TEXAS — In a state filled with hundreds of thousands of people cheering on the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, there are hidden pockets of fans rooting for the New York Knicks.
Both teams and their fan bases have waited years to return to the NBA Finals. For the Spurs and their fans, they’ve been waiting since 2014.
But for the Knicks and their fans, they have been waiting for decades.
“Since 1999,” said Jack McDonald, a Texan now for 27 years, sporting gear from the East Coast team. “I literally moved here about three months after the last time the Knicks played the Spurs in the finals.”
“I was like, 10?” said Marie Rubino, a Queens Village native, thinking on how old she was when the Knicks last played in the finals.
Most of the now-Texan fans at the Game 1 Austin watch party on Wednesday were, as expected, from New York: Queens, Long Island, Staten Island, Westchester County and Manhattan, to name a few.
New Yorkers, as well as natives from other states, have been moving to Texas year after year. According to the Texas Demographic Center, Texas ranked number one in growth from 2024 to 2025 compared to the other 49 states. New York takes the number two spot for states where people move from.
Some of the fans at the watch party are fairly new, only living in Texas for a month or two. Others, like Evan Brot, have built deep roots after living in the Lone Star State for more than a decade.
“Came down 15 years ago for school — hook ‘em — and haven’t left because I love it down here,” Brot said.
The event mostly hosted Knicks fans, but one Spurs fan kept his ground and pride high.
“I love being in enemy territory. man,” said Ben Campbell. “That’s my team, [and] we’re going to win the championship this year.”
However, Campbell’s isolated support for the Spurs wasn’t enough to push the Spurs to a victory, with the Knicks taking home a 105-95 win.
Knicks fans say they’re looking forward to getting four wins and taking the championship. No matter how long they live in Texas, they say, they’ll never abandon their home team.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s the Knicks, it doesn’t matter if it’s the Giants, New York Yankees, the Rangers,” said Sarah Green. “That’s what brings New York to Texas for me, is the sports.”
“I feel like I walked into a bar in New York where everybody is just super stoked, really excited and really loud, and that’s something I miss about being in New York,” Janel McCann said.