Category: NBA

SAN ANTONIO — It’s right there. 

It’s right freakin’ there. 

The Knicks’ first championship since 1973 — and only third in franchise history — is right there. Etching their place in New York legend is right there. Glory is right there. 

The Knicks just have to reach out and grab it. 

They carry their 3-1 NBA Finals lead into Game 5 at the Frost Bank Center for Game 5 on Saturday, just one step away from immortality. 

“The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present,” coach Mike Brown said on Friday. “You have to be present. You can’t think about the outcome. It’s about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play. 

“Sometimes you can think about the process, and it not work out. But when you’re playing against other great teams especially, that’s how you have to take it because anybody’s mind can start wandering when you think about the outcome.” 

The Knicks this postseason have bludgeoned their opponents in closeout games. Between Game 6 against the Hawks in the first round, Game 4 against the 76ers in the second round and Game 4 against the Cavaliers in the conference finals, the Knicks won by a combined 118 points. 

“I’ve said this multiple times, the hardest game to win is the one that ends someone’s season,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “So we’ve got to be our best version tomorrow.” 

Despite Towns’ sentiment, the Knicks have made closeout games look like their easiest, not their hardest games. By the end of the first three rounds, they completely sucked the soul out of their opponents and left them with little will to keep competing. They left no doubt. 

There is one characteristic that has given them that ability. 

“Their level of maturity,” Brown said. “Obviously, we have some veteran guys on the team. But you can be a veteran and still have a little bit of immaturity about you, as we all know. From top to bottom, this group is pretty mature. That rubs off on the rest of the group. It makes my job easier. 

“We’ve been preaching all year that it’s about the next possession, the next possession, the next possession. We understand any time you try to play a closeout game, the level of desperation for your opponents increases, the level of desperation for the fans of your opponents is increased. You have to bring your best effort.”

That sense of desperation should be natural to the Spurs, who are trying to save their title hopes. But, when up 3-1 in the series, it would be natural for the Knicks to not have that same level of desperation, particularly after such an emotional, thrilling and historic comeback win in Game 4. 

“I think whenever you win or lose a game, that night you’re going to think about it, think about the things you’ve done well or what you did wrong,” Jalen Brunson said. “I’ve always told myself when you wake up the next day, it’s time to turn the page. Yes, we won, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot to learn. We didn’t play our best basketball. We still have a lot to revisit to make sure that we don’t really put ourselves in that position again. 

“But honestly, we still have to continue to have the belief that we’ve had. It’s really important from that aspect.”

Playing with desperation first emerged when they trailed 2-1 in the first round. It carried them throughout their 13-game winning streak. 

The Spurs, at least publicly, are steadfast that they have not yet lost their confidence like the Knicks’ previous three opponents did. Victor Wembanyama said “everybody” on the team knows they will — not can — come back in the series. Stephon Castle expects to make history. 

And this series hasn’t exactly been straightforward — the Knicks have trailed by double-digits all four games and by as much as 29 in Game 4. All of the first four games of the series have been within four points in the final minute of regulation, the first time that’s happened in the Finals since 1973, when the Knicks beat the Lakers. 

The series has been closer than perhaps the 3-1 lead indicates. 

“We spoke about it multiple times,” Towns said. “We’ve got to approach every game like it’s 0-0. We’ve got to have that kind of desperation that it is to win Game 1 of a playoff series. We’ve got to go in there with the understanding of no comfortability, just really be desperate, execute at a high level. Gameplan discipline has to be at a high level.”

Elation awaits on the other side of desperation. 

SAN ANTONIO — By the time he checked his phone Wednesday night, OG Anunoby had too many text messages to count. 

His game-winning tip-in with 1.2 seconds left created a massive celebration inside Madison Square Garden and went viral immediately.

Among those who reached out were several former teammates with the Raptors. Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal Named June 11 “OG Anunoby Appreciation Day.”

“It’s really cool,” Anunoby said on Friday inside Frost Bank Arena, as the Knicks prepared for Saturday night’s Game 5. “Just everyone has been telling me how much it means, and obviously I can see how much it means. It’s just really cool to be a part of it, and I’m very grateful.”

The shot, which capped an NBA Finals-record comeback for the Knicks from 29 points down in the third quarter, is already being talked about as one of the great moments in New York sports history.

It’s up there with the David Tyree’s helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII, Don Larsen’s perfect game in the World Series, Rangers captain Mark Messier making good on his prediction in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals with a hat trick, and the Mets’ 1986 World Series comeback in Game 6, among others. 

“I tried to explain it to him, but you know OG barely gives you any reaction,” Karl-Anthony Towns said jokingly. “So I don’t know if he’s understanding it or not. Like you said, it’s a great moment. It’s one of the best sports moments in New York history. But we’ve got to solidify it with one more win.”

Towns called Anunoby’s flying tip-in, the “Right Hand of God,” after Game 4. On Friday, a reporter showed Anunoby a photo of his play next to the original “Hand of God,” Diego Maradona’s controversial goal in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals for Argentina in which he used his left hand to score.

The referees didn’t see him using his hand, and afterwards, Maradona said it was “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the Hand of God.”

“I mean, it’s iconic,” Anunoby said. 

This isn’t Anunoby’s first trip to the Finals. Seven years ago, he got there with the Raptors, but was unable to play due to an emergency appendectomy. He’s making an impact this time on the court. 

In four games against the Spurs, he is averaging 23.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and shooting an absurd 55.6 percent from 3-point range.

In Game 4, he poured in 33 points and shot 7-of-9 from 3-point range, keying the stunning comeback. If the Knicks win the series, he is a leading candidate to be the series MVP. 

“You can’t spell God without OG,” Towns joked. 

The Knicks’ epic Game 4 comeback did monster viewership numbers for ABC.

Wednesday’s thriller against the Spurs averaged 20.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched NBA Finals Game 4 since 1998 — when Michael Jordan’s Bulls took on the Jazz with Karl Malone and John Stockton —  and the most-watched Game 4 ever on ABC, according to numbers released by Nielsen on Friday.

And it hasn’t been just a one-game thing.

Through four games, the Knicks-Spurs series is averaging 19.6 million viewers, up 116 percent from last year and good for the most-watched NBA Finals since 1998 and the largest Finals audience ever on ABC/ESPN.

Game 4 was also a hit online. 

The NBA is calling the contest “the most-viral NBA game ever on social media” by reportedly “generating 3 billion views and counting.”

The latest numbers come after Monday’s Game 3 broadcast between the Knicks and the Spurs became the most-watched NBA Finals Game 3 in nearly three decades with 23.8 million people tuning in, and peaking at 26.3 million late in the fourth quarter.

Games 1 and 2 were the same story, having at the time been the most-watched NBA Finals games since Games 6 and 7 of the Raptors-Warriors Finals in 2019 when Kawhi Leonard led Toronto to the title against a injury-riddled Golden State team. 

The viewership surge is being driven by the rare combination of the Knicks’ first Finals appearance since 1999, a starving, massive New York market, Victor Wembanyama’s arrival on basketball’s biggest stage and multiple dramatic finishes.

With the Knicks one win away from their first NBA title since 1973, the league could be staring at an even bigger number Saturday night in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama claims to be unaffected. 

After the Knicks’ miraculous 107-106 Game 4 win over the Spurs Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, video went viral on social media of a fan successfully throwing an egg at Wembanyama’s head as he walked into the team hotel. 

After being hit, Wembanyama stopped for a second and looked back before continuing to walk inside. 

“I didn’t really think much of it,” Wembanyama said on Friday. “I just saw that one video of the eggs. I didn’t see any other one. It’s OK. I don’t dislike it. Obviously it’s not good at all. But it doesn’t bother me.” 

Fans — or instigators — surrounded the Ritz-Carlton hotel, where the Spurs were staying, and heckled them as they returned from one of the most memorable games in NBA Finals history. 

Other video showed things being thrown at the Spurs’ team bus as they left MSG. 

Knicks fans throwing items at Victor Wembanyama as the Spurs arrive back at the team hotel.pic.twitter.com/sDLBLmzsck

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) June 11, 2026

“We did hear some things, yeah,” Wembanyama said. “I have no idea. I think it was a bottle because it was, like, water on the bus. I didn’t see anything.” 

Wembanyama has emerged as a Knicks villain during these Finals, particularly for a few dirty plays throughout the series. 

In Game 3, he got away with shoving Jalen Brunson down to the ground by his head area — it was not called a foul in the moment and the NBA opted against retroactively ruling it a flagrant. 

Then in Game 4, though, Wembanyama was given a flagrant for elbowing Karl-Anthony Towns in the face. The Knicks trailed by 29 in the third quarter at the time — their largest deficit of the night — and the moment sort of sparked their historic comeback. 

Throughout Games 3 and 4 at MSG, “F–k you Wemby” chants constantly rang around the arena. 

And, with the Knicks up 3-1 in the series, their fans are expected to show out in full force on Saturday for Game 5 at the Frost Bank Arena. 

A 17-year-old boy is in stable condition after he was beaten into a coma near Madison Square Garden after Game 4 of the NBA Finals Wednesday, June 10, according to the New York Police Department.

After the New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs, 107-106, in the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history, the crowd outside Madison Square Garden in New York turned unruly, refused to disperse and injured multiple police officers, the NYPD told USA TODAY Sports.

But the most serious incident that occurred near the arena involved the 17-year-old boy, according to the NYPD. At about 11:45 p.m., the boy was approached by a group of unidentified individuals and a verbal dispute ensued about the Knicks’ game, the NYPD told USA TODAY Sports.

The dispute escalated into a physical confrontation, leading to the victim being punched and kicked and causing the victim to suffer a seizure and subsequently go into a coma, according to the NYPD.

Unidentified individuals left the scene and there has been no arrest. But the NYPD has released a photo of the suspect.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 17-year-old beaten into coma near MSG after Knicks win in NBA Finals

So it begins.

Marc Stein released an article today on The Stein Line surrounding the most recent trade talks across the league. Give that a read for all the details, but Stein did have some news regarding the Detroit Pistons.

It’s no secret that this Pistons front office has connections to Trey Murphy III. Remember, Trajan Langdon traded up for Trey back in 2021 when he was General Manager of the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s also no secret that the Pelicans front office, specifically their Senior VP of Basketball Operations Troy Weaver, was responsible for drafting multiple of Detroit’s young players.

If there’s ever a match made in heaven, this seems to be it.

Stein reported:

This is the first time their (Pelicans) new front office regime headed by Joe Dumars has been truly willing to field offers for Murphy. … Two teams known to have expressed interest in the 25-year-old sharpshooter, I’m told, are Detroit and Indiana.

If Stein’s reporting this, you know Detroit’s interest in TMIII must be real.

He also went on to say that Detroit and Minnesota are known teams with interest in Kyrie Irving. Yet, with Masai Ujiri newly at the head of the Mavericks front office, he has expressed excitement about keeping Irving in Dallas.

We’re about a week and a half away from the NBA Draft and two-and-a-half weeks away from the start of free agency. Things are starting to ramp up and Detroit has the capital to entice New Orleans to make a deal like this if Trajan wants to take a swing.

I enjoyed how Stein ended his piece:

That’s two shooters by the way, for those of you scoring at home, who have been connected to the Pistons in this piece. After a 60-win season that end in the second round of the playoffs, Detroit clearly know what it needs.

Thank goodness, Marc.

Go Stones.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• Yaxel Lendeborg says it would be “amazing” to play with Steph Curry following his pre-draft workout with the Warriors.
• Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor has the Warriors selecting Tennessee forward Nate Ament in his latest NBA mock draft.
• Victor Wembanyama remains confident as the Spurs stare down a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit against the Knicks.

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg worked out for the Golden State Warriors on Thursday as part of the team’s pre-draft process. Following the workout, Lendeborg spoke with reporters and was asked what it would be like to play alongside Warriors superstar Steph Curry if Golden State were to select him later this month.

As expected, the projected lottery pick didn’t hide his excitement.

“Man, that would be amazing. He provides so much gravity on the court that it really makes it super easy for other guys to score.”

Yaxel Lendeborg on what it would be like to play with Steph if he gets drafted to the Warriors pic.twitter.com/54Ep5euMZz

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) June 11, 2026

It’s easy to understand why the idea appeals to Lendeborg. Curry’s constant movement and ability to draw multiple defenders have created countless easy opportunities for teammates throughout his career. For a versatile forward like Lendeborg, who thrives as a connective piece on both ends of the floor, those extra pockets of space could help elevate his game even further at the next level.

Meanwhile, the Warriors, who currently hold the No. 11 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, remain focused on balancing competing in the present with building for the future. Because of this, the 23-year-old Lendeborg has emerged as one of the prospects most frequently connected to Golden State in recent mock drafts.

Lendeborg’s NBA-ready skill set makes him one of the more intriguing options in this draft, and if his comments on Thursday are any indication, the opportunity to play alongside Curry on the Warriors is one he would gladly embrace.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, June 12th:

Warriors News:

Plug and play? NBA draft prospect Yaxel Lendeborg already can see Warriors fit | NBC Sports Bay Area

Already, Lendeborg can see his fit on the Warriors and how he would make an impact from Day 1 if they were to take him with the No. 11 pick. His answer wasn’t about himself. More so, it was about how he can help everybody else. 

“I would say, like five assists a game maybe to start off,” Lendeborg said Thursday after his Warriors workout. “A lot of defense, fastbreak opportunities for me. Depending on if I’m here or anywhere else, my role will be a lot different. But if I was here, I’ll be more like a secondary ball-handler. Whenever Steph [Curry] is taken out of the game, I’ll be there to assist, maybe provide a little more offense or instant offense.”

NBA Mock Draft 8.0: The latest projections for all 60 picks, including a new landing spot for Cameron Boozer | Yahoo Sports

Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-10 don’t grow on trees. This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively. But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and severely struggled during the tournament. Steve Kerr re-signed for a two-year deal and would probably rather have a pro-ready player, but maybe Ament will be the young guy who exceeds expectations and turns into a star.

Draymond Green explains why he calls Jonathan Kuminga his biggest draft miss

Draymond Green talks about his biggest draft miss:

"I would say my biggest miss, I'll take it as a miss because it didn't work, but I still think this guy has the potential to become a star in this league, I was super on the train of drafting Jonathan Kuminga. I still don't… pic.twitter.com/MXiFJDf6Wl

— Chef (@CurryForGame) June 10, 2026

NBA News:

Wembanyama issued flagrant, one point away from suspension | ESPN

Having now collected three flagrant foul points this postseason, Wembanyama is only one point away from an automatic suspension. He committed the latest transgression, a flagrant foul 1, with 9:27 left in the third quarter of Game 4 when he elbowed Karl-Anthony Towns in the chin as the two were tied up near the 3-point line.

Victor Wembanyama confident in the Spurs heading into Game 5: ‘Everybody knows we’re gonna do it’

Wemby and the Spurs feel confident about coming back from down 3-1 👀 pic.twitter.com/Zz8o1Plk98

— ESPN (@espn) June 12, 2026

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Warriors ‘legitimately interested’ in adding LeBron James to their veteran core, per report

Whether this latest report ultimately leads anywhere remains to be seen. But if Golden State is indeed entering the final chapter of Curry’s championship window, there may be no more fascinating way to end it than by pairing Curry with the very player who once stood as the dynasty’s greatest rival.

A post to end the week:

Carmelo Anthony thinks Jalen Brunson deserves Finals MVP over OG Anunoby 👀

“Let’s just be honest about this. If OG win it, it be like Andre Iguodala’s at Golden State.”

(via @7PMinBrooklyn / h/t @ClutchPoints ) pic.twitter.com/xGB5laMxXv

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 12, 2026

Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.

Selena Gomez said her phone was buzzing after she commented “lol” underneath a photo of Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay supporting the Knicks at Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals.

Gomez, a Spurs fan and a Texas native, explained that she wasn’t insulting her best friend, Swift, and Hargitay, who wore matching blue-and-orange shirts while on celebrity row at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.

“Woke up and was sent so many texts. I would never insult my friends nor was it an insult. The comment was a reaction to the first slide on the page,” Gomez wrote in an Instagram Story post, referring to the photo of a smiling Swift smiling and Hargitay with her head on Swift’s shoulder that was posted by the MTV Instagram.

“Second I bet my friends on the game. The friends in the text chain I posted,” she continued, referencing a screenshot she shared on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday about fair-weather fans. “I lost but was poking at my opponents, my friends. Believe it or not I do have other friends in my life.

“But quickly forget that most assume otherwise. Also.. it’s a basketball game.”

Some believed Gomez was shading Swift with her “lol” comment on social media after the Knicks rallied from being down by 29 for a 107-106 win over the Spurs.

“Mad respect for the game!! Congrats to the peeps that represent! What a come back,” Gomez wrote over a screenshot of an NBA article of the New York’s historic comeback. “So funny how some are all the sudden fans though lol.”

Gomez shared a throwback photo of her in Spurs jersey while at a NBA game at the Staples Center, now Crypto.com Arena, in Los Angeles.

“Happy for NY but my heart breaks just a lil lol,” the “Only Murders in the Building” actress wrote.

“It’s ok. I’m happy for the teams! Thank you for giving us some great games @nba,” Gomez added.

Swift, who owns multiple properties in New York, attended Game 4 with friends, sisters and musical artists Este and Alana Haim, and was seen cheering and jumping up and down on celebrity row.

“She’s a huge fan of the Knicks and really wants to be there to support them,” an insider told Page Six ahead of Game 4.

Some questioned Swift’s Knicks fandom as it was the first home game she attended this season.

Knicks radio analyst Monica McNutt issued an apology and she “misspoke” after she questioned Swift’s Knicks loyalty while on the air during Game 4.

McNutt ruffled some feathers after she told her broadcast partner, Tyler Murray, that Swift was in the building and he pulled out his phone to take a photo.

“She’s not a Knicks fan. Get out of here, girl,” McNutt said, which set off Swifties online.

Swift and her fiancé, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are set to tie the knot at the World’s Most Famous Arena on July 3.

Earlier this month, we touched on the possibility of the Dallas Mavericks moving veterans Daniel Gafford and Kyrie Irving this offseason as the team looks to rebuild for the future with Cooper Flagg as its centerpiece. In many ways, those deals make a lot of sense. Dallas is starved for picks after this upcoming draft and veterans of this caliber could likely restock those tapped reserves.

In respect of moving Kyrie Irving in particular, there is a valid counterpoint that retaining him is the smarter choice. Irving has won a championship, brings veteran leadership (which a rebuilding team could benefit mightily from) and is an enticing pair for Flagg. Pragmatically, his trade value is also arguably at a low point given he just missed an entire season, lending more credence to him sticking around. According to Marc Stein (subscription required), Irving is set to do just that.

The Mavericks have received trade inquires for Kyrie Irving, per Marc Stein’s latest Substack

The Mavericks, sources tell the Stein Line, have been messaging to teams that Kyrie is not available https://t.co/pfCziaar1tpic.twitter.com/k53HSRsFCy

— Mavs Film Room 🐴🎥 (@MavsFilmRoom) June 12, 2026

Stein says the Mavericks have received inquiries from other teams regarding Irving’s availability in a trade. Intuitively, we all have basically known this for some time. However, he goes on to indicate that the Mavs have thus far shut down any such conversations as they indicate to teams that Irving is not on the trading block. This echoes Mavs’ President Masai Ujiri’s comments in a recent press conference, where he spoke highly of Irving and touched on his excitement to see him and Flagg share the court.

That said, even a well-respected and well-connected guy like Stein gets it wrong sometimes (who doesn’t?), but let’s assume this report is spot on. If Irving is firmly in the fold, that is one less trade piece Dallas has in play. That, in turn, seemingly increases the odds of another vet (or more) heading toward the door. Stein further suggests that Gafford, P.J. Washington and Klay Thompson are the most likely Mavs to be moved. Further, it means another starting spot in the rotation is covered alongside Flagg, which may influence how Dallas goes about their draft choices in a few weeks. It’s certainly not unreasonable to think the #9 pick will be a starting caliber player, but with Irving running point, does that influence who Dallas intends to select in this draft rife with guard talent? There are many options here – select a guard and start him next to Irving, select a guard and bring him off the bench, don’t select a guard at all… There has been significant focus on Dallas acquiring a young backcourt player to usher in the future with Flagg, but it’s really anyone’s guess what Dallas will do now. Whatever the case, if Stein is correct, whomever they pick in a few weeks can expect to team up with both Flagg and Irving.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

The Celtics are interested in trading Jaylen Brown to the Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, and rumors skyrocketed Thursday after that was revealed by Kevin O’Connor.

According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, an NBA source confirmed the Celtics are more than bystanders.

But according to Winderman, the possibility of a deal involving Brown and Antetokounmpo might not be so simple because the Celtics need to find a third team to be part of the deal.

Winderman wrote that the Bucks are looking to maximize draft capital, youth and manageable contracts in an Antetokounmpo deal.

Brown is set to enter his age-30 season and still has three years left of a five-year, $285.4 million contract he signed after the Celtics won their first NBA championship with Brown and Jayson Tatum.

With Brown’s age and hefty contract, there might not be as much interest by the Bucks in breaking up the Celtics’ core. Wilderman noted, though, that the Hawks and Pelicans might be interested in acquiring Brown.

Tatum missed most of the 2025-26 season nursing a torn Achilles that he suffered in the 2025 NBA playoffs.

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Brown was in MVP talks for most of the season, finishing with averages of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists. The Celtics (56-26) finished the regular season in second place in the East behind the Pistons (60-22).

But after a first-round exit in the playoffs, in which the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead against the 76ers, Boston might look for a change.

The Hawks (46-36) were one of the NBA’s more surprising teams after finishing the 2025-26 regular season in sixth place. But after blowing a 2-1 series lead against the Knicks and losing Game 6, 140-89, in the first round of the playoffs, their season ended.

The Pelicans (26-56) are coming off a miserable season and missed the playoffs. They could look to pair Brown with Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III, who led them in scoring last season after averaging 21.5 points per game.

The stunning victory by the New York Knickerbockers over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday gave ABC the most-watched NBA Finals Game 4 since 1998, the year of Michael Jordan’s last championship with the Chicago Bulls.

Nielsen data showed an average of 20.9 million viewers watched the Knicks overcome a 29-point halftime deficit to top Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs 107-106 at Madison Square Garden, the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. The Knicks have a 3-1 lead in the series and will play Game 5 on Saturday in San Antonio, attempting to win their first NBA championship in 53 years.

Through the first four games, the NBA Finals are averaging 19.6 million viewers, also the highest since the Bulls-Utah Jazz faced off on NBC in 1998. The series is on track to become the most-watched since the NBA Finals moved to ABC and ESPN in 2002.

“The match-up is ideal from a media business standpoint, featuring the nation’s largest media market with New York, teams with robust followings and multiple all-stars, especially Wemby, the compelling new face of the NBA,” said Lee Berke, president of LHB Sports Entertainment & Media, Inc.

The Knicks-Spurs series is up 116% over the first four games of last year’s match-up between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. But the most encouraging numbers for ABC and ESPN is the growth among younger viewers, who have become harder to reach in the age of social media and streaming. Ratings among teens aged 12 to 17 are up 138% while the 18 to 24 age group is up 147%.

Read more:2026 Super Bowl scores 124.9 million viewers, second-largest audience in history

ABC is also seeing spikes in viewing among women, up 121%, and the Latino audience due to its large populations in the markets of New York and San Antonio, according to Flora Kelly, ESPN’s senior vice president for audience research.

Viewing in the New York market alone is accounting for 15% of the national audience. The average price for a 30-second commercial on the telecasts topped $1 million each, according to people familiar with the figures who were not authorized to comment publicly. Some spots have gone for as much as $2.3 million.

In addition to delivering highly competitive games, the NBA Finals also had President Trump and pop superstar Taylor Swift in attendance at Madison Square Garden. Both are capable of turning a live TV event into a full-blown spectacle.

“What we’re seeing is that this Spurs-Knicks series is a tremendous cultural moment,” Kelly said.

Trump attended Game 3, making him the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals. While Trump was a fixture at Knicks games before he entered the national political scene, some commentators, such as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, believed the president’s insistence on attending Monday’s contest became a distraction that disrupted the home team’s momentum. (The Knicks lost the game 115-111, ending the team’s streak of 13 consecutive wins.)

Swift showed up for Game 4, joining “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay and the other celebrities who regularly show up courtside at Madison Square Garden.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Los Angeles bringing back LeBron James is more complicated this offseason than at any other time during his Lakers tenure. Given that he is an unrestricted free agent, he can go wherever he wants and the Lakers can’t just pay James what he is actually worth.

The franchise has to pay Austin Reaves, who is also an unrestricted free agent. Considering he reportedly wants over $40 milllion and other teams are reportedly interested in signing him, LA might have to pay a hefty price to secure their backcourt star.

So, the Lakers have to figure out how to do that and still pay LeBron to keep their three stars together. That’s going to be a challenge for this front office, but perhaps the first question they have to ask is if they should even bring James back to begin with?

He is still a top player in the NBA, but his decline has begun. LeBron averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2
assists per game. That was the lowest points average for LeBron since his 2003-04 rookie campaign.

Father Time might not be winning, but the clock is now on its side.

This is part of the reason LeBron became the third option for the Lakers this season. LeBron taking such a role is something he has never had to do, and it certainly was never the best course of action for a team he was on before.

But with Luka as No. 1 option and Reaves as another ball-dominant player, this was the way to optimize LA.

So, for our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, we asked Lakers fans if they want LeBron back next season and the results indicated they do.

It was a close poll, but in the end, LeBron is still wanted because he remains an elite player. We saw that in the first round, when he dominated the Rockets without Luka Dončić and with Austin Reaves missing most of the games.

He is still an All-Star player and a fantastic starter. Walking away from LeBron wouldn’t make the Lakers better. In fact, they’d have to bring in a couple of players to try to match LeBron’s production. And even if they do that, those players are likely to cost more than LeBron’s deal will end up being and it’s unlikely they’ll be as good.

So, the best course of action for LA to win now still includes LeBron. The question is: can they figure out a dollar amount that satisfies everyone?

It’s in the Lakers’ best interest to do so.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.

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The Spurs could be without their backup center for a must-win Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Knicks. Luke Kornet has been listed as questionable in the injury report due to illness.

Kornet has not had a good playoffs and has only averaged a shade under eight minutes per game in the Finals. He’s only scored three total points in the series and pulled down nine total rebounds. San Antonio has been outscored by a total of 19 points when he’s been on the floor. It’s a horrible matchup for Kornet, who is not quick enough to guard Karl-Anthony Towns on the perimeter or switch effectively and struggles on the defensive boards against Mitchell Robinson. On paper, his potential absence shouldn’t have a big effect on the Spurs’ chances of forcing a Game 6.

The problem is, the Silver and Black don’t really have other viable big men to spare Victor Wembanyama, who is already averaging 40 minutes a game and at times has looked fatigued. While Kornet has not been effective, Kelly Olynyk, Bismack Biyombo, and Mason Plumlee still probably represent a downgrade. Mitch Johnson will likely go small instead if his backup big man misses the game, with Carter Bryant potentially getting minutes at center, as he has in the past. Bryant has not been good in his limited playing time, but he could be the best alternative.

The Spurs are down 3-1 in the Finals and are facing elimination. Game 5 will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, June 13.