By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-06-07 16:02:42
2026年6月7日，星期日，纽约麦迪逊广场花园，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)（左）在前往球场训练前接受采访，准备迎接对阵纽约尼克斯队的NBA总决赛第三场较量。
纽约——周六傍晚，马刺队的球队大巴抵达位于曼哈顿中城的酒店，迎接他们的是一个早已等候在此的“欢迎委员会”——当然，这绝非来自当地的游客与会议管理局。
几十名纽约人挤在原本就水泄不通的人行道上，给这些来自德克萨斯州南部的“不速之客”送上了他们唯一想要、也意料之中的“礼遇”。
“我们听到了一些欢呼，也有嘘声，还有人朝我们竖中指，诸如此类吧，”马刺前锋朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 说道。
尚帕尼在东河对岸的布鲁克林长大，对此自然是见怪不怪。
“这就是纽约，”尚帕尼笑着说道。
马刺前锋朱利安·尚帕尼谈到纽约的气氛：“氛围棒极了，简直疯狂。刚下大巴，球迷们就在那儿了。我们听到了一些欢呼，也有嘘声，还有人竖中指。这就是纽约。” pic.twitter.com/QwysPxI6ar
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) 2026年6月7日
尽管如此，尚帕尼也从未见过这样的纽约。任何55岁以下的纽约人也都没见过。本周，马刺队来到这座“哥谭”之城，试图在0-2落后的总决赛中杀出一条血路。他们不仅要对抗势头正盛的尼克斯队和历史规律，还要对抗一整座迫不及待想要筹划夺冠游行的城市。
在联盟历史上，还从未有球队在主场输掉总决赛前两场后，还能逆转捧起奥布莱恩杯。尼克斯队可不打算让马刺队成为首个奇迹。
“麦迪逊花园将会彻底沸腾，”纽约后卫乔什·哈特 (Josh Hart) 说道，“这里的能量将会引爆全场。”
人们很容易将周一的第三场对决，称为自1999年以来在麦迪逊广场花园最受瞩目的尼克斯队比赛。当时，这座号称“世界上最著名的体育馆”上一次举办NBA总决赛，巧合的是，对手同样是马刺队。
事实上，这很可能是自1973年尼克斯上一次夺冠以来，麦迪逊广场花园最令人血脉偾张的现场氛围。
马刺队深知他们即将面对的是什么。
“那将是一场狂欢，”后卫德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 说道。
在邻近的新泽西州长大的马刺新秀迪伦·哈珀小时候在麦迪逊广场花园看过无数场比赛。显而易见，周一将是他第一次在这座球馆里亲历总决赛。
20岁的哈珀在1999年时尚未出生。而他的父亲、五届NBA总冠军得主罗恩·哈珀 (Ron Harper) 在尼克斯上一次夺冠时也只有9岁。
“我想这将会把我所见过或梦想过的一切，再放大十倍，”哈珀说道。
让这场狂欢呈指数级升温的是，唐纳德·特朗普 (Donald Trump) 总统预计将出席第三场比赛，并可能出席第四场，这将使他成为首位现场观看总决赛的现任总统。
上一位现场观看NBA比赛的现任总统是2015年的贝拉克·奥巴马 (Barack Obama)。由于特朗普的到访，球迷们被建议在周一尽早抵达球馆，并做好接受机场级（TSA标准）安检以及面对大批美国特勤局特工的准备。
出于安全考虑，原计划在麦迪逊花园广场外举行的户外观赛派对已被转移。
截至周日下午，周一比赛的二级市场门票价格最低也要6500美元，而场边席更是高达64000美元——这让至少一名尼克斯球员感到颇为无奈。
“我觉得很多等待这一刻很久的人，不幸地无法进入球馆，因为最便宜的票都要七八千美元，”哈特说，“这太荒谬了。”
对于马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 来说，周一的首要任务是让他的球队——这支近50年来最年轻的总决赛参赛队伍——屏蔽掉这座城市的喧嚣，专注于篮球本身。
“我们明天晚上8点半（东部时间）在麦迪逊广场花园有一场比赛，”马刺主教练米奇·约翰逊周日表示，“这是唯一重要的比赛。我们必须做好赢球的准备来到这里。”
马刺球星维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 曾在去年夏天前往中国与少林武僧共度时光，这已广为人知。他表示，自己完全有信心在周一麦迪逊广场花园的风暴中心找到内心的平静。
“屏蔽外界干扰是我多年来一直在练习的事情，”文班亚马说，“我觉得我很擅长这个。所以这不是问题。”
马刺队的球员们只需走向时代广场散散步，或者坐地铁去康尼岛，亦或乘轮渡去斯塔滕岛，就能明白他们周一将面临怎样的阵势。
在组成纽约市的五个行政区里，尼克斯队给人的感觉就像是一支宿命之师。
甚至连中央公园里拉马车的马匹都装饰着尼克斯队的标志。
在组成纽约市的五个行政区里，尼克斯队给人的感觉就像是一支宿命之师。从被刷成尼克斯橙金配色的地铁站，到门口飘扬着尼克斯队旗的杂货铺，再到浑身尼克斯装备的出租车司机和学童，马刺队面对的是一座拥有850万人口、压抑已久、急需一场迟到庆祝的城市。
纽约尼克斯带着13连胜的势头迈向周一，这是NBA历史上第二长的季后赛连胜纪录。再赢两场，麦迪逊广场花园的穹顶就将挂起总冠军旗帜，整座城市也将为之倾倒。
“希望已经重新回到了这座城市，”在距离曼哈顿一小时车程的新泽西长大的尼克斯中锋卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 说道，“我们赋予了这个词新的生命。但‘成功’这个词已经很久没有在这座城市里出现了。所以我们必须继续战斗，让这个词真正落地。”
从周一开始，马刺队的工作就是尽一切可能推迟这场夺冠游行。
作为一名土生土长的纽约人，尚帕尼非常乐意借此机会，用隐喻的方式向家乡回敬一个“中指”。
“我很乐意破坏他们的计划，”尚帕尼说，“我太想这么做了。这一定会很有趣。”
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：How the Spurs aim to postpone the Knicks' championship parade
How the Spurs aim to postpone the Knicks’ championship parade
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper, left, does an interview before heading to the court for practice at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday, June 7, 2026, ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.
NEW YORK — The Spurs’ team bus pulled up to their midtown Manhattan hotel late Saturday afternoon to find a welcoming committee, not exactly sent from the visitors and convention bureau, had already gathered to greet them.
A few dozen New Yorkers crammed into an already crowded sidewalk to offer the interlopers from South Texas the only kind of reception any of them would have wanted or expected.
“We got some hoorays, we got some boos, some middle fingers, stuff like that,” Spurs forward Julian Champagnie.
Having grown up just across the East River in Brooklyn, Champagnie was surprised by exactly none of this.
“That’s just New York,” Champagnie said with a laugh.
Spurs forward Julian Champagnie on the atmosphere in New York: “The vibes have been great, they’ve been crazy. Get off the bus, the fans have been there. We got some hoorays, some boos, some middle fingers. That’s just New York.” pic.twitter.com/QwysPxI6ar
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) June 7, 2026
Still, Champagnie has never seen a New York City quite like this. No New Yorker under the age of 55 has. As the Spurs hit Gotham this week, in hopes of fighting their way back into an NBA Finals series they trail 2-0, they will not only be battling against the red-hot Knicks and league history, but also against an entire city eager to begin planning a championship parade.
No team in league annals has dropped the first two games of a Finals series at home and lived to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. The Knicks do not plan on letting the Spurs become the first.
“The Garden’s going to be rocking,” New York guard Josh Hart said. “The energy is going to be electric.”
It is tempting to call Monday’s Game 3 the most anticipated Knicks game at Madison Square Garden since 1999, when the so-called World’s Most Famous Arena last hosted an NBA Finals game, coincidentally also against the Spurs.
In reality, it stands to be the most atomically charged atmosphere at MSG since 1973, the last time the Knicks won a title.
The Spurs understand well what they are walking into.
“It’s going to be mayhem,” guard Devin Vassell said.
Spurs rookie Dylan Harper, who grew up nearby in New Jersey, attended scores of games at Madison Square Garden as a kid. Monday will mark the his first time inside the building for a Finals game, obviously.
Harper, 20, was not born yet in 1999. His father, five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, was 9 years old when the Knicks last won it all.
“I think it’s going to be everything that I’ve kind of seen or dreamed of, times 10,” Harper said.
Adding exponentially to the hoopla, President Donald Trump is expected to attend Game 3, and possibly Game 4, which would make him the first sitting president to attend a Finals game.
The last sitting president to attend an NBA game of any kind was Barack Obama in 2015. Due to Trump’s visit, fans have been advised to arrive at the arena early Monday, and to expect a TSA-style security screening and increased U.S. Secret Service presence.
A planned watch party to be held outside the Garden has been moved due to security concerns.
As of Sunday afternoon, a single ticket for Monday’s game on the resale market ranged from $6,500 on the low end to $64,000 for a courtside seat — much to the chagrin of at least one Knicks player.
“I feel like a lot of people who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time unfortunately aren’t able to get into the building, when the cheapest ticket is 7,000 or 8,000 dollars,” Hart said. “That’s ridiculous.”
For Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, the first item of business Monday will be to get his team, which features the youngest roster to play in the NBA Finals in nearly 50 years, to drown out the city noise and focus only on basketball.
“We’ve got one game tomorrow night at 8:30 (eastern) in Madison Square Garden,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Sunday. “It’s the only game that matters. We’ve got to come in here ready to win it.”
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who famously spent part of last summer hanging out with Shaolin monks in China, said he expects to have no issue finding calm in the eye of the Madison Square Garden maelstrom Monday.
“Isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years,” Wembanyama said. “I think I’m good at it. So it’s not a problem.”
Spurs players need only to take a stroll toward Times Square, or a subway out to Coney Island, or the ferry out to Staten Island, to understand what they are in for Monday.
Across the five boroughs that comprise New York City, the Knicks are feeling like a team of destiny.
Even the horses pulling carriages in Central Park are festooned in Knicks regalia.
Across the five boroughs that comprise New York City, the Knicks are feeling like a team of destiny. From the subway stations painted in Knicks orange and gold, to the bodegas flying a Knicks flag out front, to cab drivers and school children decked out in Knicks gear, the Spurs are facing a city of 8.5 million pent up for a celebration long overdue.
New York heads into Monday having won 13 consecutive games, the second-longest playoff streak in NBA history. Two more would bring a title banner to the rafters at Madison Square Garden, and an entire city to its knees.
“Hope has been brought back to the city,” said Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who grew up in New Jersey, an hour outside Manhattan. “We’ve revitalized that word. But the word ‘success’ hasn’t been seen in this city for a long time. So we have to continue to fight to bring that word back to fruition.”
The Spurs’ job, beginning Monday, will be to postpone the parade for as long as possible.
As a lifelong New Yorker, Champagnie relishes the opportunity to give a metaphorical middle finger right back.
“I would love to spoil their plans,” Champagnie said. “I would love to. It would just be fun.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News