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The Sports Junkies preview the 2026 NBA Finals.
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00:00Their viewing numbers, at least for Game 7 and that series overall
00:04between the Spurs and OKC, were through the roof.
00:08The Western Conference Finals was the most-watched Conference Finals
00:12in 24 years, and Game 7 peaked with 17.7 million viewers.
00:18It's not NFL numbers, but for the NBA, those are really good numbers,
00:22and it's probably because of Wemby.
00:24Wemby, people shouldn't argue, is he the face of the NBA?
00:28I don't know. That's kind of a to-be-determined thing, but it's been...
00:32Eventually, he will.
00:33It's been Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and now it's kind of up in the air.
00:39If he leads the Spurs to a title in year three, he's officially one of the faces of the league.
00:44Well, he's already one of the faces. He made first-team All-NBA.
00:48He goes up toward the top, if that happens.
00:49But is he numero uno? Maybe he already is.
00:52I mean, probably internationally he is.
00:53And so, the NBA got what they wanted, right?
00:56They didn't want...
00:57I mean, could you imagine if it was an OKC-Cleveland NBA Finals?
01:03I mean, that's the worst-case scenario.
01:05No, that would be a terrible matchup.
01:07Or the suits.
01:08And I like Donovan Mitchell.
01:10Yeah, but any time New York's involved, it's huge.
01:13So, they got the Knicks.
01:14Knicks have been rolling.
01:15And by the way, you were right.
01:16I didn't think there was a chance that the Spurs were going to win Game 7 in OKC.
01:20I watched the game.
01:22It was a great game to watch.
01:23But you were correct.
01:25They came back.
01:26Won Game 6 and 7.
01:27They're not scared.
01:28They're not.
01:29They're not.
01:30And look, their better team than OKC was proven in the regular season.
01:33You take the regular season plus the postseason.
01:36They are not intimidated by the Thunder.
01:39Shea did have a good Game 7.
01:41But for the most part, he did not play to his standards in the first six games.
01:46His shooting percentage, typically 55%.
01:49Shot about 40% in that series.
01:51The Spurs defense is legit.
01:52Led by Wemby.
01:53He is the most impactful player in the NBA, it seems, on both ends of the floor.
02:00The question is, do people want to root for the Spurs and Wemby?
02:05Which could begin a dynasty.
02:06Who knows?
02:07Or do you want to root for the Knicks?
02:09Because it's been so long since they've been in the NBA Finals.
02:12I know earlier I said that I was clearly in the Spurs corner.
02:15I'm kind of torred.
02:16Are you shifting?
02:17I don't know if I'm really shifting.
02:19I might have to shift.
02:20This is a terrible thing to be, a terrible place to be.
02:23Shifting to neutral.
02:24Like, is there anybody to really root for here?
02:26Because on one hand, you're rooting for the Knicks.
02:29Kind of an annoying fan base.
02:31But they're like lovable losers because they haven't won a title since 1973.
02:37And the Spurs, they just win titles all the time.
02:40They've won five titles since 1999.
02:43Like, I feel like I'm just throwing my weight behind like a destiny, you know, like dynasty type of team.
02:50Like, for the casual fan, it's hard to land on one team to root for, in my opinion.
02:56It's also two different types of teams.
02:58If you want to chime in, 1-800-636-1067.
03:01So the Spurs are more like the Wizards model, Cakes.
03:06They are heavily reliant on guys they've drafted and developed.
03:11Stefan Kassel was drafted right after Alex Sar a couple years ago.
03:16Obviously, Wemby was the number one pick in the draft.
03:20They have been built via the draft.
03:23The Knicks, on the other hand, all via free agency and trades.
03:28It's two different methods.
03:30They both clearly work because they're both in the NBA Finals.
03:33And I guess you would say the Wizards are kind of doing it both ways because Trey Young and Anthony
03:40Davis certainly weren't drafted.
03:41Right.
03:41They're trying to meld the two together and see if it works, see if it's successful.
03:46And they played twice in the regular season.
03:48They split the second game of those two games.
03:51The first game, I believe, was the NBA Cup, that little tournament they do in the middle of the season.
03:57The second game was Spurs beat the Knicks 134-132.
04:02Wemby had a big game.
04:03But it's going to be fun to watch.
04:06I probably won't watch much of Game 1 tonight.
04:09It starts at 8.30.
04:10But Game 2 on Friday, that's going to be fun.
04:14I'm surprised Game 3 isn't on Sunday.
04:16Game 3 is next Monday.
04:18I just put this up as a show.
04:19I just thought that they would have Game 3 on Sunday night.
04:22I know they spread them out.
04:23I put this up as our Junkies Poll of the Day brought to you by Surfside Ice Tea and Vodka.
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04:39Who are you rooting for?
04:40Right now, 50-50.
04:41You can vote at Junk's Radio.
04:44I think I'm leaning Knicks.
04:47But I'm kind of like you.
04:48I don't really care.
04:50I don't have a huge love of the Spurs.
04:55I like Wemby.
04:56He's fine.
04:58I mean, he's an intriguing player.
05:00The thing that I've seen with Wemby is he scores enough points, but he doesn't have a go-to move.
05:08And you can get physical with him.
05:09It's going to be interesting.
05:10Mitchell Robinson just had pinky surgery on Friday.
05:14He's a terrible shooter, but he's a banger and he's a big body.
05:18And the Knicks don't have many.
05:19They've got Carl Anthony Towns.
05:20They've got Mitchell Robinson.
05:22I saw they might actually put Ananobi on Weminyama.
05:26Wasn't he second-team all-defense?
05:28Yeah, but he's like a foot shorter.
05:30I know.
05:31Well, I mean, everyone's pretty much a foot shorter.
05:33Yeah, Wemby's move is he's 7'4".
05:36Okay, that's his move.
05:38And then he can basically jump from the free throw line.
05:41OKC kept him on the outside a lot.
05:44Right.
05:45If Wemby's...
05:46Look, he can shoot 40% from the three-point line.
05:50That, to me, I mean, I guess that would be his best offensive weapon right now.
05:54Dunks and three-pointers.
05:56He doesn't have a real good post-up game.
06:01Drop it to him and he's going to do something.
06:05Brunson, but man, his impact overall, I brought this up while you were gone, I saw a list
06:10of plus-minus.
06:11He was number one by far, the number one plus-minus in that previous series because he's so impactful.
06:17I mean, guys drive...
06:18Jalen Brunson is excellent.
06:20What I wonder is, Jalen Brunson gets to the basket a lot, right?
06:23He likes to, yeah.
06:24So, he'll run pick and roll.
06:27He'll get into the lane.
06:29Is he going to be able to hit those shots if Wemby is there in the lane?
06:34I would say no.
06:36Because Wemby's either going to block him or affect the shot, or maybe the Knicks don't
06:40even go into the lane because he's there.
06:41But the Knicks might draw Wemby out, putting Pat, who shoots threes.
06:45Yeah, it's going to be a chess match.
06:47I'm sure Mike Brown has a plan, but again, when you get out there, I mean, Wemby just affects
06:51it so many different ways.
06:53The one thing that the Spurs had, especially in games six and seven, I mean, obviously
06:58Wemby's their star, but man, their guards played so well.
07:02Fox and Castle and Harper off the bench, man, they played really well in game seven.
07:08And Vassell can hit threes.
07:09Champagny can hit threes.
07:11Yeah.
07:121-800-636-1067.
07:15Who are you pulling for, Knicks or Spurs?
07:18Do you want the team that has been built up via the draft, which the Wizards are trying
07:23to do?
07:24They drafted a Frenchman too.
07:26They've drafted multiple Frenchmen.
07:28Right.
07:29They didn't get the Frenchman.
07:30They didn't get the best French guy.
07:32Right.
07:33But they've been drafting French guys and they've, you know, obviously have a lot of young talent
07:38like the Spurs.
07:40Or do you go for the team like the Knicks and you want that history?
07:44I mean, I do think it will be pretty cool to see the Knicks win.
07:49It's been 53 years.
07:52Yeah.
07:54I'm kind of a slight lean Knicks because the Spurs are going to get theirs eventually.
07:58Yeah.
07:58You know what I mean?
07:59With Wemby around 30, with Wemby Castle and the rest of the season, they're going to
08:05get theirs.
08:05If they get one now.
08:09They could probably get six or seven.
08:11I don't like to hear that.
08:13Yeah, but we said that about OKC last year.
08:15Okay.
08:15And you know what?
08:16We probably said that about the Celtics two years ago.
08:18I understand that other teams get better and, you know, teams lose players to free agency
08:22trades, whatever.
08:23But if you have Victor there in year three, winning the first one in year three, I mean,
08:27he could win a ton.
08:29He could win a ton of those.
08:31Maybe not six or seven.
08:33All right.
08:33Maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but certainly multiple NBA champions.
08:36I'm curious, Jason, because we talked about this maybe the other day.
08:39Do you like Wemby?
08:41I mean, I don't dislike him.
08:43I mean, is he a loved player?
08:47I don't know if he's a lovable, but he seems fine.
08:50I mean, there's nothing I dislike about him.
08:52He's been embraced by the public.
08:55Seems like a like a likable guy.
08:58I like some of those other guys.
08:59I mean, I like Dylan Harper when he was coming out of college.
09:02I liked him a lot.
09:03I like Fox.
09:04I like Castle.
09:05I like all those guys.
09:07I'm just going to root for who I bet on, and I'm not sure who I'm betting on yet.
09:10I like him.
09:11He's intriguing, but I think he's teetering on becoming a villain in that, you know,
09:20he's asking his boys to commit hard fouls.
09:24He's super arrogant, which is fine.
09:25He deserves it.
09:26But, you know, you had when Shea gets the MVP, he's kind of like staring him down.
09:31Right.
09:32I think he's okay right now, but he could get there.
09:35All right.
09:35Let's go to the phones.
09:36800-636-1067.
09:38Game one of the NBA Finals tonight.
09:40Who are you pulling for?
09:42Let's go to Joe in Annapolis.
09:44Joe, you're on with Junk's.
09:45Good morning.
09:47Hey, good morning, guys.
09:49The thing that I'm most interested in this final series is, and I'm rooting for the Spurs,
09:56I'm relating it back to Dirk's run to the championship and just looking at, like, the teams that he went
10:01through.
10:02If you look at the Spurs and you look at who Wembees had to go up against, now, I don't
10:07think they played the Blazers in the first round.
10:08I know they're nobody.
10:10But, I mean, for him to go up against Nas Reed, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, and in the next series,
10:17go up against Chet, Isaiah Hartenstein,
10:19and now he's going to go up against Mitchell Robinson and Chet and OG.
10:24Like, I think if he's able to pull off, you know, a championship, I think it just shows how great
10:32that he's going to be,
10:33that he's just running through the entire frontcourt in the NBA right now.
10:37And I'm super excited to see what he does.
10:41And, yeah, I'm going to be pulling.
10:43All right.
10:44Thanks, Joe.
10:44Appreciate the call.
10:45I think maybe it would have been more impressive if he went through Joker.
10:49That would have been an interesting series.
10:51The Knicks postseason run is kind of crazy, though.
10:5411 straight.
10:55They're smashing people.
10:57And just killing people.
10:58Isn't it a plus 262 point difference?
11:01Plus 262.
11:01I mean, that's an insane number.
11:03I haven't seen that.
11:04I mean, they're setting records.
11:07But now they're playing the real deal.
11:10I mean, they're playing a really good team with a lot of different weapons.
11:13Look, the West was better this year.
11:15So that's why San Antonio has home court.
11:18That's why they're the favorite.
11:20OKC would have been the favorite, too.
11:23But the way I look at it is if the Knicks hit their threes, they've got a chance to win.
11:27And I know that's very basic.
11:29But if Brunson, Hart, Ananobi, Bridges, if they're knocking down threes and then sham it off the bench,
11:38then that kind of takes Wemby out of the equation a little bit.
11:42All right, let's go to Kevin in Lanham.
11:45Kevin, you're on with the junks.
11:47Good morning.
11:48What's going on, junks?
11:49I love you guys.
11:50I listen to you all every morning.
11:51But hey, I'm looking for the Knicks to win to give Mike Brown a little feather in his cap after
11:56LeBron left him high dry in Cleveland.
11:58But I got a question for you guys.
12:00I need some advice.
12:01I have a good problem.
12:03I bet that New York and Spurs were getting to the finals, and I doubled down when they got to
12:09the semifinals.
12:10So now I have a draft team bet on both teams.
12:14Which one should I cash out and which one should I keep?
12:18Well, what are the cash out?
12:19Give us the payouts.
12:21The financials.
12:22The New York one was plus 850, and then when they beat Atlanta, it went to plus 40.
12:28I can't really talk about the financials.
12:31But it's significant.
12:32So both of them are significant because I bet both of them would get to the finals.
12:36Well, who do you think is going to win?
12:37What's your gut say?
12:39My gut says Spurs, but I think for the media purposes, I think they want New York to win one.
12:47So I don't know.
12:48I'm in a tough situation.
12:50That's why I needed you guys' advice.
12:51That's a good problem to have.
12:53Yeah, it is a good problem.
12:55The Spurs are a pretty sizable favorite to win the finals.
12:59They're minus 200 in most of the books.
13:02Well, the Spurs is more significant, too.
13:04The cash out is higher on the Spurs.
13:06To the previous caller's point, I think the Spurs probably had a tougher road than the Knicks.
13:15I mean, the Knicks played a beat-up Joel Embiid in one round.
13:18Played the Hawks in the first round.
13:19Played the Hawks in the first round.
13:21Just mowed through Cleveland and old washed-up James Harden in Cleveland.
13:26The Spurs, the last two rounds, T-Wolves have been in conference finals a couple years in a row before
13:33this year.
13:34And then, obviously, OKC and winning in OKC.
13:38The Spurs are the better team on paper.
13:40The Spurs are the better team all year.
13:42The Spurs had the best player on the court.
13:44Everything really kind of points to the Spurs.
13:46It's an upset if the Knicks win.
13:49One thing I wanted to talk to Mike Bray about, because it was just too hectic down at Dewey, at
13:54the starboard, but they were up 2-1 in that series.
13:58And then the Hawks just went on a run.
14:00I mean, the Knicks went on a run.
14:01I'm sorry, the Knicks went on a run.
14:02And I just want to kind of get his vibe on why it happened and what they could have done
14:06differently.
14:09Because he was obviously on the Hawks' bench.
14:11So, I mean, up 2-1, they probably thought, look, we have a legitimate chance of taking out the Knicks.
14:15But then the Knicks just went on a run and scored a ton of points in games 4, 5, and
14:196.
14:21They scored 114, 126, and 140 in the last three games of that series.
14:26Then they scored 137 the first game of the Sixers series.
14:29They're just pouring it on people.
14:31Yeah, I mean, they're just shooting the lights out.
14:34But it's going to be interesting to see what happens in this series.
14:36I think the biggest factor, I mean, it's obvious, Jalen Brunson has been awesome in play.
14:41Of course.
14:42I mean, if you want to go series by series, you can.
14:45But in the playoffs, the guy's averaging 26 points per game.
14:49He's shooting, you know, almost 50% from the field, almost 40% from the three-point line.
14:56So, he's a really good player.
14:58But is he the best player on the board?
14:59But OG's been really well, really good.
15:02Carl Anthony Towns, I mean, you'd call him kind of a role player, but he's been pretty good.
15:05Those guys coming off the bench, like you mentioned, Shamit.
15:09He's had some big games.
15:10But, yeah, you're right.
15:11I mean, Brunson's having a freaking great postseason.
15:15Shooting 36% from threes, 49% from the floor.
15:21They're a pretty decided underdog, right?
15:24OG and Towns are shooting 58% from the floor in the postseason.
15:28I think that's going to go down when they're facing Wemby.
15:30Of course, yeah.
15:32And it's not just Wemby, dude.
15:33Stephon Castle is a really good defensive player.
15:36Just ask SGA.
15:38Yeah, well, Castle will be on Brunson.
15:41He's big.
15:41That'll be tough for Brunson.
15:44I don't know.
15:45You're kind of convinced me the Spurs are probably the legit favorite.
15:47On paper, they're the better team.
15:49They're the better team all season.
15:51They got the best player on the court.
15:52But I thought the Carolina Hurricanes were going to win game one last night.
15:55They blew a 2-0 lead.
15:56So, I bet on Carolina.
15:58Big loser.
15:59That's never happened before.
16:00When a road team goes down by multiple goals, that team was zero wins and 55 Ls before last night.
16:08I saw that.
16:09I was kind of happy Vegas won.
16:11I know a drab t-shirt thought that Carolina was just going to take care of business.
16:15You got doubter on Vegas.
16:16I could pull for an ex-cap there.
16:18Kind of root for him.
16:19He's just anti-Carolina.
16:20Yeah, definitely anti-Carolina.
16:22This is similar.
16:23You used to be anti-Florida, right?
16:26Yeah, because I used to just goof on Florida saying they had loser DNA coursing through their veins.
16:31And then they went back to back to bounds.
16:33So, you can't say that anymore.
16:34Can't say that anymore.
16:36I can't go to that well anymore.
16:39It was a good well to go to for a long time.
16:421-800-636-1067.
16:44Who are you pulling for?
16:45NBA Finals Game 1 tonight in San Antonio as the Knicks face the Spurs.
16:50You can vote at Junk's Radio.
16:52Coming up next, the potential number one pick for the Wizards is A.J. DeBonson.
16:57We'll listen to what he says about potentially joining the team.
17:002-800-666-Tio and the larger thing.
17:002-800-766-Val Shield Tours.
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