By If they win, it will be the Spurs’ first NBA championship title since 2014, while for the Knicks it would be their first in over 50 years.
The archbishops of San Antonio and New York announced a “friendly wager” as the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks continue to face off in the NBA Finals this week.
Of the championship, San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller said in a video posted on social media on June 3 that “when the Spurs win,” New Yorkʼs Archbishop Ronald Hicks will send him a box of bagels, cream cheese, and lox.
San Antonioʼs chief pastor continued: “If by some slight possibility, hard to think, the Spurs arenʼt victorious, I will send him Texas gift boxes with items from HEB,” a favorite Texas grocery store based in San Antonio.
“I am really looking forward to enjoying those bagels,” García-Siller teased.
The San Antonio archbishop said that he and “thousands” of Salesian sisters, some of whom have attended games for years and have been seeing cheering on the Spurs during the playoffs, are also praying for the Spurs’ victory.
He also said both he and Hicks are “united in prayer for the safety of the players.”
According to the Archdiocese of San Antonio, García-Siller will be watching Game 3 on Monday, June 8. Asked for additional thoughts by EWTN News, the archbishop replied only: “Go Spurs go!”
For his part, Hicks said in a video on social media that he has “caught Knicks fever.”
He mentioned Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart, who all attended Villanova University, “the alma mater of our Holy Father, who reminds us that he praises the Lord for the gift of sport, for those who glorify God through the exercise of their bodies, for the friendship born on the field, and for the joy of playing as a team.”
Hicks said he is “looking forward to this friendly wager with my friend, Archbishop Gustavo,” confirming he will send bagels if the Knicks lose, and said he looks “forward to whatever he’s going to … send my way from San Antonio.”
“I’ve lit my candles, I’ve said my prayers … Go Knicks!” New York’s archbishop concluded.
The Spurs and Knicks are the last two teams standing in the 2026 NBA season. The Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-3 in the Western Conference Finals.
They are now in a best-of-seven series for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, with the Knicks currently leading 2-0 after winning both Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio.
Entering Game 3 of the Finals on Monday night, the Knicks have won 13 consecutive playoff games — the second-longest single-postseason winning streak ever, trailing only the 15-game run by the Golden State Warriors in 2017.
After sweeping the 76ers and Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoffs and winning the first two games of the Finals in San Antonio, New York has outscored opponents by 273 points, the best 13-game margin in playoff history.
It has been 53 years since the Knicks’ last championship, the longest drought for any NBA franchise.
The last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999, when they faced the Spurs.
A Knicks victory in Game 3 would put them on the brink at 3-0, while a Spurs win could spark a comeback and extend the series.
As a longtime Knicks fan, President Donald Trump, who was invited by team owner James Dolan, will attend Game 3. This will mark the first time a sitting president attends an NBA Finals game.
In Game 1 on Wednesday, June 3, the Knicks rallied from a double-digit deficit to defeat the Spurs 105-95, with Brunson leading the way with 30 points.
Game 2 on Friday, June 5, proved even tighter: New York built a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter only for San Antonio to storm back, but the Knicks held on for a thrilling 105-104 victory after Victor Wembanyama, age 22, the tallest player in the NBA at 7 feet 4 inches and a record-setting rookie, missed a potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer following a late turnover.
“Wemby,” as he is called, made NBA history in his 2023-24 rookie season with the Spurs, becoming the first player ever to record at least 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocks, and 100 three-pointers in a single season. He was the unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie First Team selection in 2024.
In 2025-26, he captured NBA Defensive Player of the Year, making him the youngest and first unanimous winner ever.
The series now shifts to Madison Square Garden for Game 3 on Monday, June 8, at 8:30 p.m. ET, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, at the same time and venue. Subsequent games, if necessary, return to San Antonio for Game 5 on June 13, followed by Game 6 in New York on June 16 and a potential Game 7 back in San Antonio on June 19.
The winner earns their franchise’s next title. If they win, the Knicks will earn their first since 1973, while the title will be the Spurs’ first since 2014.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Leave a Reply