NBA: To see the Spurs-Knicks Finals, go to San Antonio; in New York, you might have to sell a kidney

In a surprising turn, despite the Victor Wembanyama phenomenon and the Spurs not reaching the NBA Finals since 2013/14, when they defeated LeBron James' Heat (4-1), ticket prices for Games 1 and 2 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio are dropping.

Meanwhile, prices for Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden in New York remain prohibitively expensive, reflecting the enormous demand in the Big Apple as the Knicks return to the title fight after 27 years. In 1999, they lost to the very same Spurs—the first of the Texans' five titles—in a 4-1 series.

This series is a rematch of the 2025/26 NBA Cup final from last December, where the New Yorkers came out on top with a 124-113 victory.

Although prices for Games 1 and 2 at the Frost Bank Center have seen a considerable drop, fans will still need to shell out a significant amount. According to data from Gametime on Monday, the cheapest ticket for Game 1 on Wednesday fell to $992 (€850), a substantial decrease from the $1,905 (€1,670) listed on Saturday.

Similarly, the get-in price for Game 2 on Friday dropped from $2,044 (€1,752) to $1,280 (€1,097). This price drop might further incentivize Knicks fans, known for traveling to support their team, to head to San Antonio, especially since prices at Madison Square Garden are much higher.

The only catch is that, incredibly, if those fans are indeed coming from New York, there are no direct flights, forcing them to make at least one layover that could take up half a day.

In New York, the cheapest ticket for Game 3 (on the 8th) costs $4,160 (€3,566), while for Game 4 (on the 10th), the price is $3,761 (€3,225). These figures represent a slight increase from Saturday's prices, which were $4,112 (€3,526) and $3,722 (€3,191), respectively.

However, these numbers are expected to skyrocket if the Knicks return home with a 2-0 series lead and a chance to clinch the title at the Garden. It's worth noting that the series to decide the 80th NBA champion is a best-of-seven, following a 2-2-1-1-1 format.

Regarding the median ticket price, the disparity is even more pronounced. In San Antonio, the median price is $3,144 (€2,696) for Game 1 and $3,583 (€3,072) for Game 2. At MSG, those figures soar to $9,807 (€8,408) for Game 3 and $8,388 (€7,192) for Game 4.

This final also confirms the end of dominant dynasties in the league: for the eighth consecutive season, there will be a different champion, as the Thunder were eliminated by the Spurs 4-3 in the Western Conference Finals. The last team to win back-to-back titles was the Warriors in 2016/17 and 2017/18. The last three-peat was achieved by the Lakers between 1999/00 and 2001/02.

Two interesting facts: despite winning five titles in six Finals appearances, the Spurs have never managed to win in consecutive seasons. And if they defeat the Knicks, they will tie the Bulls for fourth place in the all-time championship rankings, led by the Celtics (18), followed by the Lakers (17) and Warriors (7).

Despite being one of the three original teams remaining since the NBA's creation in 1946/47, alongside the Celtics and Warriors (who moved from Philadelphia to San Francisco), the Knicks have only won the championship twice (1969/70 and 1972/73) in eight Finals appearances.