Mike Brown talks to the media before the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
SAN ANTONIO — Mike Brown has never won a championship as a head coach. Before this spring, he hadn’t won a playoff series in the role since 2012.
But he has been part of two dynasties, collecting one ring with Tim Duncan’s Spurs, three with Stephen Curry’s Warriors and the memories of the supporting casts that helped immortalize those stars.
“I’ve been fortunate, blessed, lucky to be a part of some good coaching staffs and be with some great coaches, Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich, they were guys that went deep into their bench,” Brown said earlier in the postseason. “You keep guys engaged by doing that, and you do develop not just a bench but the team, as well, because guys get used to playing with other guys …
Mike Brown talks to the media before the game against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NBAE via Getty Images
“I’ve seen it work in the past, and that’s kind of what I thought I wanted to do here.”
Brown’s trust in his reserves ranks among the most significant changes from his predecessor, Tom Thibodeau.
But who will the Knicks coach be able to count on in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, with a chance to win the team’s first title since 1973?
Mitchell Robinson went 1-for-5 on shots at the rim in Game 4 and is shooting 30.8 percent on free throws. Landry Shamet has followed the best eight-game 3-point shooting stretch (67.6 percent) in postseason history by making 1-of-11 shots in the past two games. Jordan Clarkson had 10 points in Game 3, but has two points in the other three games combined. Miles McBride’s “Deuuuuuuce” chants continue to end with disappointment, as he’s shot 4-for-20, with 2.8 points per game, in the series.
The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau last June. Getty Images
“I’m always going to stay confident, knowing I can impact the game in a lot of different ways,” McBride said Friday. “I’m going to make shots. I’m never worried about that. … Anybody is capable of it, 1 through 15 on this team. We’re pushing each other to be better. That’s how our team has been. We’re motivators. We want to uplift everybody. I think having a team like that, you can do a lot of great things.”
Jose Alvarado was the latest example, recording eight points, three assists and two rebounds in the final 10 minutes of their miraculous Game 4 win.
But who will Brown turn to next?
“This bench is deep and he trusts everybody,” Alvarado said. “Some days it’s my day, some days it’s somebody else’s day. … These are the times and moments you wait for.”
SAN ANTONIO — Shaquille O’Neal won four championships and an MVP Award over his 19 seasons in the NBA, and has since studied it closely as an analyst.
So whom would he select if he were a general manager and could choose any player — past or present — with the No. 1 pick?
“Me,” O’Neal told The Post.
Excluding himself?
“I’d probably go with [LeBron James] because Bron — and I know this is a Kobe [Bryant] comparison — Bron had it when he came in,” O’Neal told The Post. “It took Kobe two or three years to get it. Bron had it when he came in, so I’d probably go with Bron.”
You know who else has it too?
Victor Wembanyama, who has reached the NBA Finals in his third season, faster than many of the all-time greats, including James, Bryant and Michael Jordan.
This postseason Wembanyama has seemingly quieted any talk about who’s the next face of the league, if he hasn’t already snatched that ceremonial title from James, who has held it for two decades.
Or has he?
“You have to take it,” O’Neal told The Post. “If he wins a championship, yes. If [Jalen] Brunson wins a championship, it’ll be Brunson. Face of the league ain’t something you pass on. You’ve got to go take it.”
Victor Wembanyama #1, with his head down, walking down court during the 4th quarter. The Knicks beat the Spurs 107-106. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
After blowing a 29-point lead to the Knicks in a 107-106 loss in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Spurs trail the series, 3-1.
Wembanyama is averaging 27.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.2 blocks over the past four games. Brunson is averaging 29.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Brunson has skyrocketed into the national consciousness this postseason after barely being a blip on the radar.
Knicks coach Mike Brown hopes the world will now see what New York has known.
“He definitely has not — or did not — get the attention that he deserved during the regular season,” Brown said. “I think he’s a top-three MVP candidate. And when it comes down to those things, his name wasn’t mentioned much.”
Meanwhile, Wembanyama won Defensive Player of the Year and finished third in MVP voting.
Shaquille O’Neal looks on before the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks during Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Regardless of whether this is Wembanyama’s time to claim the league’s ultimate throne, there’s no doubt that the 22-year-old will become an all-time great if he stays healthy.
He was the most highly touted prospect since James entered the league in 2003, and he has already blown past his expectations. He’s able to patrol the paint with his size and agility, while also being able to shoot from anywhere on the court. He’s unlike anyone the league has seen.
He’s an alien.
So, how would he have matched up against The Big Aristotle?
“Oh, stop it,” O’Neal told The Post, flashing a smile. “Let’s talk desserts. He’s too light in the cakes for me. Stop it. But I’m not known for defense, so he probably would’ve scored a few points also. There’s no guarding me one-on-one, so you can’t ask me that question. He’s a great player. This is his time now. This is not about me.”
O’Neal has been closely watching the NBA Finals as an analyst for ABC/ESPN, alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson.
He finds this series particularly exciting because there’s so much emphasis on the teams’ big men.
“I love [Wembanyama] and I love KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns], so for me this is really good,” O’Neal told The Post. “Two big men battling it out. Let the best big man win. Usually in the Finals it’s all about guards. But these Finals are about two big men, so I have an affinity, a love, for both of them. So whoever wins, I’m happy for them both.”
Towns has turned heads for his great defense on Wembanyama, especially in Game 1 and the first half of Game 2. He has made a huge impact on both ends of the court for the Knicks, who are one win away from their first championship since 1973.
As for Wembanyama, he has astounded the world with his greatness during his first postseason run, such as when he had a 41-point, 24-rebound and 3-block performance to stun the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
But he has also shown his inexperience at times, such as when he threw the ball off of Stephon Castle’s back with 12.7 seconds left in the Spurs’ 105-104 loss in Game 2 of the Finals.
Now comes his biggest test yet.
The Spurs are against the wall. After being on the wrong side of the biggest comeback in Finals history in Game 4, Wembanyama said the Spurs will either wave the white flag or come together stronger than ever.
Apparently, he now has his answer.
“Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we’re going to do it,” Wembanyama said at Spurs practice Friday.
Regardless of the outcome of the Finals, Wembanyama has undoubtedly lived up to the hype. He carried the Spurs past the reigning champion Thunder in the Western Conference finals, outplaying two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And he has been a force in his debut on the championship stage.
But, according to O’Neal, when it comes to becoming the next face of the league, nothing is promised.
O’Neal would still choose James to build a team around.
This is either the most hopeful or depressing statistic for Spurs fans watching the NBA Finals: Through four games, the point differential is Knicks +8.
It may be a little of both. This has been an intense, close NBA Finals, with three of the four games decided by four points or less. Yet San Antonio finds itself down 3-1 and on the verge of its season ending due to a combination of the Knicks' grit and maturity in the clutch versus the Spurs' self-inflicted wounds and mistakes of youth.
"There's no avoiding what's happened," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "There's no avoiding all four games have been winnable games. There's no avoiding we're down 3-1. There's no avoiding ways that we could be better. There's nobody that's going to be harder on ourselves and accountable to ourselves than the people in the locker room and each other. That's what helped us get to where we are, and how the group is built. There's no circumstance that will change that."
Will the NBA Finals end Saturday night in San Antonio, where the party from 7th Ave. in Manhattan would overtake the Riverwalk — there are going to be a lot of Knicks fans at the game — or can the Spurs finally win a game at home? There are two key things to watch in Game 5.
Can Spurs rebound emotionally?
I have a theory about NBA playoff series: There comes a point in nearly every series when one team realizes they are beaten, usually long before Game 6 or 7. They don't have the answers to the questions the other team is posing. The players and coaches never say it out loud — players don't make it to this level without being fierce competitors — but you can see it in body language and their eyes. They know.
The Spurs had that look after Game 4, a gut-punch loss in which they blew a 29-point lead (and, more disturbingly, a 20-point lead with 9:30 left in the game).
Usually, after a loss like that, the end comes pretty quickly, as it could for the Spurs in Game 5 on their home court. However, these young Spurs have shown a genuine resilience this postseason — they won Game 7 on the road in Oklahoma City. They won a game in Madison Square Garden. If you told me these Spurs showed that resilience on Saturday night and bounced back with a double-digit win, it would not be shocking. If San Antonio lost by double digits, that's not shocking either.
I've seen one team turn things around after having that defeated look: LeBron James and the Cavaliers against the Warriors in 2016. The Spurs are saying all the right things, exactly what you expect them to say, about following in the Cavs' footsteps and forging their own epic comeback.
"Absolutely. Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we're going to do it," Victor Wembanyama said, almost as if he was trying to manifest the outcome. "One game at a time. Just one game at a time..." Devin Vassell said. "So we need to go 1-0, and whatever we need to do for that to happen, we've got to do that."
Saying the right thing is one thing, doing it on the court — especially when adversity hits, as it inevitably will — is something else entirely. These Spurs have shown toughness and resilience throughout the playoffs, but can they do it when the Knicks smell blood in the water?
Because these Knicks have the feel of a team of destiny, a team on a historic run. On the other side of that coin, can the Knicks avoid human nature, which is to relax a little after a win, especially knowing they can head home for a potential coronation in Game 6? Like the Spurs, they are saying all the right things.
"The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present," coach Mike Brown said. "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."
We'll see which team shows more emotional maturity on Saturday night.
Touching the paint
There has been one defining factor in all four games: The team driving the lane, touching the paint or getting it inside to their big men, then scoring (and drawing fouls) or spraying the ball out to shooters is the team that takes control.
There was no better example than Game 4, when the Spurs scored 24 points in the paint in the first half on their way to a 27-point lead. Then they became less aggressive in the second half, settled for far too many 3-pointers and pull-up jumpers, Wembanyama became tentative after picking up a flagrant foul on Towns (leaving him one flagrant from a suspension), and the Spurs scored just four points in the paint in the second half. Meanwhile, it was the Knicks behind Jalen Brunson who got downhill and into the paint in the second half, sparking their comeback win.
By Game 5 of a series, there are not a lot of technical adjustments left to be made. Both teams know their opponent, the game plan and what they need to do. It's just that doing it against an elite defense in a very physical series is something else entirely. Both teams will execute their game plan for stretches, then not for others.
"I think what you can do when you do move the ball and allow the IQ to flow and the ball to flow is you allow great shots to happen, especially when you're touching the paint or having movement on the offense and allowing the defense to make a mistake, instead of us having to make a tough shot or a great shot," Karl-Anthony Towns said.
Which team touches the paint, moves the ball and plays to their strengths on Saturday night will determine whether the Finals head to another game in New York or whether the Knicks' destiny can wait no longer.
The New York Knicks huddle during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
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.
Head Coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks talks to the media during 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 12, 2026, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NBAE via Getty Images
“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.
The New York Knicks huddle during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. NBAE via Getty Images
“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.”
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.”
OG Anunoby converts on a game-winning tip shot with 1.2 seconds left in the Knicks’ historic 107-106 comeback win over the Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at the Garden. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“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.”
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.”
New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby #8 addresses the media in a post game press conference. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“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.
A general view inside Madison Square Garden as the New York Knicks celebrate their 107-106 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026 in New York City.
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.
An overall photo of the NBA Finals logo before the game between the Knicks against the Spurs during Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio. NBAE via Getty Images
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.
Victor Wembanyama talks to the media during the 2026 NBA Finals Practice and Media Availability on June 12, 2026, at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NBAE via Getty Images
“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
Victor Wembanyama shoots over Karl-Anthony Towns during Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 10, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NBAE via Getty Images
“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.
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.
Apr 3, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (25) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 04: Yaxel Lendeborg #23 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts against the Arizona Wildcats during the second half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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
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:
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.”
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 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
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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. Instagram/Selena Gomez
“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.”
Selena Gomez commented “lol” underneath a photo of Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay supporting the Knicks at Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals. MTV/InstagramTaylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay attend Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City. Getty Images
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.
Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 7, 2024. CBS
Some questioned Swift’s Knicks fandom as it was the first home game she attended this season.
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
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.
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