As the New York Knicks prepare for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst pointed to derogatory signs he saw in San Antonio—but said the Knicks still feel “likable” to most people. The Finals matchup is a rematch of the
When the New York Knicks finally arrived at the NBA Finals, it didn’t just flip a standings page—it recharged a fanbase that’s spent years both believing and doubting, loud enough to be heard from anywhere and critical enough to never let the team coast.
Now New York will battle the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals, a rematch of the 1999 championship round that the Spurs won in five games. For many Knicks fans, the road to this moment has felt like a long wait punctuated by losing seasons and harsh roster turns—until it didn’t.
The surge that has carried the Knicks back to this stage has been built around Jalen Brunson. Karl-Anthony Towns. Josh Hart. OG Anunoby. and Mikal Bridges. The group’s run to the ultimate stage has been framed as steady and inspiring—an evolution that turned the impossible into something New York could actually touch.
Windhorst, speaking with the experience of seeing the mood firsthand, said the Knicks can even win over people who would expect the opposite. He described walking through San Antonio and noticing some fans with what he called “derogatory” signs about the Knicks.
“There are some fans out out here in San Antonio. I saw them on the street today. that had like derogatory signs about the Knicks. but that doesn’t come with feeling. The Knicks are a likable team,” Windhorst said. “You may dislike them because they’re from New York if you’re from Texas, but how can you not like them?”.
The clip—shared on June 3, 2026—captured Windhorst’s point in a way that landed immediately with Knicks supporters: irritation can exist, but so can the sense that New York’s team simply behaves like something fans can trust.
That tone runs through the way this roster has been talked about. Brunson is described as modest. Towns as amiable. Hart as hilarious. Anunoby as unassuming. Bridges as lively. The “Villanova Knicks” branding has also become part of the feel-good layer surrounding the run.
There’s an additional thread fans tend to cling to when they’re starving for something bigger than a good season. The Knicks’ unifying goal has been to bring the trophy back to New York for the first time since 1973.
After nearly three decades, they’re there—facing a familiar opponent in a familiar kind of pressure cooker, with San Antonio looking ready to respond to the past, and New York arriving with something fans can finally point to and say: not cursed, not impossible.
Instead, it’s Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and this time the Knicks feel ready to match the moment.
New York Knicks San Antonio Spurs NBA Finals Brian Windhorst Jalen Brunson Karl-Anthony Towns Josh Hart OG Anunoby Mikal Bridges 1999 Finals Derrick? signs June 3 2026