Category: Basketball

Editor's Note: Click here for a recap and highlights from Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

It’s a bad night to be a broom in New York City.

The New York Knicks, once again, outplayed the San Antonio Spurs Friday, June 5 in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, taking a commanding 2-0 lead as the series turns to New York.

New York, which withstood a late charge from San Antonio, stunned the Spurs on their own home, 105-104, on a free throw by Jalen Brunson with 9.5 seconds left to play to win the game.

Brunson got to the line on a bad pass from Victor Wembanyama in the final seconds of the game, as the Spurs were trying to get up the floor on a defensive rebound. Wembanyama tossed a pass ahead, but Stephon Castle wasn’t looking, so the ball bounced off his back, allowing Brunson to scoop it up. Wembanyama then fouled Brunson, putting him on the line.

Later on, the Spurs had the chance to win the game, but Wembanyama’s would-be game-winning jumpshot rimmed out.

So now, with Madison Square Garden set to host the the next two games, the Knicks are just a pair of wins away from a sweep and from claiming their first NBA championship in 53 years.

New York has won 13 consecutive playoff games, including eight consecutive on the road.

Here are live takeaways from Game 2 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs:

NBA Finals Game 2 score: Knicks 105, Spurs 104

TEAM	1	2	3	4	F
Knicks	25	31	28	21	105
Spurs	34	18	23	29	104

Karl-Anthony Towns, once again, was the best player on the floor. It’s going to guide New York to a title

Just like he was in Game 1, Karl-Anthony Towns lifted the Knicks on both ends of the floor. And with the Knicks now carrying their 2-0 lead, his dominance over Wembanyama across stretches has New York close to erasing its 53-year title drought.

His offense has been stellar. Towns led the Knicks with 21 points — 17 of which came in the first half — on 8-of-12 shooting, adding 13 rebounds and 4 assists.

Towns stretched the floor, opening up the space for his teammates to attack.

But it’s his defense that is going to get the Knicks their first title in 53 seasons — as long as New York keeps this up.

Towns has been dominant on Wembanyama, using his size and strength to body Wembanyama and make him feel Towns’ presence. In the first half, Wembanyama played timidly, apparently perplexed about how to break through Towns’ physicality. Frankly, it’s determining the outcome of the series.

At the half, Wembanyama had just 7 points on only 4 shot attempts. Wembanyama did drop 22 in the second half, but the early struggles put San Antonio in a hole.

And while Mitchell Robinson also had massive defensive possessions against Wembanyama late in the game, Towns is the reason Wembanyama looked lost early in the game.

KAT IS HOOPIN' IN GAME 2 🔥

17 PTS (6-8 FGM)
7 REB
3 AST
3 3PM

After trailing by as many as 12, the Knicks have a 4-point lead at the break! pic.twitter.com/nJMKAS0nk8

— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2026

Early on, Victor Wembanyama took what the defense gave him. He needed to be far more assertive — far earlier

At the half, after the Knicks had made several runs, Wembanyama had taken just four shot attempts. New York, of course, deserves credit for showing bodies any time Wembanyama touched the ball, but his response, mostly, was to drift around the perimeter.

He tried to drive and create opportunities for his teammates, but that led to two turnovers. During one of those, late in the second quarter, Devin Vassell passed him the ball on the right wing. Almost immediately after he saw the Knicks defense approaching, Wembanyama tried to dump the ball back to Vassell, who had started to relocate. The ball skipped out of bounds.

In short: Wembanyama was just out of rhythm in the first half.

It’s often difficult, when opponents are game planning for a single player, for that person to find the balance between taking a steady diet of shots but not forcing them.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson will also need to find ways to manufacture easier offense for Wembanyama, because having him standing around, watching other players operate will make it difficult for the Spurs to win.

Wembanyama did pick it up in the third quarter, taking 8 shot attempts and scoring 12 points in the period, but the slow start put San Antonio in a position where they need to play from behind.

Mikal Bridges had the role playing impact that wins championships

Not only is he one of the toughest defenders in the NBA with his length and shiftiness, but Bridges has been on a generational heater this postseason — at least after he struggled early in the first round.

Bridges entered the fourth quarter 8-of-9 — having made eight consecutive shots — and finished the game with 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. He hit his first 4 3-pointers of the game and hit timely basket after timely basket.

Having another potent scorer on the floor mitigated the tough shooting night from Jalen Brunson, who shot just 7-of-25 from the floor.

Desperate Spurs ramped up their defensive intensity

The natural response was always going to be for San Antonio to play with a different level of urgency in Game 2. The Spurs, from the very first seconds of the game, played with a level of force and physicality they didn’t have two nights ago.

For one, San Antonio’s speedy and aggressive guards De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle picked up full-court pressure on made baskets. Once the ball crossed half court, the Spurs also stayed in front of New York’s players with lateral quickness.

Then, once the Knicks tried to foray into the paint, Spurs defenders collapsed to show bodies and clog the area.

The Knicks opened the game shooting just 6-of-17 (35.3%) from the field and New York scored just 2 points in the paint in the first 7:44 of the game.

This defense from the Spurs 👏

San Antonio leads by 4 in Q1 of Game 2! pic.twitter.com/3qpS3OH55J

— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2026

Spurs also made it a priority to get paint touches

In Game 1, San Antonio backed down from New York’s physical defense and settled for jumpers. In the first quarter of Game 2, the Spurs spammed attacks in the paint to space the floor, setting up sprays to perimeter or high-percentage looks near the rim.

This is San Antonio’s recipe for success. The Spurs led in points in the paint in the first quarter by a 18-8 margin.

The Spurs shot a blistering 65% from the field in the first.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Knicks vs Spurs live analysis, score: Wembanyama misses game winner

The NBA Finals continues with Game 2 on Friday, June 5.

The San Antonio Spurs hope to rebound from losing the series opener at home to the New York Knicks. But as a team, they did win in the tunnel as the more fashionable franchise.

For Game 2, there is a mix of style statements. It's hard to beat the iconic habit that the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco will be wearing to cheer on the Spurs. But we have suits and sweats, a statement jacket and some shorts that are simply happy.

The Knicks are back in the Finals for the first time since 1999. This year's championship is a rematch of that series, which the Spurs won. Sports media didn't embrace fashion like we do now, so fans don't have a record of who won the fashion in that series, but we are here to make sure we have a winner of this one.

Here is the NBA Finals Game 2 Fit Check:

7. Jeremy Sochan - New York Knicks

Starting us off is Jeremy Sochan. He wanted to be free and wore this breezy black V-neck button-up without a shirt. The tan shorts are a little wrinkly, but with the snappy patent dress shoes, we appreciate the effort to be different.

Jeremy Sochan gets an A for effort and daring to be different for his Game 2 fit.

📷 @nyknickspic.twitter.com/wlScIKaMuU

— Victoria Hernandez (@LadyViii) June 5, 2026

6. Mikal Bridges - New York Knicks

Mikal Bridges kept it clean and we have no notes. He went with an easy chore jacket in a really pretty cornflower blue color. It's from JW Anderson's collab with Guinness. The Knicks guard isn't Irish like the two brands, but with some well-fitting cream cargo pants and white Air Force 1s, he wears it well.

5. Stephon Castle - San Antonio Spurs

If we told you Stephon Castle wore a graphic tee and sweats for Game 2, you would probably ask what's the big deal? The key here is color coordination. The Spurs guard perfectly matched the details of his Harley-Davidson t-shirt to the blue color of his sweatpants and we love it.

Stephon Castle showing how color coordination can really elevate a simple graphic tee and sweats.

📷 @spurspic.twitter.com/igVdYAR6i8

— Victoria Hernandez (@LadyViii) June 6, 2026

4. Jordan Clarkson - New York Knicks

After turning heads with the perfect amount of glitz for Game 1, Jordan Clarkson delivered again for Game 2. The Knicks guard wore a custom Who Decides War jacket repping his team with orange and black color blocking and a studded collar. The sleeves of the jacket have the brand's signature stained glass design and the back features a silhouette of the Statue of Liberty. He let the jacket be the statement piece with long leather shorts and black boots.

3. Bismack Biyombo - San Antonio Spurs

Bismack Biyombo has been quietly killing the suit game. He JUST missed out on the Game 1 fit check because you have to draw the line somewhere, right? But this luxe satin forest green suit he wore for Game 2 HAD to be included. It fits well, the brown tie and pocket kerchief ground the look and the single-breasted jacket keeps it cool.

Bismack Biyombo has been dominating the suit game and this luxe green one for Game 2 is beautiful.

📷 @spurspic.twitter.com/uYGU0J93W1

— Victoria Hernandez (@LadyViii) June 6, 2026

2. Devin Vassell - San Antonio Spurs

Devin Vassell's look was all about the details. The Spurs guard was straight heat in a white suit that was just enough oversized. The burnout texture at the bottom of the jacket and pants also kept this far from boring. The pops of color with the key lime Louis Vuitton duffel, little flower brooch and gemstone rosary necklace make this outfit a must-see.

Devin Vassell’s look for Game 2 of the NBA Finals is all about details. The pops of color are perfect.

📷 @spurspic.twitter.com/jBQ2J1v1gD

— Victoria Hernandez (@LadyViii) June 5, 2026

1. Karl-Anthony Towns - New York Knicks

Karl-Anthony Towns looked effortless, which is the best way to be. He wore an oversized white button-up with a single chain around the collar. The statement piece was a pair of excellent oversized shorts from Joshua Samuels. The London-based brand specializes in upcycling and plants a tree with every order. The flowers are the perfect proportion on the shorts and just make us happy. What more could you want?

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Vassell top best looks of NBA Finals Game 2

Linsanity is returning to The Garden for Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals.

Former Knicks guard Jeremy Lin, who set the city ablaze in Feb. 2012 as an undrafted rookie out of Harvard, has only been back at Madison Square Garden as an opposing player after his unceremonious departure from the team – until now.

Lin told The Post in an exclusive interview that he has accepted an invitation from the team to return as a spectator for Games 3 and 4.

“I will be going back as a spectator for the first time ever,” Lin said. “After leaving the Knicks, I did play against the Knicks multiple times, but I have never been back to The Garden as a spectator. This will be my first time in 14 years back at The Garden, not as an opposing player. I can’t wait. I really genuinely can’t wait for Game 3 and 4.”

Lim had a somewhat contentious split from the Knicks. He electrified the Garden for a month in 2012, becoming an instant fan favorite while shooting from anonymous bench player to stardom.

His star fizzled out upon the return of Carmelo Anthony from injury and he signed a deal with the Rockets in the offseason — the terms of which made it difficult for the Knicks to match in restricted free agency.

Lin, who joined ESPN for the NBA Finals as an NBA analyst, says he will attend the game at the Knicks’ request.

“A big shoutout to the Knicks, they have been really adamant and consistent about trying to get me to go back to a game,” Lin said. “I’ve always had the desire. It’s not that I didn’t want to, I was just always still playing. … I won’t be courtside but I will be in the first two rows.”

When asked about the potential crowd pop he gets from the Knicks faithful, he added that he has “no expectations” of cheers or applause — or even being shown on the Jumbotron.

Where: Frost Bank Center (San Antonio, TX)

When: Friday, June 5 at 8:30 PM EST

How to watch: ABC

Betting Line: SA -6.5 (subject to change), O/U 214.5 (subject to change) via FanDuel

The NBA community awaits a decision on whether LeBron James plans to return for a 24th season in the league.

The 41-year-old star had stated on his “Mind the Game” podcast that he would contemplate a decision, but nothing would come before he spent time with family over Memorial Day weekend.

“Obviously, I understand that I’m a free agent and I can control my own destiny ... but like, I haven’t even really got to that point,” James said in mid-May. “I haven’t even taken my family vacation yet. … That’s kind of the thing at the forefront of my mind.”

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, but things have remained fairly quiet publicly. A decision from James will be crucial to how the Lakers (and other teams) then approach free agency.

Charles Barkley was asked about James’ future when appearing on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Friday, June 5.

“LeBron only has one play and that’s to go back to Cleveland,” Barkley said. “That’s his only smart and logical choice.”

Barkley believes that James should’ve never left Cleveland after the 2017-18 season.

“They’ll probably be the favorites in the East or in that conversation,” Barkley said. “... It doesn’t do him any good to stay in L.A. Because No. 1, they aren’t going to be competitive in the West, and also it's time for the Lakers to turn the team over to (Luka Doncic).”

The Lakers were swept 4-0 by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. James showed a glimpse of his younger self during the postseason, but it wasn’t going to be enough without Doncic.

“They are not going to be competitive,” Barkley said. “... If (James) stays in L.A., he is doing it for off-the-court reasons.

“If he goes to any other teams, it would just be like him trying to win championships to catch Michael Jordan. It wouldn’t make sense. … He can’t catch Michael Jordan as a mercenary in my opinion.”

James has won four NBA championships during his career, bringing at least one to every team he's played for (Miami in 2012 and 2013; Cleveland in 2016; Los Angeles in 2020).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Charles Barkley thinks LeBron James should return to Cleveland

It is still surreal to see Finals in the headline of these articles.

Tonight, the Knicks face the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center in Game Two of the NBA Finals. Our heroes lead the series after rallying from 14 down to win on Wednesday. Perhaps you heard? Now they can bring a 2-0 lead back to Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson is expected to play after a knee/ankle scare. The Spurs are favored at home, with oddsmakers predicting Victor Wembanyama to bounce back from a meh Game One performance.

Tip-off is 8:30 pm EST on ABC. This is your game thread. This is Pounding the Rock. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Enjoy yourselves while treating each other with respect. And go Knicks!

Four former Alabama Statemen’s basketball players have been ruled permanently ineligible by the NCAA for accepting payments from gamblers to fix the outcome of a game, college sports’ governing body announced on Friday, June 5.

According to the NCAA, the four athletes — Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines and Tony Madlock — accepted and were paid a total of $2,000 (or $500 per player) from two bettors to partake in game manipulation in the Hornets’ Dec. 5, 2024 matchup against Southern Miss. Alabama State lost, 81-64, in a game in which they were a six-point underdog.

Knox, Hines and Matlock were the Hornets’ top three scorers that season, with each player averaging at least 12.5 points per game.

REQUIRED READING: Mark Pope got more than No. 1 transfer. He may have saved his job | Opinion

That squad ultimately advanced to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, where it earned the first March Madness victory in program history in a 70-68 win against Saint Francis in a play-in game. Knox scored the winning basket in that game with a layup with one second remaining.

None of the four former Alabama State athletes played during the 2025-26 season.

The NCAA said its enforcement staff had been notified by Temple in July 2025 that Hines, who had transferred there from Alabama State after the 2024-25 season, was contacted by the FBI and shown text messages concerning a sports integrity issue from his time with the Hornets.

The two bettors were indicted in January by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on wire fraud and bribery charges related to sports contests. Knox told NCAA investigators that Fulcher had put other teammates in a group chat in December 2024 with one of the bettors, who offered them money to throw the game against Southern Miss the next night.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: NCAA bans four former Alabama State basketball players for point shaving

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites.

The Knicks are on a historic run in the playoffs, having won 12 in a row culminating in a Finals Game 1 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on the road, where they outscored the home team 29-19 in the fourth quarter and outscored the Silver and Black 11-0 in the last 1:57. Both teams shot poorly for the game, but the Knicks took control late. A critical hustle play by Brunson to tap the ball to Bridges started the final Knicks push, and the Spurs couldn’t answer, missing 3 shots and turning the ball over twice in the final two minutes.

Even though the Knicks didn’t have the best shooting night, they excelled in a lot of other areas. Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t commit his usual complement of head-scratcher fouls, and was the best version of himself as he hustled to every loose ball and made the right pass every time he was double teamed. Anunoby made key plays in the fourth quarter, and Josh Hart hustled his ass off. The Spurs are going to have to play better tonight and not have the extended lapses of Game 1 to even up the series tonight. The alternative to that is bad.

In this year’s playoffs, the Spur have been resilient, following up a close loss to the Timberwolves in Game 1 in the series with a 133-95 blowout in Game 2. San Antonio also lost their first home game in the Thunder series, and responded by holding the Thunder to a season-low 82 point output in Game 4. Tonight’s game is an almost must-win scenario, because if the Knicks return home with a 2-0 series lead, the Madison Square Garden fans will be feeling entitled to see the the Orange and Blue pull off their third sweep in a row. No team has won the NBA Finals after losing Game 1 and Game 2 at home¹, although it has happened a few times in the earlier rounds. The Spurs have to avoid that situation with a win tonight.

Both Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox had below average games on Wednesday, and the Spurs have to find ways to open up their games without forcing the ball to them. Julian Champagnie was great scoring in the first half of the opening game, and contributed by rebounding and defending in the second half. Dylan Harper was the best player for the Spurs on Wednesday night, but he wasn’t on the court during crunch time, which could change in tonight’s game, Mitch willing. GO SPURS GO!!

1. The road team losing the first two games and coming back to win the series isn’t unprecedented, most recently the Bucks did it in the 2020-2021 season, defeating the Suns. Bill Walton and the Blazers also did in their 76-77 championship season.

Game Prediction:

Jeremy Sochan gets his first minutes in the NBA Finals and has two shots blocked by his former teammates.

San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks, NBA Finals, Game 2
June 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM CT
Streaming: ESPN
TV: ABC
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

NBA investigator interviews have begun for Los Angeles Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard and his uncle and business adviser, Dennis Robertson, per ESPN.

Leonard, Robertson, and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer are under investigation after a series of podcasts from the show “Pablo Torre Finds Out” revealed Ballmer’s company, Aspiration, was accused of receiving a $50 million investment from his personal LLC in September, 2021.

Shortly after the investment was made, Leonard and Aspiration agreed to an endorsement deal of $28 million. Torre recently revealed on Friday that in March of 2023, Ballmer invested another $10 million, which suggests these investments have been recurring.

According to the article by ESPN, the interview process has been lengthy. Ballmer and other Clippers executives have also sat in for interviews by the NBA’s private investigation team.

Before game 1 of the NBA Finals, this past Wednesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that the investigation was far along and that he thinks they’re getting close to putting an end to it.

“The investigation is being conducted by a law firm independent of the NBA,” Silver said before Game 1. “I mean, yes, ultimately we are paying their bills, but they are doing the work independent of the league office. My instruction to them is we can’t be investigating forever, and at some point, we have to wrap it up, but at the same time, I think the most important thing is we get it right.”

Silver has not given a timeline for when the investigation will be finished, but did say the Clippers need “to understand what situation they are going to be operating under, and so do the other 29 teams.”

The federal prosecutor who launched the DOJ’s investigation into Aspiration renders his verdict on the Kawhi Leonard scandal:

“It’s very hard to imagine a scenario where rational actors would take these routes, but for the sake of this outcome. And that would be salary-cap… pic.twitter.com/KTWhsBTawZ

— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) June 5, 2026

Since the allegations were made public, Ballmer and the Clippers have denied them and have remained adamant that there is no evidence supporting them.

In the article, ESPN says they have spoken to people in and close to the NBA about potential outcomes from the investigation, and that the NBA could receive some pushback from the National Basketball Players Association or from the other 29 owners.

Today is Game 2 of the NBA Finals. The New York Knicks are at the San Antonio Spurs again. Watch at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC or WJLA-TV in the DMV.

The Knicks lead the series 1-0, so we’ll see what happens tonight!

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If the opening night of the NBA Finals is any indication of what we’ve got in store for Game 2 and beyond, my good people, we’re headed for basketball Nirvana.

The New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs are back at it on Friday night, and I’ve got a same-game parlay anchored in the back-and-forth battle we all want in the finals.

Here are my best NBA picks and Knicks vs. Spurs SGP predictions on June 5.

Our best Knicks vs Spurs SGP for Game 2

SGP leg #1: Spurs moneyline

The young San Antonio Spurs couldn’t put away the New York Knicks in Game 1, and the veteran side made adjustments and refused to be rattled on the big stage. Game 2 could also come down to the wire, which has me keeping it simple and sticking with San Antonio to win outright. 

The Spurs are great off a loss, and with those nerves settled, I expect an efficient offensive effort – as we saw in the first half of the opener. The Spurs evened this championship series before a swing to the Big Apple.

SGP leg #2: Victor Wembanyama Over 11.5 rebounds

Victor Wembanyama still grabbed 12 rebounds on 22 rebounding chances but was pulled away from the rim to defend outside shooters on Wednesday. That left San Antonio susceptible to the crashing Knicks, who snatched 10 offensive rebounds. Wemby stays closer to home in Game 2 in order to kick-start the transition attack off rebounds, and his projections call for as many as 15+ boards Friday.

SGP leg #3: Dylan Harper Over 11.5 points

Dylan Harper thrived in the pace of the first half of Game 1, scoring 12 of his 16 points in the opening two frames. But once New York slowed that transition attack, Harper had a tough time finding his flow. De’Aaron Fox’s struggles could also see Mitch Johnson giving his rookie more floor time in the final minutes. Harper’s models call for as many as 13 points in Game 2.

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See our full Knicks vs Spurs Game 2 preview

Get Jason Logan's full breakdown of this game, including his best bet, plus the latest NBA odds, injuries, and betting trends, in his Knicks vs. Spurs predictions for Game 2.

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SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The star power of Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson helped this year's NBA Finals get off to a huge start in terms of viewership, the likes of which hadn't been seen since the last finals matchup between LeBron James and Stephen Curry eight years ago.

Game 1 of the finals matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks averaged nearly 17 million viewers on Wednesday night, up 90% when compared to last season's finals Game 1. It was the most-watched Game 1 since 2018, the most recent time James — then of Cleveland — and Golden State's Curry faced off in the title round.

Wednesday's game had a peak audience of 19.63 million viewers around 11 p.m. EDT, which would have been in the fourth quarter of New York's 105-95 victory.

It was the most-watched finals Game 1 ever on ABC and the most-watched finals contest since Game 6 of the 2019 title series between Toronto and Golden State.

The viewership numbers for Game 1 on Wednesday were higher than the opening game of 15 of the past 16 World Series, including the 2024 series opener between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers — a matchup pitting the country's top two media markets. That game averaged 15.2 million viewers.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Editor's Note:Click here for live coverage and all the latest news from Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.

The women are expected to arrive for Game 2 of the NBA Finals as they arrived for Game 1, and for many games before that.

They’ll be wearing their traditional nun’s habits and San Antonio Spurs jerseys. They’ll also be rooting (and praying) for the home team when the Spurs take on the New York Knicks at the Frost Bank Center on Friday, June 5.

It makes the nuns almost as easy to spot as Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ 7-foot-4 phenom. And like Wemby and the rest of the Spurs, the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco in San Antonio have become celebrities in their own right.

Perhaps even rivaling the celebrity of Sister Jean, the late basketball-loving chaplain at Loyola-Chicago.

The Sisters adore the Spurs, and the affection appears to be mutual.

During Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, Wembanyama did not head out of the tunnel without taking time to shake each of the nuns’ hands, according to The Athletic.

"In a way, he was saying, 'Thank you,'" Sister Bernadette Mota told The Athletic. "He didn’t say 'Thank you' out loud, but he grabbed our hands. … You could see the focus in his eyes, and also his sense of gratitude for the prayers that we were giving the team.

"Without saying a word, he said a lot."

No bandwagon jumpers

The nuns started cheering on the Spurs long before Wembanyama arrived in 2023 and has now led the team to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.

Former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich helped forge the relationship between the team and the nuns more than 20 years ago, according to Sister Mota.

"We had some sisters who were really diehard Spurs fans throughout the years, and they’re the ones that made that initial connection with the Spurs, and they would write to Coach Popovich and he would actually write back," Mota told EWTN Catholic Television. "And him and his wife came to visit the Sisters a few times. “So much of that love and that connection with the Spurs community and their players, our sisters would watch the games and over the years… it’s just kept up since then.

"But a few years back it had kind of died down a little bit. And then COVID happened and we kind of lost that connection. But just this past year and more recently these past weeks, it really has built up in a really strong way. And so we’re back praying with the Spurs."

These Sisters got game

The nuns’ love for basketball transcends cheering for the Spurs. They play, too.

Video captured three of the Sisters in a parking lot, dribbling and taking aim at a basket with a torn net. And one of the nuns drained a long shot.

"Wooooo!" she exclaimed.

The Sisters cheer with equal fervor for the Spurs, but the biggest mission is not to help the team win their first NBA title since 2014.

While a handful of nuns attend home games, they've also held at least one playoff watch party for the children who attend St. John Bosco School in San Antonio and the children's parents. The Sisters also report that attention they've received from attending games has led to significant donations that will be used for the children, who apparently share the nuns' love of the Spurs.

An excerpt of a story on the Salesian Sisters website reads, "By meeting young people where they are and sharing in the joys that matter to them, the Sisters bring faith, encouragement, and hope into everyday life."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spurs nuns, explained: How faith, fandom helped fuel NBA Finals run