{"id":1970553,"date":"2026-06-03T17:03:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T14:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1970553"},"modified":"2026-06-03T17:03:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T14:03:26","slug":"how-knicks-spurs-nba-finals-is-a-best-case-scenario-for-league-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1970553","title":{"rendered":"How Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals is a best-case scenario for league, fans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Athletic has live coverage of <\/span><\/i>Knicks vs. Spurs<\/span><\/i><\/a> in Game 1 of the<\/span><\/i> 2026 NBA Finals<\/span><\/i><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Welcome to MoneyCall, The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s weekly sports business cheat sheet.<\/p>\n

Name-dropped today: Mike Breen, Donald Trump, Zohran Mamdani, Ben Stiller, Serena Williams, Tom Dundon, Shrey Parikh, Bunny Shaw, Tim Payne, Gabriel, Soccer Moms<\/strong> and more.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019m your host, Dan Shanoff<\/strong>, The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s managing editor for sports business. We\u2019ve published more than 140 sports business stories<\/a> , all just since last Wednesday morning<\/em>. Let\u2019s go:<\/p>\n

Driving the Conversation<\/h2>\n

Go NBA, go NBA, go!<\/strong><\/p>\n

It feels like eons ago (if only more like 10 weeks) there was widespread griping about the state of the NBA: Crisis! Tanking! Boring! Streaming! Flopping!<\/em><\/p>\n

Now tonight, the league starts its most highly anticipated NBA Finals series since the launch of LeBron James versus Steph Curry more than a decade ago<\/strong> \u2014 Knicks versus Wemby, its loudest market versus its most intriguing talent, arguably the ideal pairing.<\/p>\n

The Western Conference finals topped ratings records, comparable to last year\u2019s NBA Finals. As discussed here two weeks ago, that\u2019s the impact of Wembynomics.<\/p>\n

Now layer in a New York fanbase whose narcissism is only matched by the novelty of its first finals since \u201899. (I lived in NYC that year; the cultural takeover is unmatched.)<\/p>\n

\u2022 You\u2019ve got Zohran Mamdani issuing mayoral proclamations<\/a> that kids can stay up past their bedtimes to watch games.<\/p>\n

\u2022 You\u2019ve got President Donald Trump floating that he wants to get to a game<\/a> at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n

\u2022 You\u2019ve got Ben Stiller, part of the best celebrity row in sports, out there tweeting Andrew Marchand columns<\/a> about ESPN\u2019s Mike Breen.<\/p>\n

\u2022 You\u2019ve got endless numbers of Knicks-centric creators<\/a> vying for clout, virality or fame-adjacency.<\/p>\n

\u2022 You\u2019ve got viral NYC subway art<\/a>. (Orange and blue is the new \u2026<\/em>)<\/p>\n

\u2022 You\u2019ve got some of the worst-located Game 3 seats available in MSG going for a minimum of $4,663 EACH, per a search on StubHub I did this morning.<\/p>\n

If curiosity around Victor Wembanyama was enough to get more than 10 million fans tuning in for games in San Antonio and Oklahoma City, what will it look like when The Alien invades Manhattan? When the nation tunes in for, at best, the intrigue of watching this seemingly unprecedented player, to, at worst, hate-watching the Knicks en route to either<\/a> insufferable triumph or schadenfreude-laden failure?<\/p>\n

A few finals TV audience benchmarks to watch for:<\/p>\n

\u2022 1999<\/strong> (Knicks-Spurs I) \u2014 16.1M average<\/p>\n

\u2022 2016\/17<\/strong> (peak Warriors-Cavs) \u2014 20.3M (21st century high)<\/p>\n

\u2022 2025<\/strong> (Thunder-Pacers) \u2014 10.2M (16.4M for Game 7)<\/p>\n

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The 2026 prediction:<\/strong> Less than peak LeBron\/Curry, more than Celtics-Lakers in \u201808 (14.9M). In fact, let\u2019s go with a tick above that original Knicks-Spurs battle in 1999, which truly feels like it happened far, far longer than a quarter-century ago.<\/p>\n

That said: How quickly things change. Just this spring, from hand-wringing about the state of the league to, today, a finals that has everyone excited to tune in.<\/p>\n

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Get Caught Up<\/h2>\n

Big talkers from the sports business industry:<\/em><\/p>\n

World Cup countdown: ONE WEEK.
\n<\/strong>The coolest thing I will point you to is a series by my colleagues, \u201cThe Language of Soccer,\u201d with a defining word or phrase for all 48 teams as an entry point to explaining that country\u2019s unique soccer culture. (\u201cNo Scotland, No Party!\u201d<\/a>) More samples:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Brazil<\/strong>: \u201cRumo ao hexa.\u201d<\/a>
\n\u2022 Bosnia<\/strong>: \u201cNad nama nebo ima da gori.\u201d<\/a>
\n\u2022 Morocco<\/strong>: \u201cDima Maghreb.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

(Well worth your time to check out the entire lineup. More coming daily through next week.)<\/p>\n

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{“endpoint”:”https:\/\/api-prd-nyt.theathletic.com\/graphql”}<\/p>\n

Also very cool<\/strong>: Our World Cup hotel cost data visualizations<\/a>. This is amazing work by Emily Giambalvo and Jonah Smith.<\/p>\n

(Speaking of costs<\/strong>, looks like few fans want to pay $98<\/a> to get to New Jersey by local public transit. More promising: cheap tix to see warmup games!<\/a>)<\/p>\n

And speaking of cool<\/strong>: A recurring motif over the next eight weeks will be the fascinating intersection of the World Cup with fashion and style. Get ready with Asli Pelit\u2019s dive into \u201chigh brow blokecore.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

Reminder!<\/em> Your WC must-have is our free World Cup Briefing daily email newsletter. It will be the foundation of how I keep up with things. Two-second signup here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Serena is back:<\/strong> \u201cWomen\u2019s tennis in 2026 has plenty of stars and all-time greats. It has crossover stars like Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka. Does it have anyone on the order of Serena Williams, whose presence takes over a venue the way Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s or Taylor Swift\u2019s does?\u201d \u2014 Matt Futterman, with your must-read on The Comeback<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Peak of the Week:<\/strong> \u201cThe world needs more people with the guts to care.\u201d \u2014 Performance expert Brad Stulberg to my colleague Elise Devlin, on Wemby\u2019s healthy public displays of emotion<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stanley Cup Finals:<\/strong> What a start!<\/em> Meanwhile: On the one hand, I found Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon highly credible<\/a> in explaining to skeptical NBA fans that his austere approach wins. On the other hand, the Golden Knights have a really fun Pok\u00e9mon subplot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Steph Curry signs with Li-Ning:<\/strong> It\u2019s a 10-year deal with Curry as the new face<\/a> of a rising (if domestically obscure) sneaker company, an expression of his overtly global ambition and (as I note in the story) the tantalizing potential to shake up the NIL scene.<\/p>\n

Sports x Politics:<\/strong> As Congress discusses the latest college sports reform bill today, I think the most interesting question is: Could Congress actually preclude realignment?<\/a> (cc: SEC, Big Ten)<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s College World Series:<\/strong> Texas Tech versus Texas title tilt II<\/a> + TikTok<\/a> = another successful spring for one of the most exciting postseasons in sports.<\/p>\n

(Speaking of exciting postseasons: More fans tuned in to watch my alma mater Northwestern win its ninth women\u2019s lacrosse national championship than any women\u2019s lacrosse game on record: Nearly 500K viewers. Shoutout to the Lake Show.)<\/p>\n

Bears relocating to Indiana?<\/strong> If fans don\u2019t mind the \u201cNew York\u201d Jets and Giants playing home games in New Jersey, should the Bears playing in a Chicago exurb across a state line really bother anyone? (If it even happens \u2026<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Other current obsessions:<\/strong> ESPN\u2019s revamped NBA Finals TV team<\/a> \u2026 the Larry O\u2019Brien Trophy back at center court<\/a> of the finals \u2026 Curt Cignetti, video game cover star<\/a> (Caleb Williams, too<\/a>) \u2026 \u201cNinja Warrior\u201d at the 2028 Olympics<\/a> \u2026 the hockey romance novelist (zeitgeisty!<\/a>) \u2026 Remember that incredible Nike \u201cSecret Tournament\u201d World Cup ad?<\/a> \u2026 \u201cTarps Off\u201d<\/a> in St. Louis \u2026 congrats to my colleague Paul Tenorio on the release of his new book<\/a>, \u201cThe Messi Effect\u201d \u2026<\/p>\n

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What I\u2019m Wondering<\/h2>\n

Who will blink first in MLB labor battle?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At its core, the MLB labor battle is pretty simple:<\/p>\n

Players: <\/strong>No salary cap<\/em>
\nOwners: <\/strong>Yes salary cap<\/em><\/p>\n

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The existential question: Which side is the more stubborn on that specific issue<\/strong> \u2014 the less likely to blink in the face of lost games in 2027, perhaps even a lost SEASON in 2027? The more likely to be comfortable inflicting pain on the other side (and on fans)?<\/p>\n

I checked in with Evan Drellich, who is leading our coverage of an MLB storyline that will be an undercurrent for the next year (gulp, if not longer). Here\u2019s what Evan had to say:<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcac \u201cWhich side would blink first is a question worth billions of dollars, without exaggeration. But it\u2019s almost impossible to answer in advance. In a labor negotiation, no one is incentivized to seem anything but intractable. History says the players will fight for a long time: They went on strike for 232 days to avoid a cap from 1994-95.<\/p>\n

\u201cMeanwhile, the owners are wealthier, billionaires all. But neither side is a monolith: The owners, for example, have varying levels of debt. Everyone likes to make money, rookies and elderly owners alike, and the way to make money is to play. The wild card: Do enough owners decide that their franchise values<\/a> would be so greatly improved in a cap system that they should suffer whatever pain is required to get there?<\/strong> Check back in April.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Grab Bag<\/h2>\n

Name to Know: Shrey Parikh<\/strong>
\nWinner of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee (hosted on Ion with aplomb by Mina Kimes), in a \u201cspell-off\u201d that saw Parikh, an eighth grader from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., astonishingly zip through<\/a> more than 30 tough words in 90 seconds to claim the title over 12-year-old Ishaan Gupta from New Jersey. It was an epic spectacle<\/a> of intellectual and competitive bravura.<\/p>\n

Speaking of the Spelling Bee: The MoneyCall community (along with the Pulse community<\/a>, which was also polled) was adamant in our survey: The Bee is NOT sports, by a margin of nearly 75\/25.<\/p>\n

I received a ton of emails about it, all variations on that larger theme, although almost everyone was happy to affirm that it is most definitely a great \u201ccompetition\u201d and that the participants clearly work exceptionally hard to make it to the final stage.<\/p>\n

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One more name: Bunny Shaw<\/strong>, now the highest-paid women\u2019s soccer player<\/a> in the world (\u00a31.6M, or around $2.15M, per year).<\/p>\n

Wait, one more: Tim Payne<\/strong>, and the wild backstory behind the World Cup\u2019s most viral player<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Data Point: 350%<\/strong>
\nThat\u2019s the sales increase<\/a> in Gabriel\u2019s shirts after the Arsenal star muffed the decisive PK in the shootout that ended the Champions League final with a PSG title redux. Nice to see fans rally around him, given his critical role in Arsenal\u2019s overwhelming success this season.<\/p>\n

Beat Dan in Connections: Sports Edition<\/strong>
\nPuzzle No. 618
\nDan\u2019s time: 00:24
\nTry it here!<\/a><\/p>\n

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Worth Your Time<\/h2>\n

Great business-adjacent reads for your downtime or commute:<\/em><\/p>\n

This week, I want to focus this entire section on the important reporting done by my colleagues on the intersection of soccer and motherhood. Pick any one of these stories to start, and you will likely find yourself making time for the others.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Melanie Anzidei and Megan Feringa<\/strong> \u2014 The science of elite soccer players returning to play after pregnancy<\/a> and managing pressure<\/p>\n

\u2022 Asli Pelit<\/strong> \u2014 Transfers, moving and motherhood: The hidden cost of traveling<\/a> as an NWSL player and mom<\/p>\n

\u2022 Katie Whyatt<\/strong> \u2014 Fertility journeys of footballers in same-sex relationships: \u201cI really wanted to carry\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Charlotte Harpur<\/strong> \u2014 The world\u2019s largest domestic sporting union announces first-of-its-kind fertility care<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Whyatt<\/strong> \u2014 The reality of motherhood and football management: \u201cThere\u2019s a superpower to it\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Anzidei<\/strong> \u2014 How collective bargaining agreements gave NWSL players autonomy: \u201cIt does take a village\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Pelit<\/strong> \u2014 Emma Hayes discusses her role in helping Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson return to the USWNT<\/a><\/p>\n

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Back next Wednesday! And, as always, check out The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s other (free!) newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Athletic has live coverage of Knicks vs. Spurs in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals.\u00a0 Welcome to MoneyCall, The Athletic\u2019s weekly sports business cheat sheet. Name-dropped today: Mike Breen, Donald Trump, Zohran Mamdani, Ben Stiller, Serena Williams, Tom Dundon, Shrey Parikh, Bunny Shaw, Tim Payne, Gabriel, Soccer Moms and more. Advertisement I\u2019m your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1970553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1970553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1970553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1970553\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1970553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1970553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1970553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}