By James Sablan
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Variety News Staff
GAME 1 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks is set for Thursday, June 4, starting at 10:30 a.m. local time.
We asked six NBA fans which team they were rooting for and why. Here’s what they had to say:
Ethan Kwon
“Spurs — because they’re built the right way through the draft. Instead of stacking big trades or actively chasing big stars, they developed their own young core and grew them together. Guys like Victor Wembanyama and the rest of the drafted players came up in the system, learned together, and now they are hitting their stride at the perfect time. It just feels more real like you are watching a team that was built piece by piece turn into a legit contender. But still # LakersNation”
Jun Hernandez
“I’m rooting for the Spurs. Wemby should have been MVP of the regular season. In my opinion, he’s the better player in the NBA this season. All around better player — he’s an alien, he’s out of this world!”
Jerico Blazo
“If loyalty, I’ll go for the Spurs. But for better odds, I’ll go Knicks. Both of them hit my bets haha!”
Jereon Montenejo
“OKC should’ve won WCF #stillthunderup”
Paul Quizon
“I believe the Spurs should win at least one more chip in tribute to their former coach Greg Popovich. Taking out the defending champs wasn’t easy and I think they deserve winning it all. The Spurs prove hard work beats talent.”
Keith Santos
“I am not really a big fan of the Spurs but I do want them to win the 2026 NBA Finals. Most of their players are young and they don’t really have playoff experiences but they’ve been playing so well as a team. So I want them to win the championship this year.”
James Sablan has been a sports reporter for Variety since 2013. He was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College and covers all local sports.
