The Spurs got a true New York welcome outside their hotel Sunday.
As the team was walking out to its bus, Knicks fans lined the street and jeered the Western Conference foes ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday.
The Knicks and Spurs have had two days between games after the Knicks toppled San Antonio on the road in Games 1 and 2 to take a commanding 2-0 series lead as they try to win their first championship since 1973.
While they haven’t played since Friday, the excitement around the Knicks’ first trip to the NBA Finals since 1999 has not died down, and that was clear by the throngs of fans who waited outside the Spurs hotel.
In the video posted to social media, the boos exploded as the Spurs stepped out of their Manhattan hotel and only picked up as San Antonio superstar Victor Wembanyama made his way to the team bus.
team hotel June 7. Screengrab via X/@capstoreonline
One fan could be heard shouting, “keep the bus running” at the Spurs and then “get ready to go golfing, buddy!” toward Wembanyama as he emerged from the hotel.
Knicks fans have become as much of a story during the team’s run to the NBA Finals as the players themselves, as the raucous watch parties and celebrations outside Madison Square Garden have become an internet sensation.
However, the festive nature around Madison Square Garden will be tempered due to the extra security that will be in place with President Donald Trump attending Game 3.
Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service, said in a statement that, “After careful coordination and assessment, the Secret Service and the NYPD jointly determined that outdoor watch parties could not be accommodated in the immediate vicinity of Madison Square Garden.”
An NYPD spokesperson said that they “expect watch parties at Madison Square Garden to resume for Game 4.”
Monday will mark the first time that the NBA Finals have been played at MSG since June 21, 1999, when the Knicks defeated the Spurs 89-81 in Game 3 to cut their series deficit to 2-1.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
