball Operations — with the team one loss from elimination.
“After Game 5, he texted me personally,” Harper said. “(He was) just like, ‘You’ve got to find a way to get the job done.’ ”
In Game 6, Harper scored 18 points (6-of-9 shooting) with six rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes, repeatedly reaching the rim against one of this era’s best defenses.
Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and guard Dylan Harper (2) celebrate after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7. Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
“When he’s switched on mentally and aggressive, he’s pretty damn good,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s got all the talent in the world, the makeup to do whatever he wants.”
In Game 7, Harper made a series of timely plays — finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists — including a huge stepback 3-pointer with under four minutes remaining to put his team on the doorstep of the NBA Finals.
Just as he long imagined.
Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs talks to the media after the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
“I think just answering the call, that’s kind of what I’ve always done, is just put myself in that position, and just double down on myself every time,” Harper said. “Everyone does a great job of empowering me to go out there and make plays and be myself. When the time comes, I just kind of go out there, and I just trust my instincts.
“It feels like I’ve been in the league for a little while now. I feel like I belong.”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 20: NBA star Stephen Curry attends Rakuten x CANVVS Reveal "Art of the Game" Sneaker Competition Winner Chosen By Judges Including Stephen Curry at Splash Sports Bar at Thrive City on February 20, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thos Robinson/Getty Images for Rakuten) | Getty Images for Rakuten
Steph Curry’s sneaker free agency is over. In November, the Golden State Warriors superstar announced his shocking departure from Under Armour, the company he had been with for 13 years, and that he had signed a long-term deal with less than three years prior. What followed was one of the largest sneaker free agencies in NBA history.
Over the course of the 2025-26 season, Curry wore countless different sneakers from different brands, often paying homage to the team or players that he was going up against on any given night. And in the end, the winner in the race for Curry’s services, image, and brand, is a Chinese company that many basketball fans have never even heard of: Li-Ning.
Curry announced the partnership on social media on Monday, with ESPN’s Shams Charania reporting additional facts, including the news that it’s a 10-year deal.
The two-time MVP took his standalone Curry Brand with him upon his Under Armour exit, and that will now get an even larger audience while working with such a global company. According to Charania, the partnership will include not just basketball shoes and athleisure but, in true Curry fashion, an entire golf line as well. It also features the ability for Curry to sign athletes to his brand going forward, and you can certainly expect that to happen — Curry not only has great respect among his NBA peers, but has a lot of connections in the WNBA as well, and on the PGA Tour.
Li-Ning shoes are known in the basketball world for having exceptional support and comfort, which no doubt factored into the decision for Curry, who has dealt with ankle issues for his entire career. Critically, the company is also endorsed by Curry’s friend and teammate Jimmy Butler III, which no doubt played a role (and hopefully the company is giving Butler a nice little reward for that). Li-Ning’s other high-profile basketball endorsement is Dwyane Wade, who joined the company after leaving the Converse division of Nike. The brand has a handful of other active NBA players as well, including D’Angelo Russell and Fred VanVleet. Warriors legend Baron Davis and all-time great Shaquille O’Neal are among the brand’s former athletes.
According to Charania, the deal with Curry will include Curry Brand specific stores in both the US and China. Currently the brand, which was formed by Olympic gold medalist gymnast Li Ning, has more than 4,000 stores worldwide, as well as American headquarters in Portland, Oregon.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) shoots a free throw against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter.
Monday brought status quo for Mitchell Robinson.
For the second day in a row, Robinson — who is dealing with a broken right pinky — did individual work at Knicks practice Monday. Just two days before the NBA Finals begin, the Knicks remained noncommittal about his Game 1 availability.
“I’m just waiting on the medical staff,” coach Mike Brown said. “He just did individual work today. I’m waiting on the medical staff to let me know what the next step is.”
Robinson’s individual work was with assistant Mark Bryant. Robinson has been wearing a protective device on his right hand.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) shoots a free throw against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Robinson last week had surgery for the broken right pinky. The Post’s Stefan Bondy reported that he fractured the fifth metacarpal, the bone connecting the wrist to the pinky.
How Robinson suffered the injury is unknown — the Knicks aren’t giving specifics beyond that it did not occur in a game or practice.
They are hopeful he will be able to play Wednesday, The Post previously reported.
The Knicks are introducing “Knicks Talk Live” shows on non-game days. The show will air on MSG Networks at 8 p.m. weekdays.
The network will also have a show during media day Tuesday.
MSG Networks’ one hour pregame and postgame shows will continue throughout the Finals.
Knicks center Mitchell Robinson #23, speaking to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell #45, in the 4th quarter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Ahead of Karl-Anthony Towns’ Knicks debut last season — an Oct. 6, 2024 preseason game against the Hornets — he wore a shirt from the 1999 Finals featuring the Knicks and Spurs.
Now, the two teams are set for a Finals rematch.
“I found that shirt in my first days of actually being on the team,” Towns said. “I found it in Charleston (S.C.), funny enough. While they were practicing, I was out vintage shopping in the city and I found the shirt and funny enough, I wore that shirt for the first game and here we are. Looking back at that shirt as an omen.”
NY Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz set friendly wager ahead of states' showdown in NBA Finals.
New Yorkers and Texans are ready for their states to square off in the NBA Finals — and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Ted Cruz even agreed on a wager in a rare show of friendly sportsmanship across the political aisle.
The New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs are set to tip off at Frost Bank Center, the Texans’ home court, Wednesday night. Tensions are already flaring between die-hard fans, including MAGA Republican Cruz and Democrat Gillibrand.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz made a bet with New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Getty Images
Cruz tagged Gillibrand in a post on X and suggested betting on their respective states’ teams.
“If the [Knicks] win (not gonna happen!) the series, then you & your team get Texas BBQ, Shiner Bock beer & Blue Bell ice cream. When the [Spurs] win, the loser wears the winner’s jersey. Deal?” Cruz pitched.
Gillibrand and Cruz agreed to take the winner and their staff out to dinner. Getty Images for Human Rights Campaign
Gillibrand agreed and said she would treat Cruz and his staff to a hearty meal at “the world-famous Joe’s Pizza and Brooklyn Lager” if the Knicks fall to the Spurs.
“Go NY Go!” she added.
The politicians’ uncharacteristically amicable tête-à-tête came after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott trolled New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on X.
Abbott posted an AI-generated image on Sunday depicting himself in a Spurs jersey “dunking” on Hochul, clad in a Knicks jersey, with President Trump laughing from the sidelines.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted a less-friendly picture of himself “dunking” on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. X / @GregAbbott_TX
“Spurs about to dunk on Knicks like Texas has been dunking on New York. Go Spurs Go,” Abbott wrote.
Frank Olivieri, proud owner of Philadelphia’s iconic Pat’s King of Steaks, and Louis Cretella, co-owner of Dario’s Pizza in West Hempstead, agreed to cook in the winner’s restaurant while decked out in the opposite team’s gear.
When the Knicks came out on top in Game 4, Olivieri assured he would make good on his promise and cook for Cretella — while decked out in Knicks merchandise.
SAN ANTONIO — Growing up, Karl-Anthony Towns rooted for the Knicks.
So, this run holds a special place in his heart, to see how excited New York City is about the Knicks again, after some dark times.
“I can remember draft day a while ago. The Knicks were not good, and people didn’t seem to care as much about [them],” he said Monday before the Knicks flew to San Antonio as they continued preparations for Wednesday’s NBA Finals opener against the Spurs. “It’s been an honor to be part of this team, be part of this organization, like bring the word ‘hope’ back to the city. To have the Knicks be where we’re at right now and to be so respected in the city.
“I’ve always said the best currency you could earn in New York City is not money, it’s respect. And to have the respect of the fans in the city, we’re rich beyond belief here in the city.”
Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and the New York Knicks hold up the Eastern Conference Finals trophy at the end the fourth quarter. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
The Knicks have given fans plenty to be proud of. They will enter the NBA Finals riding a franchise-record 11 straight playoff victories. They have won those games by a stunning average of 23.8 points.
To say coach Mike Brown’s team cruised into the final round would be an understatement. They have made it look easy since trailing the Hawks 2-1 in the opening round of the playoffs.
It has been a long time coming, 27 years since the Knicks last reached the NBA Finals. Although, it should be noted, this has been a gradual build, the fifth time in the last six seasons the Knicks have reached the playoffs. Team president Leon Rose and superstar guard Jalen Brunson have made them matter like it was the 1990s again.
Knicks fans have taken over the opposing arena in each round — first in Atlanta, then Philadelphia and most recently Cleveland. This is a fanbase starved for a title — the Knicks last won it all in 1973 — and a team that appears hungry to deliver one.
Karl-Anthony Towns drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen during the first quarter of game two of the eastern conference finals during the 2026 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“I don’t think anybody who’s made the finals would say they don’t feel like a winner. And I also think that when you get an opportunity like this, you have to maximize it,” Towns said. “You never know if you get another chance, you never know what life has in store for all of us. And these opportunities are very far and few between, and you gotta make the most of them.”
One of the underlying storylines of this Knicks team is the bond the current group has with the franchise.
Brunson’s father, Rick, was a Knick during the last run to the finals. Towns grew up in Piscataway, N.J, and was a Knicks fan. Jose Alvarado is a Brooklyn native and also rooted for the orange and blue.
They have players from here who understand the fans’ passion. It is another reason the city has fallen in love with this team.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Former Iowa State sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic has committed to Kentucky, giving coach Mark Pope one of the best players in the transfer portal.
Momcilovic announced his decision on Instagram on Monday, less than a week after pulling his name out of the NBA draft.
A 6-foot-8 forward, Momcilovic led the nation in 3-point shooting at shooting 48.7% on 7.5 attempts per game last season and was fifth nationally in 3-pointers made. He made at least five 3-pointers in a game 10 times in 2025-26, including eight in a last-second loss to Arizona in the Big 12 tournament.
Momcilovic averaged 16.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while leading Iowa State to the Sweet 16 for the third time in five years. He shot 43% from 3 in three seasons with the Cyclones.
Momcilovic announced in April he planned to enter the transfer portal and test the NBA waters before pulling out just before the deadline last Wednesday.
Momcilovic withdrew his name from the 2026 NBA Draft ahead of the deadline May 27 and stands to make a significant amount of money in a lucrative NIL deal in Lexington.
He was one of the most efficient players offensively last season and picked the Wildcats over reported heavy interest from Louisville and Arizona.
Momcilovic averaged 16.9 points per game last season, and as a 6-8 wing who shot 48.7% from 3-point range on 7.5 attempts per game last season, he is a seamless fit for Pope’s up-tempo, 3-heavy offense.
This past season, Momcilovic was named to second-team All-Big 12 and scored double figures in 30 of the Cyclones' 37 games. In Iowa State's NCAA Tournament second round game against Kentucky, Momcilovic had 20 points and five rebounds.
It’s been a challenging offseason for the Wildcats, who have whiffed on many of their top recruiting targets, but those misses may have served them well in their quest for Momcilovic. Not only will UK have a bigger role in the team’s offense than his other suitors might have offered, but it figures to be able to have the most money to offer, without as many NIL resources tied up in other high-profile transfers.
Momcilovic is Kentucky's sixth portal add this offseason, joining guards Zoom Diallo (Washington), Alex Wilkins (Furman), Jerone Morton (Washington State), forward Justin McBride (James Madison) and center Franck Kepnang (Washington).
