Victor Wembanyama, left, of the San Antonio Spurs and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks. Photos: Zach Beeker/NBAE and David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty
👋 Hi, it's Asher.
Lately a lot of my old friends have been asking me about my rooting interest as the NBA Finals roll around.
The backstory: I grew up on the Upper West Side of NYC, a diehard Knicks fan.
My favorite tee, in heavy rotation in junior high, featured the big man Patrick Ewing and a postal-style stamp that said "Return to Sender."
But just over two decades ago, shortly after grad school, I moved to Austin — when the Knicks were really bad and the Spurs were fantastic.
True story: One of our kids carries the middle name Emmanuel, in honor of Spurs great Manu Ginobili.
The rub: The Knicks have won the Eastern Conference Finals and could face the Spurs — putting me in a potentially tough spot.
The Spurs, who have made a concerted play to win more Austin fans, are down 2-3 in the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
They must win Game 6 tonight to force a decisive Game 7.
The big picture: Austin is a town of newcomers, and many of us have to balance old loyalties with new ones.
The bottom line: I'm sorry to disappoint my 15-year-old self, but should San Antonio survive their series against the Thunder and face the Knicks, the rooting decision will be an easy one — Go Spurs Go.
