NBA Finals preview: History awaits as Spurs, Knicks meet for title

The NBA Finals are set.

The Spurs and Knicks will meet for the championship beginning Wednesday in San Antonio, renewing a rivalry that last played out on this stage in 1999.

This time, the storylines are even bigger.

Wemby’s moment?

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs arrive after knocking off the defending champion Thunder in seven games, ending Oklahoma City’s bid for a repeat title.

For San Antonio, the Finals represent the culmination of a remarkably fast rebuild.

Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper entered these playoffs with virtually no postseason experience. Now they’re four wins away from a championship.

The Spurs have looked increasingly comfortable under pressure, and Wembanyama has played like a superstar throughout the postseason.

If San Antonio wins the title, it would mark one of the quickest rises from lottery team to champion in modern NBA history.

Knicks chasing history

Meanwhile, New York is back in the Finals for the first time since 1999.

Led by Jalen Brunson, the Knicks have been nothing short of dominant, sweeping the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals and winning 11 straight games entering the championship round.

Brunson has cemented himself as one of the faces of the franchise, while Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby have helped create arguably the deepest Knicks team in decades.

The organization hasn’t won a championship since 1973.

Four more victories would make this group legendary in New York.

What to watch

The regular-season series favored the Knicks, who won two of three meetings.

Still, this matchup likely comes down to one question: Can New York’s defense slow Wembanyama enough to keep him from taking over the series?

If not, the Spurs may be on the verge of launching the NBA’s next dynasty.

If Brunson and the Knicks have the answer, a championship drought more than 50 years in the making could finally come to an end.

Either way, history is waiting for somebody.