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<\/a>JUAN HAS PLAYED basketball since he was 13 and is part of the Osama League in The Bronx. He is seen here watching a local game in the Williamsbridge Oval park in Norwood on Friday, June 5, 2026, ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.\u00a0Photo by S\u00edle Moloney<\/p>\n
We asked Juan if he found it easy to play. \u201cNo, you have to practice a lot to be good,\u201d he said. Asked if you had to be tall or fast \/ fit to be good, he said, \u201cNo, you just have to have a good mindset and, equally, always be positive, and what you want to accomplish is doable.\u201d<\/p>\n
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We asked why he preferred basketball over other sports. Juan said he got really into basketball because he admired players like the late Kobe Bryant, Jalen Brunson and LeBron James. \u201cBecause of this, I got into it and I learned basketball and now I\u2019m learning,\u201d he said, adding that he plays in a basketball league called Liga Osama. We asked for his views about the Knicks but he seemed reticent to share his opinion, referring us instead to his friends for comment.<\/p>\n
Another fan who declined to have his picture taken and declined to share his name, said, \u201cSo, Anthony-Karl Towns (Karl-Anthony Towns aka KAT) is gonna get 15 points, 14 rebounds, and about 8 assists tonight and we\u2019re gonna win Game 2.\u201d Asked for his prediction of the final score, he said, \u201cLet\u2019s see. It could be like 125 to 118. It could be a close game because they\u2019re both playing good games.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We asked if he planned to watch it somewhere and he said, \u201cYeah, it\u2019s at 8.30. I\u2019m about to go home already.\u201d Asked what he thought was the Knicks\u2019 secret sauce, the young man said, \u201cAh, their defense! They\u2019re playing crazy defense. If they keep it up, they\u2019re gonna make it all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n We also spoke to two other basketball fans who declined to be identified and who said, \u201cNew York! aqu\u00ed NUEVAYol! [here, New York!].\u201d We asked for their prediction of the final score for Game 2 and one said, \u201cWe New York! It\u2019s gonna be at least 120 points, something like that, more or less. We\u2019re gonna cook \u2019em! They\u2019re gonna get beat!\u201d Asked if they thought Game 2 would be close, one of the two said, \u201cOh, it\u2019s [the win] gonna be a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking in Spanish, another fan, Batita, who joked he was there to support his young friends with a joint and to play basketball, said, \u201cWe are the power, here in New York, you know? The league? We\u2019re gonna kill it! You know, everyone knows.. Fire in New York\u2026. active, active. We\u2019re gonna win by a lot! The man said he hadn\u2019t seen Game 1 (June 3) but was happy with the Knicks\u2019 Game 1 win of 105 to 95. Asked if there was anything else the group wanted to add, they said, \u201cGo Knicks! Let\u2019s Go Knicks!\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Later on Friday night, for an unrelated story, Norwood News also spoke to, and witnessed, some young men hanging out outside Woodlawn & Jerome Deli next to the Jerome Avenue Men\u2019s Shelter in Norwood. As we were talking, one person dressed as superman casually walked by.<\/p>\n Of the night\u2019s main event, Mario Balla said, \u201cTonight is history! It\u2019s Game 2, the New York Knicks! We\u2019re about to win. We\u2019re gonna win! I can predict the future.\u201d Balla said his favorite players were Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns (KAT). \u201cMy baby boys, they gonna bring it home,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope they\u2019re going to accomplish that because accomplishments mean everything. Like, you did something with your life. You\u2019re an MBA, so you accomplished something, your family, everything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Asked if he played basketball, Balla said he used to. \u201cI play other type of ball right now. Ball \u2019till I fall, that\u2019s what they call it.\u201d He added, \u201cOnce you know, what\u2019s understood ain\u2019t got to be explained. It\u2019s Mario Balla you\u2019re talking to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Norwood News has previously reported on the MacBallers<\/a>, also known as the \u201cMac Ballas\u201d a violent Bronx subset of the Bloods street gang. It\u2019s unclear if the man was making a subtle reference to this gang or not.\u00a0 <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Balla, who appeared a little under the influence, continued, \u201cGod Bless Everybody! God is good. Always be yourself and never try to hide the scowl\/sky with your hand \u2019cause it\u2019s not possible. God is great. Pray every day and you\u2019ll get forward. As long as you wake up in the morning, you completed something. Life is precious. Don\u2019t take it for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n On Saturday, June 6, we spoke to Alex, 11, and his mom, Lucy. The two later stopped to take a photo with fellow Knicks fan, Richard Harris. Asked if he played basketball, Alex said, \u201cYeah, sort of.\u201d Asked how his favorite Knicks player is, he said, \u201cI have two favorite players;\u00a0 it\u2019s Brunson and KAT, Karl Anthony Towns. Asked if he had watched the games, he said, \u201cYeah, I watched the two games. I liked the second game. It was intense, just one point difference.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We asked what was the best thing about playing basketball. Alex said, \u201cJust having fun, for me, just having fun and just like hanging out with my friends playing basketball and not really, like, to compete but just to enjoy that we\u2019re playing it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Asked if he preferred it to soccer or other sports, he said, \u201cI also play soccer but I also like basketball as my second choice and like, I\u2019m more of a like, athletic person so that\u2019s why I like almost all the sports.\u201d Asked if he was going to be following the World Cup as well, he said, he was and is supporting Portugal. We asked if he thought Portugal was going to win it and Alex said, \u201cI hope!\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Harris later said of his new sports attire, \u201cI grabbed the jersey yesterday! I was in Manhattan.\u201d Asked how much he paid for it, he said $100. We said the purchase must mean he\u2019s all in and committed to the Knicks. Laughing, he said, \u201cYeah.\u201d Asked if he thinks the team will go the distance, Harris said, \u201cYes, it\u2019s going to be a sweep! It won\u2019t be a Game 7; Knicks in 4!\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n We asked who his favorite player was and Harris said Brunson. Asked if he felt the buzz around the City was bringing people together in what has been quite a divided time in the country in general in recent years, Harris said, \u201cYeah, you know, the Knicks being in the finals after 27 years.. It\u2019s good to see, you know, the City unite and it\u2019s bringing different races together so New York is [inaudible].<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n During the Bronx Economic Development Summit held at Andrew Freedman House in the Concourse section of The Bronx on Saturday, hosted by Our Bronx, keynote speaker and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani concluded his prepared remarks with a chant of \u201cLet\u2019s Go Knicks!\u201d much to the delight of all in attendance.<\/p>\n<\/a>VILMA, MEYONKA, AND Crystal (9) from The Bronx say, \u201cLet\u2019s Go Knicks!!\u201d on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.\u00a0\u00a0
Photo by S\u00edle Moloney<\/p>\n<\/a>KNICKS FAN, ALEJANDRO (\u201cAlex\u201d) 11, who also plays basketball and soccer poses for a photo together with his mom, Lucy, on the Grand Concourse around East 167th Street in the Concourse section of The Bronx on Saturday afternoon, June 6, 2026.\u00a0
Photo by S\u00edle Moloney<\/p>\n<\/a>A GROUP OF men are seen outside Woodlawn & Jerome deli near Jerome Avenue Men\u2019s Shelter on Jerome Avenue, Norwood, The Bronx are seen on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Photo by S\u00edle Moloney<\/p>\n<\/a>KNICKS FANS, RICHARD Harris and Alex, 11, did not appear to know each other but ended up posing for a photo together on the Grand Concourse around East 167th Street in the Concourse section of The Bronx on Saturday afternoon, June 6, 2026.\u00a0
Photo by S\u00edle Moloney<\/p>\n<\/a>STATEMENT FROM THE Police Benevolent Association (PBA) following an assault on a female police officer on Friday, June 5, 2026, after Game 2 of the NBA Finals outside Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan.\u00a0
Image courtesy of the Police Benevolent Association<\/p>\n