Spurs or Knicks? Who should Warriors fans root for in the NBA Finals?
The Warriors were officially knocked out of championship contention during the play-in tournament in April, long after any realistic hope was snuffed out when Jimmy Butler tore his ACL in mid-January.
But Golden State supporters who have stuck around for the postseason have been treated to a thrilling ride that will conclude with a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals.
The New York Knicks finally broke through following several truncated postseason runs, taking down Jonathan Kuminga's Hawks, the Sixers and Cavaliers to reach the Finals.
Meanwhile, the young San Antonio Spurs have made good on their 60-win regular season, defeating the Blazers, Timberwolves and then knocking off the defending champion Thunder in a classic seven-game series.
Which winner would be better for Warriors fans? There are compelling arguments for both sides.
And who will win the series?
The case for the Knicks
– Mike Brown was a longtime assistant to Steve Kerr and an integral piece of the Warriors dynasty. After being done dirty by the Kings, fired after going 195-107 and leading the team to the playoffs (and a classic seven-game series with the Warriors), Brown was hired last offseason by New York. He has shown why he was the 2023 coach of the year.
– Outside of Steph Curry, is there a small guard who is more fun to watch than Jalen Brunson? He averages 26 points per game using his quickness, guile and crafty shotmaking. Remind you of anyone?
– The Spurs, with their young core of Victor Wembanyama, Steph Castle and Dylan Harper, are going to win five or six titles over the next decade if they stay healthy. They have plenty of time to stay healthy, so why not root for a team that may never get this kind of opportunity again?
– The Knicks have not won a title since 1973, and the Spurs are heavily favored to win the series. This might be the only time in recent memory that people can root for a New York team and still feel like they're pulling for the plucky underdogs.
– New York also prevented longtime Warriors nemesis James Harden from potentially winning his first title.
– Who doesn't love the Sidetalk videos of Knicks fans going bonkers in the streets after big wins? A Knicks championship would be, to use some modern slang, absolute cinema.
The case for the Spurs
– In this era of chronic nonchalance, Wembanyama's willingness to care, cry, celebrate and give a darn is downright endearing. Though the 7-foot-5 center plays a completely different kind of game compared to Curry, he is the heir apparent to the Golden State icon as the face of basketball joy.
– The Spurs ensured that the Thunder, known as much for flopping as their basketball talent, did not become the first team since the Warriors to repeat as NBA champions. Basketball fans outside of Oklahoma City rejoice.
– Harrison Barnes is still, somehow, chugging along as a rotation player in the NBA. The onetime Warriors lottery pick and starter on the 2015 title team is now a veteran leader for San Antonio and gives the Spurs bench a Golden State presence alongside Lindy Waters III, who played part of last season for the Warriors.
– The Spurs pile up the highlights on offense, but are the rare team that is equally well-known for getting stops. Having watched Draymond Green for over a decade, Warriors fans can appreciate watching Castle and Harper and Julian Champagnie hound ballhandlers on the perimeter while Wembanyama locks down the paint.
– Spurs coach Mitch Johnson was a four-year starter for some great Stanford teams in the late 2000s, layering in another Bay Area tie. Johnson is in his first year as the head coach after spending most of last year filling in for the ailing Gregg Popovich.
– Even if the Knicks' fans are a fun subplot at this point, there's no telling how annoying New Yorkers will get if their team wins the title.
Our prediction
Before the season, I said that Wembanyama would become the best player in the world in 2025-26, but thought the Spurs were still a year away from reaching elite status as an organization. I should have had more faith in San Antonio. The Knicks are a fun story, but the Spurs will win in five as Wembanyama cements himself as the top player in the game.
Result:Spurs win 4-1
Finals MVP:Victor Wembanyama
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 5:58 AM.