Four months before the 2026 NBA Finals tipped off, Spike Lee already knew what he wanted. Standing courtside at the All-Star Game in February, the legendary Knicks superfan spotted Victor Wembanyama and wasted no time. “Hey, I wanna see you guys in the finals, baby!” he told the Spurs center. Wembanyama smiled and fired back: “Let’s go, me too. I wanna see you guys.”
Turns out they were both right.
The clip is circulating widely this week as Game 1 of the Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals approaches Wednesday night in San Antonio. What felt like a friendly exchange at midseason is now a remarkably clean piece of prophecy – Wembanyama leading the Spurs to their first Finals since 2014, Brunson’s Knicks making the trip for the first time since 1999.
Wembanyama’s road to this moment
The 22-year-old Frenchman did more than predict it. He willed it. Wembanyama was unanimously named Western Conference Finals MVP after averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks over seven grinding games against the Oklahoma City Thunder. His 19 blocks in that series were the most by any player in a conference finals since Alonzo Mourning in 2005. The Spurs won Game 7 on the road, 111-103.
Game 1 opened with a 41-point, 24-rebound performance from Wembanyama. San Antonio never looked back from there, even with three losses along the way.
The Knicks’ side of the bargain
New York held up their end of the prediction in dominant fashion. The Knicks swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals – capping the series with a 130-93 demolition in Game 4 – and have now won 11 straight games to reach the Finals. Jalen Brunson, named Eastern Conference Finals MVP, averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists against Cleveland and is running at 27.8 points and 6.7 assists for the full postseason.
Spike Lee has already bought his ticket to San Antonio.
What to watch for Wednesday
The Spurs are -205 series favorites heading into Game 1, with San Antonio holding home-court advantage throughout the Finals. The Knicks enter as +164 underdogs – but a team shooting 40 percent from three in the playoffs rarely needs much sympathy.
The All-Star conversation was a throwaway moment at the time. Now it’s the best preview of the series anyone produced. Game 1 tips off June 3 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC from the Frost Bank Center.
Sources: Yahoo Sports, Newsweek, Bleacher Report
