The very casual fan’s guide to the NBA Finals |
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The very casual fan’s guide to the NBA Finals
It’s a David vs. Goliath battle between the long-suffering Knicks and resurgent Spurs, with their near-alien talent.
The NBA Finals are upon us and, if you haven’t noticed, this one’s a little more hotly anticipated than usual. The president and the pope are getting involved.
The New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs will meet in the NBA Finals on Wednesday.
The Spurs feature a generational giant in 22-year-old Victor Wembanyama, and they just beat the defending champions. The Knicks are on an 11-game winning streak led by their much smaller star Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks were terrible for decades and haven’t won a championship since 1973; a win would cap off their incredible resurgence. For the Spurs, Wembanyama could enter conversations about the all-time greats early in his career.
Why? There’s the New York factor, with the Knicks back in the finals for the first time since 1999 after years of struggles. And then there’s their opponent, the San Antonio Spurs, whose young star, Victor Wembanyama — an out-of-this-world talent and the league’s tallest player — is rapidly becoming the face of the NBA.
The best-of-seven series kicks off Wednesday night. Viewership is expected to be way up this year because of the high-stakes matchup, so don’t feel bad about joining the action late. You won’t be the only one.
Here’s everything you need to enjoy it – even if you aren’t the kind of basketball obsessive who’d consider ponying up $100,000 for tickets to Madison Square Garden.
What are the San Antonio Spurs like?
The biggest story for the Spurs is their biggest player, Wembanyama, who stands between 7-foot-4 and 7-foot-7 tall, depending on who you ask.
The Frenchman has quickly become one of the league’s top ratings draws with his unique play-style, magnetic personality, and quirky behavior (he trained with Shaolin monks in the offseason).
This year, he became the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year to be selected unanimously as well as the youngest player ever to receive the award; he blocked a record 12 shots in a single game this playoffs. But he’s also a gifted offensive player with a deep bag of tricks who can shoot from anywhere — he hit a pull-up three from the logo to tie Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals late in the fourth quarter.
Wembanyama is only 22 years old and the Spurs’ youthful roster of recent lottery picks, led by an also-young coach in Mitch Johnson, is the other major theme here. They have two tough guards in Stephon Castle (age 21) and Dylan Harper (age 20), a speedy veteran point guard in De’Aaron Fox (a comparatively venerable 28), a hustling Sixth Man of the Year in Keldon Johnson, and an assortment of helpful complementary pieces.
Who are the big players for the New York Knicks?
The Knicks have a deep team filled with brand-name playoff veterans, but their unquestioned superstar is 29-year-old Jalen Brunson, a point guard known for his unreal scoring, crunch-time heroics, and exemplary leadership.
Narrative-wise, he’s the perfect contrast to Wembanyama. Brunson is generously listed as 6-foot-2, and while Wembanyama was the most celebrated draft pick since LeBron James,........