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Philly Flavor Fuels Knicks-Spurs Finals
4 Jun
Summary
- Several Villanova alumni are key players in the Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals.
- Mikal Bridges was drafted by his hometown Sixers but traded shortly after.
- Maurice Cheeks, a Knicks assistant, had a notable 11-year career with the Sixers.
The NBA Finals series between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs features a significant number of players and coaches with deep ties to the Philadelphia area. Jalen Brunson, a standout for the Knicks, played college basketball at Villanova, winning two national titles and earning Player of the Year awards. His father, Rick Brunson, also has local ties, having played for Temple and had a training camp stint with the Sixers.
Mikal Bridges, born in Philadelphia and a former Great Valley High School star, also won two national championships at Villanova. He was drafted by the Sixers at No. 10 overall in 2018, a team for which his mother worked at the time, before being traded to the Phoenix Suns.
Josh Hart, another Villanova alumnus, contributed to a 2016 NCAA championship team. Landry Shamet was a 2018 draft pick of the Sixers and played a key role in their postseason sweeps of the Cavaliers and his former team, the Sixers.
Coaching staff also boast Philly connections. Maurice Cheeks, now an assistant with the Knicks, played 11 seasons with the Sixers and later coached in Philadelphia. Corliss Williamson, an assistant for the Spurs, previously played for the Sixers during the 2004-05 season.
Julian Champagnie, who signed with the Sixers as an undrafted rookie, is now a starter for the Spurs in the NBA Finals after initially feeling his career was over at age 22.
