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The 2026 NBA Finals might be a rework of the 1999 title tilt, but this iteration feels like a singular moment across the sport. As conquerers of the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks have whipped all five boroughs into a frenzy. In trying to win its first championship since 1973, New York rallies around…

There’s a not-so-exclusive club in the NBA. It includes those who have worked for the Sacramento Kings since Vivek Ranadivé’s ownership group bought the team and kept it from relocating to Seattle in 2013. Club members could be former coaches, players, executives or other support staff. They all share a similar tale: Just when you…

Nearly four decades before the New York Knicks took a big chance on Mike Brown, Tom Bennett was the first basketball figure in the United States to do the same. The Mesa Community College coach offered the relatively unknown high school player in Germany and son of an Air Force man a spot on his…

The Giannis Antetokounmpo clock just keeps ticking, with less than three weeks remaining until the deadline that Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam set back in early May. By the time the June 23 NBA Draft arrives, as Haslam publicly shared back then, we should know whether Antetokounmpo is finally going to be traded — and…

This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Victor Wembanyama sat on the bench with his San Antonio Spurs teammates, visibly emotional as he watched his team secure a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA playoffs. Advertisement After the game, a…

Josh Hart scanned the table. His trademark smirk visible for NBA fans to see. There was a trophy. Microphones. His brothers. In the snap of a finger, I could see that Hart was flooded with memories of the past as a new one was being internalized. Hart, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges sat shoulder to…

This is one of the most anticipated NBA Finals in several years. The New York Knicks represent the biggest city in the country and haven’t won a championship in more than 50 years. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs, winners of five championships since 1999, have the sport’s largest star, literally, in Victor Wembanyama. Advertisement There…

SAN ANTONIO — OG Anunoby understands where to look. First, he checks the release of the shot. Is it long? Short? Which part of the rim might it hit, and where might it ricochet from there? Then, as he stands in the corner of the court, his eyes pan to the man defending him. If…

“We know what’s coming. We know they’re going to bet the Knicks as ‘dogs in each game and to win the whole thing,” DraftKings sportsbook director Johnny Avello told The Athletic. Avello, a Poughkeepsie, N.Y., native who moved to Las Vegas in the late 1970s soon after they won their last championship, is among the…

SAN ANTONIO — If it weren’t about 100 degrees here in southwest Texas, the San Antonio Spurs’ jerseys might still be wet from their tears of joy from Saturday night. The page has turned, and San Antonio, with its lanky, 22-year-old dynamo Victor Wembanyama leading the way, is back in the NBA Finals for the…