The San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks will meet in the 2026 NBA Finals, reviving a matchup that last happened in 1999. Victor Wembanyama faces Jalen Brunson in what marks the 13th Finals rematch in league history.
The 27-year gap between meetings is the second-longest in NBA Finals history, trailing only the 58-year span between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors in 1964 and 2022.
Observations: That is the kind of gap that lets an entire generation of fans rediscover a rivalry they only know from highlight reels.
The Spurs won the 1999 championship in five games, the first of five titles during the Tim Duncan era. They haven't returned to the Finals since their last championship in 2014.
The Knicks haven't been back to the Finals since that 1999 loss and haven't won a title since 1973. Their last trip came as the No. 8 seed — the first eighth seed to reach the Finals.
The Lockout Season
In the summer of 1998, NBA owners locked out players amid contentious labor negotiations that stretched for months and disrupted the 1998-99 season. Then-commissioner David Stern threatened to cancel the entire season if a deal wasn't reached by January 7, 1999. The two sides agreed on January 6.
Free agency and training camps began concurrently on January 21. The regular season shortened from 82 games to 50, running from February 5 through May 5. Some teams didn't play each other at all that season — including the Spurs and Knicks.
To fit 50 games into 90 days, teams sometimes played back-to-back-to-back games with travel involved. The Knicks, for instance, played at home on March 14, on the road in Milwaukee on March 15, and at home on March 16.
Players were out of shape after the long layoff. Teams averaged 88.9 possessions per game — the fewest in recorded history — and scored 91.6 points per game, by far the fewest in the shot clock era.
The 1999 Playoffs
The Spurs and Utah Jazz finished tied for the best record at 37-13, with Karl Malone winning MVP that season. The Spurs swept through the Western Conference playoffs, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves in four games, then sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Knicks had to win six of their final eight games just to make the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. They upset the No. 1 seed Miami Heat in five games on Allan Houston's last-second jumper in Game 5, then swept the Atlanta Hawks and beat the No. 2 seed Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Patrick Ewing tore his Achilles tendon and Larry Johnson sprained his MCL during the conference finals. Ewing didn't play in the Finals. Johnson suited up but wasn't himself.
Observations: The Knicks were already running on fumes before the Finals began.
In Game 1, the Knicks built a six-point lead after the first quarter but didn't score for nearly five minutes to start the second period. The Spurs went on a 14-4 run late in the half and pulled away for an 89-77 win. Houston and Latrell Sprewell each scored 19 points but shot a combined 16 of 41.
Game 2 ended 80-67 — the lowest-scoring game of the series. Duncan finished with 25 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and four blocks. The Spurs held the Knicks to 67 points on 32.9% shooting.