NBA Finals 2026: Spurs and Knicks relive history for vacant throne

Crunch time arrived in the NBA. The fight for the Larry O'Brien Trophy begins on the court with the 2026 NBA Finals. After putting together a remarkable regular season and an outstanding performance in the Playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks enter the last and final round of this season looking to take the throne vacated by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The series, which will be played as best of seven, starts this Wednesday at the Frost Bank Center in Texas.

Here's how the Spurs and Knicks are heading into the NBA Finals

The reality of both contenders is pretty even. With neither of them finishing in first place in their respective conferences during the regular season, the Spurs and Knicks have made the most of their opportunities to end up as the two best teams this season. In the case of San Antonio, they finished second in the West with a record of 62 wins and 20 losses, being surpassed only by the Thunder. New York was third in the East with a record of 53 wins and 29 losses, finishing behind the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics.

Without needing to go through the Play-In, the Spurs and Knicks entered the Playoffs unaware that they would become the NBA's final two. Their path in the postseason was different: in the first round, while the Spurs, led by Mitch Johnson, did not suffer against the Portland Trail Blazers (4-1), the roster coached by Mike Brown needed more time to dispose of the Atlanta Hawks (4-2).

In the semifinals, the tables were turned. The Spurs ran into unexpected resistance from the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2). Unlike their Finals opponents, the Knicks left the Philadelphia 76ers (4-0) no room to maneuver.

Aiming to show up for the final series of the season, the Spurs and Knicks landed in the Conference Finals. San Antonio executed a masterpiece against the Thunder, in a tie that closed in the seventh and final game (4-3), thus dethroning the reigning champions. While New York returned to complete a sweep, this time against the Cleveland Cavaliers (4-0), managing to win their last eleven games in these Playoffs.

This season they met three times: two of them in the regular season and the third, in the NBA Cup 2025 final, with the Knicks winning the season series 2-1.

Wembanyama and Brunson are in the spotlight

Basketball is a team sport and triumphs come thanks to collective play, yes, but with nuances. Because not all players are equal and their importance on the court is not the same. Hence, there are figures with more weight in each roster. In this case, that leadership is carried by Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama, who will have a greater responsibility for either the Knicks or the Spurs to take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Without a doubt, they have been the best players on their respective teams. Brunson averaged 26 points, 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 74 games played. Wembanyama, a finalist for the MVP award, averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 64 games. In the Playoffs, his numbers weren't much different:

Track record: five Spurs titles to two for the Knicks

Being in the final phase of the season is no stranger to either franchise. Neither is lifting the title to the sky. However, their record of success is quite different: San Antonio has played a total of six Finals, winning five of them (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014); and New York has been to nine, triumphing in only two (1970 and 1973).

In other words, the Spurs have five Larry O'Brien Trophies in their trophy cabinet, while the Knicks have two.