French basketball star Victor Wembanyama will be in the spotlight when his San Antonio Spurs side take on the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.
Wembanyama, 22, was voted most valuable player (MVP) in the series of games that led to the Spurs claiming the Western Conference title and a place in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014.
In April, Wembanyama became the first player to win the NBA's best defender of the year award unanimously. He was also the youngest player to claim the accolade in the award's 43-year history.
At two metres 21 centimetres, he has the height of a centre as well as the shooting and ball-handling skills of a guard.
"Watching him as a player, it's pretty unbelievable," said Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who was named MVP of the Eastern Conference series.
"The things he's able to do on both sides of the ball, people have never really seen before from a person of his size. It's incredible to watch. He's pretty incredible."
Road to the NBA Finals
The Spurs reached the NBA Finals by winning 62 of their 82 regular-season games.
In the play-offs, they beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second. They then dethroned the 2025 NBA champions Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks eliminated the Atlanta Hawks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
'Knicks where they belong'
"The Knicks are a great team," said Wembanyama on the eve of Game 1. "It's a great team of experienced players who are not here by chance, but by relentless effort over the years.
"There are very different career paths for all of them. They're right where they're supposed to be, in my opinion."
The first two games of the best-of-seven series will be played in San Antonio. The third and fourth will take place in New York at Madison Square Garden.
If necessary, the fifth game will return to San Antonio and the final two will be held in New York.
"Falling in love with basketball happened really early on in my life," added Wembanyama, who previously played for Nanterre 92 and ASVEL, the French top-flight club based in Lyon.
"I mean, I have pictures of myself with a basketball at an age where I was not even old enough to have memories."
The Knicks are seeking their first NBA title since 1973 and their third overall. The Spurs are aiming to add a sixth championship to their trophy cabinet.
"We're here in the Finals now," said Spurs guard Devin Vassell. "So there's nothing more for us to say or talk about or to think about.
"We're just going to keep doing what we're doing, and that's been successful for us."
