NBA Finals: A win for us all
Two talented teams are vying for the 2026 basketball championship. Their athletic skills are impressive; their examples of decency, determination, and care for others are inspiring.
New York Knicks鈥� Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots as San Antonio Spurs鈥� Stephon Castle (5) defends during Game 4 of the NBA finals, June 10, in New York City.
Al Bello/Pool Photo via AP
Even if you can鈥檛 tell a layup from a laces drive, it鈥檚 unlikely you鈥檝e escaped the buzz and anticipation around two major sporting events this week 鈥� the championship series of the National Basketball Association and the opening matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Right now, it鈥檚 fair to say that American sports fans are less focused on 鈥渢he beautiful game鈥� and more intent on the matchup between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. Devoted fans, as well as casual observers, have been impressed by the athleticism and on-court skills of players from both teams. But, throughout the season, they鈥檝e also been touched by something more: the consistent qualities of character that the players express, such as unity, determination, humility, and care for others.
The Knicks, for instance, do 鈥渘ot fit the caricature of New Yorkers ... as self-obsessed, grasping, indifferent,鈥� The Economist observes. Instead, they are being 鈥渃elebrated for some less-recognised qualities of New Yorkers ... decency, playfulness and generosity towards each other.鈥�
In the Big Apple, thousands of residents and visitors have congregated around big screens in pubs, parks, and streets for community watch parties. Many shared with the media their sense of joy and inclusion at these events. 鈥淓veryone is just happy. ... There鈥檚 so much love,鈥� in the words of one.
鈥淚t feels like the transformation of the world鈥檚 greatest city into the world鈥檚 greatest small town,鈥� Mayor Zohran Mamdani commented to The Athletic. 鈥淲e [are] all thinking about the same thing鈥� 鈥� a longed-for championship for the Knicks, who last won in 1973.
The series heads to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday, with the Knicks leading 3-1. Whatever the outcome, that city鈥檚 1.5 million residents might also enjoy a similar small-town sense of community spirit and cohesion. That鈥檚 because both teams express 鈥渦plifting ... behaviors and attitudes,鈥� according to Jeremi Suri, a basketball fan and professor of politics at the University of Texas at Austin.
In a recent Substack post, 鈥淭he Knicks and Spurs Show Us a Better America,鈥� Dr. Suri wrote that the athletes show they 鈥渃are about something larger than themselves.鈥�
At a time when many Americans feel socially disconnected and cynical, he continued, the players are 鈥渘eeded role models. ... Young men with purpose, with healthy relationships, with belief in themselves and others.鈥�
Of course, these highly paid professional athletes are also highly competitive. They play to win. So, things might get heated on court, with some trash talk and fouls. Still, whether through charitable work (New York鈥檚 Jalen Brunson), a proclivity for quiet introspection (San Antonio鈥檚 Victor Wembanyama), or religious observance (New York鈥檚 Karl-Anthony Towns), they also teach fans about wins beyond the scoreboard.
At this point, it seems right to cheer: Go Knicks! Go Spurs!