Knicks, Spurs renew Finals rivalry in New York's title chase

The Knicks and Spurs reopened a rivalry that still carries New York pain and New York pride, with Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals starting June 3 in San Antonio. For the Knicks, this is more than a title chase. It is a return to the sport’s biggest stage for the first time since 1999, and a bid for the franchise’s first championship since 1973.

The matchup has resonance well beyond basketball because the Knicks still function as a civic symbol. Spike Lee remains the team’s most visible superfan and cultural marker, the kind of figure who turns a playoff run into a wider statement about the city itself. In a season defined by memory as much as matchups, the Knicks have become a stand-in for New York resilience, carrying a fan base that sees its own history, frustration and stubborn self-belief in the team’s march.

There is also fresh history between these teams. New York beat San Antonio 124-113 in the NBA Cup championship game on Dec. 16, 2025, rallying after the Spurs controlled much of the night. OG Anunoby scored 28 points and Jalen Brunson added 25, while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The Knicks also owned the glass, outrebounding the Spurs 59-42, and closed with a 13-1 run that flipped the game. That made this Finals pairing the first time the NBA Cup finalists also met in the NBA Finals in the same season.

New York reached the Finals after going 53-29 in the regular season, its highest win total since 2012-13, then sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges form the core under coach Mike Brown, and the group has given the Knicks the steady, physical identity that has made this run feel different from previous false starts.

San Antonio arrived for its sixth trip to the Finals carrying its own weight of history. The last time these teams met on this stage was the 1999 Finals, when the Spurs beat the eighth-seeded Knicks in five games for their first NBA title in the lockout-shortened season. This time, the stakes reach beyond one matchup: the winner will make the NBA’s eighth different champion in eight straight seasons, the longest such stretch in league history.