The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks are set to battle it out in the 2026 NBA Finals, starting on Wednesday with Game 1 at the Frost Bank Center.
Victor Wembanyama is more than ready for the spotlight at just 22 years old, while the Knicks are looking to win their first NBA championship since 1973.
It’s a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals and this year’s Emirates NBA Cup Final, so there’s immense history between the two teams.
Victor Wembanyama’s Message About The Knicks
Speaking to reporters during the 2026 NBA Finals Media Day on Tuesday, Victor Wembanyama was asked about facing the Knicks once again, this time at the biggest stage.
The Spurs and Knicks battled each other three times this season, two in the regular season and in the Emirates NBA Cup Final. They split the regular-season matchup, with the Knicks winning the 2026 NBA Cup.
Wembanyama had nothing but praise for the Knicks, calling them a team with a purpose that was not in the NBA Finals by accident.
“It’s a great team,” Wembanyama said. “It’s a great team of experienced guys who are not here by chance, but by relentless effort over the years and very different career paths for all of them. So, they’re right where they’re supposed to be, in my opinion, and all of them are going to be super hungry in their own way.”
Since Wemby entered the league in 2023, the Spurs and Knicks have split every season series, so it could be a long series to determine the 2026 NBA champs.
Knicks’ Road To The NBA Finals
The Knicks had a rough start to the NBA playoffs, going down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. CJ McCollum was dominating them and was putting daggers into Knicks fans’ hearts.
However, coach Mike Brown made the right adjustments in Game 4, and the rest was history. The Knicks won the next three games to advance to the second round.
They swept the Philadelphia 76ers, with an average winning margin of 22.3 points per game. They also swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals via an average winning margin of 19.3 points.
Spurs’ Road To The NBA Finals
The Spurs didn’t look dominant during their entire run to the NBA Finals, but they got the job done against the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder.
They overcame a minor Victor Wembanyama injury in the Blazers series before closing them out in five games. The Timberwolves matchup was more difficult, though they were able to win the last two games to get it done in six.
The Western Conference Finals went to seven games, with the Spurs outlasting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending NBA champs to make their first NBA Finals appearance since 2014.
Victor Wembanyama Sends Strong Knicks Message Ahead of NBA Finals