If you’ve been consuming any media over the last few days, you have definitely heard that this NBA Finals is technically a rematch from 27 years ago, back when the San Antonio Spurs started their legendary dynasty by beating the New York Knicks four games to one.
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However, the analysis tends to start and end there (with a few key parallels briefly added in). But what is really similar about this iteration of the matchup? What are the key differences? And is this series different enough to avoid history repeating itself?
What Is The Same
It is pretty poetic how many similarities exist between this run to the Finals and the one the Spurs embarked on nearly three decades ago. Back then, San Antonio was going through its first big run with Tim Duncan, their prized first-round pick from a few seasons prior who would go on to lead the Spurs to four more championships after clinching this one. To get to the Knicks, the Spurs had to go through the Minnesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers (who, at the time, rostered Duncan’s greatest contemporary, Shaquille O’Neal). Oh, and by the way, this all transpired during Duncan’s age-22 season.
Victor Wembanyama is currently in the midst of his age-22 season. He was touted as a generational first overall pick. He had to go through the Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, and his most formidable nemesis (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) to earn this matchup against the Knicks. And the Spurs are hoping for a series victory that kickstarts a new era of prolonged success.
What Is Different?
The path to getting to the NBA Finals may have been similar for Duncan and Wembanyama, but what lies ahead this time around is far different. During the 1999 NBA Playoffs, the Spurs went on a twelve game win streak (spanning from the first round all the way to the Finals), making them one of only five teams in NBA history to win eleven straight games in the same postseason.
One of those other five teams is the 2026 Knicks. So, this time, the rolls are reversed. By the way, as a fun aside, these two teams boast the least impressive eleven-plus game win streaks when you consider the quality of their opponents.
Back then, the Knicks were a long shot to win the Finals. According to Covers’ database, they were given +600 odds to win at the beginning of the series, which is an implied probability of 14.3%. This go-around, FanDuel has them at +152 (39.7%).
It is cute to think about all the parallels that exist between Wembanyama and the Hall of Famer that elevated the Spurs’ organization to basketball royalty, but there is nothing cute about the version of the Knicks they will need to beat to get the Larry O’Brien in this sequel.