The 2026 NBA Finals, between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks.

progresifjaya.co.id, JAKARTA – The search for the two teams that will compete in the 2026 NBA Finals is complete. After the New York Knicks confirmed their participation, it’s now the San Antonio Spurs’ turn to confirm their participation.

The San Antonio Spurs secured their spot as a finalist after defeating the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center, Oklahoma, on Saturday, May 30, 2026, local time (Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. WIB) with a score of 111-103 (4-3 aggregate).

Next, in the 2026 NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs will face the New York Knicks in what will also be a rematch of the NBA Finals from 27 years ago.  For the San Antonio Spurs, this is their first Finals appearance since 2014. Meanwhile, for the New York Knicks, this is their first Finals appearance since 1999.

The New York Knicks last won the NBA championship in 1973. When they reached the Finals again in 1999, they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, their returning opponent this year. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs won their fifth NBA title in 2014 during the Kawhi Leonard era and reached the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.

The 2026 NBA Finals, between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks.

The NBA itself is also admittedly entering an era without dynasties. No team has been able to defend its title in the last eight seasons. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 Western Conference Finals today also confirmed that a new NBA champion will emerge this season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s title defense ended in front of their home crowd at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. This result further emphasized the San Antonio Spurs’ dominance over the Oklahoma City Thunder, with an 8-5 record this season.

Since 2019, the NBA has continued to produce new champions every year. The Golden State Warriors were the last team to win back-to-back titles. The Warriors’ dynasty began to erode when the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals, defeating the Warriors 4-2.

The Los Angeles Lakers had their turn the following season. The 2019/2020 NBA season also felt special due to the implementation of the bubble system during the COVID-19 pandemic. The LA Lakers defeated the Miami Heat 4-2 in the 2020 NBA Finals. The Lakers’ celebrations felt “silent” because games that season were played without spectators. There was also no championship parade.

The new normal system returned in 2020-2021 with a 72-game regular season. The Milwaukee Bucks captured their first title in half a century. Giannis Antetokounmpo and his teammates silenced the Phoenix Suns in a six-game series in the 2021 NBA Finals.

The 2026 NBA Finals, between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks.

The 2022-2023 NBA season returned to an 82-game season.  Now it’s the Denver Nuggets’ turn to show off Nikola Jokic’s golden era. The Nuggets defeated the underdog Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals with a final score of 4-1.

After that, the Boston Celtics made history as the team with 18 championship titles, breaking a record previously shared with the Lakers. In the 2024 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics dominated the Dallas Mavericks 4-1.

The Oklahoma City Thunder heated up the 2024-2025 NBA season. The fruits of their long-term development began to show. The Oklahoma City Thunder advanced to the 2025 NBA Finals. They faced stiff resistance from the Indiana Pacers until Game 7. With Tyrese Haliburton injured, the Oklahoma City Thunder finally defeated the Indiana Pacers to become the new NBA champions.

This season’s finals will be held on June 3rd in San Antonio, with Game 2 on June 5th.  The series will then move to New York for Games 3 and 4 on June 8 and 10, 2026.

Writer/Editor: Bembo