SAN ANTONIO – From morning through midday, both the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks had busy schedules. The teams held practice and met with the media on Tuesday at the Frost Bank Center. Hundreds of reporters were on hand.
The Knicks have endured a championship drought similar to the Spurs’, though theirs has lasted even longer.
New York’s last NBA Finals appearance came in 1999. Coincidentally, that was the year the Spurs won their first NBA championship by defeating the Knicks.
It’s safe to say it’s been a long time coming.
“I’m a kid that used to be right in the projects and just dreaming of playing basketball at the highest level, and I get to do it with a city that raised me,” Knicks guard Jose Alvarado said. “It’s always going to be emotional. You can’t really put into words how much this means to me and my family.”
The Knicks kept their game-day answers simple, but one topic they were eager to discuss was reaching the NBA Finals and taking it all in.
“Just a lot of great memories,” said Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson, a former Wagner Thunderbird. “Just growing up in this city. A lot of growth here as a kid. It’s just amazing.”
“To be able to have this moment in Knicks history where we’re back here — New York has been hungry to get back to the Finals,” Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said. “Being grateful for all the good and all the bad that happens.”
When discussing the challenge ahead, the Knicks acknowledged how much both teams have changed since their last meeting in December during the NBA Cup.
As the higher seed, the Spurs will host the first two games of the NBA Finals at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
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