ESPN’s Knicks-Spurs – Ahead of the 2026 NBA Finals between the Knicks and Spurs, ESPN will debut seven brand-new opening segments—80-second videos that place defining Finals moments inside the Larry O’Brien Trophy, including highlights from LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant
For a brief stretch before tipoff, ESPN is asking fans to slow down and look closer.
In the lead-up to the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. the network will roll out a set of seven distinct opening segments—one for each game of the series—starting with Game 1 on June 3. Each video runs about 80 seconds and is built around a simple idea: show different defining moments from NBA Finals history as if they’re living inside the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
ESPN’s 24th year broadcasting the NBA Finals also marks a first chapter under a new 11-year media rights agreement with the NBA. These opens are being used as a relaunch moment for the relationship—an attempt to frame the matchup not just as a series, but as part of a longer story.
Tim Corrigan, ESPN’s senior vice president of sports production, said the work was about more than design and pacing. “This was time to reimagine what we have been doing most recently. and I love that we landed here. ” he said. “You want to look at teams that are there and respect them for their journey and how they got here. and I think the idea here is introducing that you’re part of something even bigger when you do get here and this is the legacy of it.”.
Game 1’s open sets the tone with iconic clips that span generations. The segment includes footage of LeBron James’ block of Andre Iguodala in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals. as well as Kevin Garnett’s famous “Anything’s Possible” moment. The montage also draws from the legacies of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
The opening doesn’t stop at a single era. Other legends highlighted include Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julius Erving. More recent Finals moments add further texture. including the Spurs dynasty. Dwayne Wade celebrating the Miami Heat’s first title. Kawhi Leonard celebrating the Toronto Raptors’ first title. and championship runs led by Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. ESPN also includes Steph Curry’s dagger 3-pointer against the Celtics.
To make the trophy feel like a living archive, ESPN built additional visual elements into the Game 1 open, including a globe inside the trophy. The globe is meant to recognize the international players who have made their mark in the NBA, including recent MVPs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic.
The Finals this year will feature two young faces the network says it intends to weave into that same legacy. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and Knicks star Jalen Brunson are the fresh centerpiece, and Corrigan said ESPN plans to carry moments from this series into future Finals opens.
“We’re going to have our eighth consecutive new NBA champion this year, right?” Corrigan said. “So we’re looking forward to who will be the next player who joins this piece or what’s the next moment that joins this piece.”
ESPN’s production push was extensive. Corrigan said a team of about 20 people worked on the opens for the last six months. a process he described as a “fun NBA history lesson.” He said the team leaned into the idea that the trophy world should contain not only historic imagery. but also the people and moments that define why those trophies matter.
Corrigan, who produced the last 18 NBA Finals in his previous role as a senior coordinating producer for ESPN, oversaw creation of the openings along with producers Steve Lawrence and Jeremy Anderson, with design company MakeMake brought in to craft the look.
What stands out, in Corrigan’s telling, is the emotional payoff. He said he hopes the opening segments elevate the entire Finals viewing experience and showcase the kind of joy that only arrives after years of effort. “When you get a chance to do this. it’s so personal and there’s images and moments you’ll never forget. ” he said. He pointed to a specific kind of scene—Nikola Jokic holding his daughter as confetti pours down all around him after the Finals—as the kind of unfiltered celebration the opens aim to capture.
By the time the Knicks and Spurs take the floor, the story ESPN is building will already be in motion—layering the current moment onto the trophy’s long memory, and setting up each game with the promise that the Finals aren’t just watched. They’re remembered.
ESPN Knicks Spurs NBA Finals 2026 Larry O’Brien Trophy Tim Corrigan Victor Wembanyama Jalen Brunson NBA media rights