NEW YORK (AP) — Reaching the NBA Finals demonstrates that both the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs have executed numerous intelligent decisions throughout their journeys.
Every team requires a superstar player, whether it’s a Jalen Brunson or a Victor Wembanyama. Those stars need supporting talent around them. Teams also need the proper coaching leadership.
However, this championship series, beginning Wednesday in San Antonio, demonstrates there isn’t a single formula for assembling all these components. Among the 10 players San Antonio will likely feature most heavily in their rotation during this series, six were selected by the Spurs in the draft. For New York’s 10 most probable contributors, just one was originally drafted by the Knicks.
This represents Large Market versus Small Market philosophy. Free agency acquisitions versus draft development. The Knicks versus Spurs matchup isn’t merely a battle for the NBA championship, it’s also a collision of contrasting organizational approaches — with Knicks President Leon Rose appearing to continuously adjust until discovering the proper combination, while the Spurs have constructed their roster through the draft process.
“I’ve said it before, I’ll keep saying it: Leon and his staff have done a freaking fantastic, fantastic job,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.
Whether the savior was LeBron James, Kevin Durant or another superstar, there was perpetual optimism that someone would eventually rescue the Knicks — who are appearing in the finals for the first time since 1999. They failed to reach the playoffs 16 times during the 27 seasons that followed, including a nine-year period (not long ago) when they couldn’t win even one playoff series. Regardless of their strategy, nothing was producing results.
Building a championship-caliber team requires fortunate circumstances — the Spurs understand this well, having benefited from several favorable lottery outcomes including the one that delivered Wembanyama in 2023 — but also requires strong management. It demands courageous choices, like investing over $100 million in a former second-round selection in Brunson who had primarily served as a reserve in Dallas, or surrendering five first-round draft picks to acquire Mikal Bridges, who has never achieved All-Star status but has become a crucial component of this Knicks championship run.
“It took a long time for us to get here,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. “It took a village.”
The Knicks can express the same sentiment. They simply chose an alternative path.
Rose was brought aboard in March 2020. He had worked as an agent for many years, and James was among the athletes he once represented. Rose’s hiring occurred near the conclusion of another characteristically chaotic season in New York, when the coach (David Fizdale) had been dismissed early in the campaign, and subsequently the president who terminated him (Steve Mills) was also removed.
Among Rose’s initial decisions was hiring the coach who would establish the organization’s expectations and culture — Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau achieved success, though apparently not sufficient success. Therefore, the Knicks switched to Brown this season, representing another instance of their ongoing adjustments.
The Spurs, conversely, value stability. They haven’t conducted a coaching search in over three decades; Gregg Popovich appointed himself coach in 1996 and when he suffered a stroke in November 2024, Mitch Johnson took over on an interim basis. Johnson received the permanent position last spring, and it was never uncertain that the Spurs would proceed in that direction.
“This team,” Johnson said, “has now been pretty damn consistent for a long time.”
Not the Knicks, who became a source of ridicule throughout the league.
Hall of Fame figures like Isiah Thomas and Phil Jackson were entrusted with franchise control, only to cause disasters. Jeff Hornacek lost more than 100 games across two seasons, and Derek Fisher (96) and Fizdale (83) would have reached that mark if they had completed their second seasons.
Free agent signings like Joakim Noah failed spectacularly. High draft selections (Frank Ntilikina, Jordan Hill, Kevin Knox) proved unsuccessful, and even when the Knicks made correct decisions, such as selecting Kristaps Porzingis, they were so poorly managed that he demanded a trade. They finished with a league-worst 17-65 record in 2018-19, fielding lineups that featured players like Emmanuel Mudiay, Lance Thomas, Noah Vonleh, Damyean Dotson and Allonzo Trier.
The summer prior to Rose’s arrival had been another significant free agency disappointment for the Knicks. Durant and Kyrie Irving not only declined to sign but joined forces in Brooklyn, and suddenly it appeared the Knicks weren’t even the most important franchise in New York. This mirrored 2010, when the Knicks positioned themselves to sign two superstars but witnessed James and Chris Bosh unite with Dwyane Wade in Miami.
The Knicks aspired to be the team facing the Heat in significant playoff battles during that era. Instead, they watched the Spurs compete against that Heat squad twice in NBA Finals matchups.
That Spurs dynasty concluded — Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili all retired — and reconstruction began. The lottery balls delivered Wembanyama, who made everything achievable.
However, numerous other decisions, while less spectacular, proved intelligent.
For example: in 2023, Philadelphia released Julian Champagnie to sign Mac McClung prior to the dunk contest during All-Star weekend. McClung has participated in 17 NBA games, while Champagnie connected on 18 three-pointers during the Western Conference finals. Advantage to the Spurs.
“Everybody says it’s all Victor, and don’t get me wrong, he’s unbelievable,” former Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said earlier this season. “But that’s a team they’ve put together. It’s not just Victor. It’s a team.”
The Knicks attempted other high-profile moves, like the 2019 summer when they signed Julius Randle in free agency and selected RJ Barrett with the No. 3 draft pick. Those players eventually became components of subsequent transactions; Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were traded to Toronto in 2023 for OG Anunoby and Randle was included in the package that brought Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota to New York in a major deal before the 2024-25 season.
During this process, Josh Hart — who had already played for three other franchises — was obtained in a 2023 trade where Rose sent away Cam Reddish, a former top-10 selection who is no longer in the NBA. For Anunoby, who had been competing in the same division, it was evident that the Knicks were constructing something meaningful.
“Definitely progression,” Anunoby said, adding, “getting better and better each year.”
Rose avoids discussing it publicly. Maintaining a low profile, he hasn’t conducted interviews with Knicks reporters for five years and refused to comment through a spokesperson for this story.
But here both the Knicks and Spurs stand. In the Finals. Different routes, identical objective.
“I’m glad that this year we’re seeing ourselves start to mature,” Towns said, “and round out what the vision was from Day 1.”
