San Antonio Spurs Advance to NBA Finals, Kings Reflect on Missed Opportunities

The San Antonio Spurs, after a hard-fought series, secured their spot in the NBA Finals with a 111-103 victory at Paycom Center. The Spurs emerged victorious in Games 1, 4, 6, and 7, showing resilience with two of those wins on the road. They held the Thunder to their lowest points in the postseason during their final three wins. Notably, Victor Wembanyama delivered a remarkable performance at the series’ start with 41 points and 24 rebounds, concluding with a playoff-record 19 blocks for the past 21 years.

De’Aaron Fox, added last season to amplify Wembanyama’s impact, demonstrated poise in Game 7, contributing 15 points, five assists, and three steals. With this triumph, the Spurs reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. They will face the New York Knicks, who achieved their first Finals appearance in 27 years following a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Finals will kick off on Wednesday, June 3, in San Antonio.

Post-game attention shifted towards the Sacramento Kings, a team that didn’t enter the playoff picture. De’Aaron Fox, previously the franchise player for the Kings, played a vital role in the Spurs’ success. The Knicks’ coach, Mike Brown, was dismissed by Sacramento in December 2024, despite previously taking the Kings to the playoffs and earning NBA Coach of the Year honors. Now, Fox and Brown clash on the grand stage, as the Kings contemplate another lackluster season.

“The WNBA has a new must-watch superstar, and it isn’t Caitlin Clark.”

In 2022, when Brown joined the Kings, they hadn’t appeared in the playoffs since 2006. This 17-year dry spell was the longest among North American professional sports teams. Brown broke this streak in his first season, steering the Kings to 48 victories and the third seed in the West, earning the Coach of the Year award. He repeated similar success the next year with 46 wins but was surprisingly let go shortly after signing a multi-year contract extension.

Fox’s departure from the Kings was equally turbulent. After Sacramento missed the 2024 playoffs, he declined a $165 million extension and joined the Spurs at the NBA trade deadline. He soon signed a four-year, $229 million max contract extension with San Antonio.

This is another chapter in Sacramento’s long-standing struggles. In the 2002 Western Conference Finals, the Kings were close to the NBA Finals, led by a dynamic team including Chris Webber and Mike Bibby. However, they fell to the Lakers in a decisive Game 7 at home.

By 2011, the Kings passed on drafting talents like Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard, opting for Jimmer Fredette. In 2018, instead of Luka Doncic, they picked Marvin Bagley III. They did well with De’Aaron Fox in 2017 and Tyrese Haliburton in 2020, both standout point guards. Neither remains with the Kings now. Haliburton, traded to Indiana for Domantas Sabonis, advanced to the NBA Finals a year ago.

Further news indicates LeBron James’s potential return to Cleveland could incite significant trade dynamics. Meanwhile, concerns surround Mitchell Robinson’s injury as the Knicks gear up for the Finals.

“The Fox-Brown Finals storyline underscores that winning championships relies on smart front office choices and some luck. The Kings have lacked both for years.”

Currently, instead of vying for a championship, the Kings are grappling with their reputation as possibly the NBA’s most ill-fated franchise.