CounterPunch Exclusives

CounterPunch Exclusives

The Politics of the NBA Finals

Image by Marius Christensen.

Aside from basketball, this year’s NBA Finals showcased civic identity and political power. Shea Serrano, author of Expensive Basketball, once argued that data is outweighed by the unquantifiable. Basketball can be explained in the aesthetic, shared memory, or even the hidden statistic. For example, Sue Bird’s backpedal, Tim Duncan’s dominance, or Dwyane Wade’s total in blocked shots (885 — the most ever for a player 6:4 and under), all captured something beyond the numbers. Beyond this, pure analytics certainly matter. The World Champion New York Knicks of the 2026 NBA Finals topped the San Antonio Spurs in True Shooting Percentage, Points Per Possession, and a higher Value Over Replacement Player. Serrano’s methodology does not discount these tangibles but rather looks at the significance of the abstract. And although the Knicks set records for post-season wins and margins of victory, the team had obvious intangibles that the Spurs failed to match. Basketball cannot be reduced to numbers, and neither can the Knicks’ professional and social success story.

Journalist Ari Paul recently said that with the Knicks, “there’s a sense of thrill and connectedness I haven’t felt in some time.” As something changed in the air, he referenced how basketball was in the lifeblood of the city’s parks, schools, and YMCAs. Even for fans that don’t play it, or follow it closely, it carries an omnipotent pulse. Paul further stated, “too often on the political left, pro-sports are dismissed as bread and circus, [but] you don’t even need to like basketball to see how the Knicks are lifting a kind of New York City ‘patriotism’ that crosses class, race, and gender lines.” International relations scholar Stephen Zunes commented, “seeing reels of fans in bars and on the streets celebrating the Knicks’ winning the NBA championship is a reminder of how delightfully racially and ethnically mixed New York City is — which is why the rightwing hates it so much.”

Unfortunately, the victory was met by some with an uncomradely reaction; resulting in widespread and wanton destruction.

When Knicks owner James Dolan and Commissioner Adam Silver welcomed Donald Trump to Madison Square Garden for Game Three of the NBA Finals, Journalist Dave Zirin wrote that “it’s like having Bull Connor show up to the NAACP Image Award because he’s a fan of Misty Copeland.” Trump has trashed the NBA but still found the need to attend. As soon as he entered the picture, risking a hostile reception, fans were prohibited from having watch parties. After the United States........

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