By Camden Strong
The Spurs dethroned OKC (Oklahoma City Thunder) on Saturday to make the NBA finals, in a rematch of the 1999 Finals, which saw the Spurs victorious. For the Knicks, it’s their first NBA Final since that date, and they will now look to shift the tide, and end their 53-year drought.
Victor Wembanyama goes into the final crowned MVP in the Western Conference, after leading the Spurs throughout the run to the final. After his dominant Game 7 win – which saw him drop 22 points in a pivotal career game, knocking out the previous champions – at just 22 years old he’s also the youngest in history to make an All-NBA First Team and NBA Finals in the same season. His Game 7 wasn’t the only standout, with the Frenchman leading the San Antonio Spurs through a challenging route to the playoffs.
For the New York Knicks, an equally impressive run to the final saw them dominate in the Eastern Conference, a remarkable achievement for the franchise and fanbase after over half a century out of the NBA Finals. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson is the man to look out for, after captaining the Knicks to a 4-0 sweep over the Cavaliers, dropping 15 points to help the New York Knicks win their first NBA Finals in 27 years.
The Final also brings a historic element, as the last time these two franchises met was the NBA Finals 1999, the last time the Knicks participated. More than two decades later, the Knicks look to break the curse against the Wembanyama-era Spurs. For the Spurs, a win would solidify their future as a league powerhouse with stars like Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper. On the other hand, the Knicks look to end one of the longest droughts in sports history for one of the most passionate fanbases, as Brunson and his men march onto San Antonio for Game 1.
While both teams have their differences in playstyle, the New York Knicks should look to Karl-Anthony Towns to guard Western Conference MVP Victor Wembanyama, as doing so would minimise both his defensive and offensive capabilities. The Knicks’ 3-point success has been a team effort with seven players taking at least two 3-pointers per game in the playoffs. Despite the Knicks’ dominance over the Spurs in the regular season, the Spurs are the better team on paper with defensive guards to keep the likes of Brunson silent.
With the Spurs as favourites going into the final – and with Wembanyama looking unstoppable – it’s hard to see a world where the Knicks keep him silent.
