# 2025-26 NBA season **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** basketball-nba\ **Created:** [October 21, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171 "2025-10-21T18:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2026, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/272 "2026-05-31T17:15:54Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Either the alien wins a ring, or the Knicks get their first title in 53 years Alien??? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/273 "2026-05-31T17:17:36Z")
That’s Wembanyama’s nickname in San Antonio. He is also called “Area 51.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2026, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/274 "2026-05-31T17:32:48Z")
I…was not aware of this. How in the world did this happen? Strange nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/275 "2026-06-01T09:36:17Z")
The nickname originally came from LeBron James, instead of the more common “unicorn”, which has been used to describe a tall player who can also dribble and shoot from the outside. > ”We’re labeling like this unicorn thing—everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years. But he’s more like an alien—no one has seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is on the floor.” Basically, he’s like those other players (Kevin Durant, Kristaps Porzingis) but even better. Crazy to think the Defensive Player of the Year has all of those offensive talents as well, and only 22 years old. The Spurs certainly weren’t expecting to be in the Finals at the start of the season. This was supposed to be a season for improving and gelling as a team, not looking at the Larry O’Brien Trophy. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/276 "2026-06-02T04:39:58Z")
Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman, who won 1,042 games as an NBA head coach, leading the Sacramento Kings to the playoffs eight times including the Western Conference Finals, died yesterday at the age of 79. > **[Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Adelman dies at 79](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/48941923/hall-fame-basketball-coach-rick-adelman-dies-79)** > > Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Adelman, who won more than 1,000 games over the course of a nearly 30-year career in the NBA, has died. He was 79. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/277 "2026-06-02T07:31:37Z")
Their 34-48 record last year was largely because of Wembanyama’s season-ending blood vessel issues in his shoulder; had he been around, they might have been a 47-win play-in playoff team or No. 8 seed or something like that. Then they landed another great rookie in the last draft. So they were more poised for a breakthrough than their record suggested. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/278 "2026-06-04T02:36:04Z")
Tied at 76 after 3 quarters. Knicks were down double-digits in the quarter and came back when Wemby was on the bench nursing an injury. He’s back, and it could be an epic 4th quarter. Towns is playing great; Brunson is struggling from the field. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/279 "2026-06-04T03:14:09Z")
RIP Rick. He also took the Blazers to the Finals twice. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/280 "2026-06-04T13:40:48Z")
Despite having been bumped into (knee) and stepped on (ankle) earlier in the game, Brunson managed to slip in several key interior shots in the final minutes. Wemby had an excellent block against Towns early in the game, but the Knicks defense kept him from scoring much, and the Spurs made some mistakes down the stretch (especially a bad one by DeAron Fox), while the Knicks had only one turnover in the second half. Knicks win the first finals game…in San Antonio! They don’t have any true superstars, but their starting five are all very solid, and complement each other well. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/281 "2026-06-04T13:51:20Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > but their starting five are all very solid It should also be noted that journeyman Landry Shamet, playing on his 6th team in his 8th year in the league, is playing a key role off the bench. Last night he logged 33 minutes, 3rd-most on the team, and scored 13 points. The Knicks have won 12 consecutive playoff games this season, the third NBA team to do so in a single season. The other two (Golden State, 15 in a row in 2017, San Antonio, 12 in a row in 1999) both won championships. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2026, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/282 "2026-06-04T14:43:29Z")
Yes. The Knicks bench is a little below average (among the playoff teams), other than Shamet, who often makes great shots. (Also, backup center Mitchell Robinson can be effective, though he has a broken finger, and the worst free-throw percentage of all time). ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/283 "2026-06-06T13:08:29Z")
Knicks win a close game 2. Wemby missed the crucial mid-range shot in the last second. It was a reasonable choice; it just didn’t fall in. So, it’s not directly comparable, but it did remind me a little of Game 5 of the 1997 Western Conference semis, when rookie Kobe Bryant “airballed 4 jump shots from the end of regulation through the end of overtime” (Wikipedia), and the Lakers lost to the Jazz. Wemby isn’t quite a rookie, and his play in the two finals games hasn’t been _that_ sub-par, but the parallel is the pressure on a very young player touted (probably correctly) as a future top-10-of-all-time. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/284 "2026-06-06T13:32:08Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Wemby missed the crucial mid-range shot in the last second. He also committed a turnover with the score tied and less than 10 seconds left on the clock. The ensuing foul allowed the Knicks to take the lead. He had missed a jump shot on the previous possession. But he did lead the Spurs back from a 14-point 4th-quarter deficit and gave his team a chance to win. Even down 0-2, this series isn’t over. (Captain Obvious speaking.) ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2026, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/285 "2026-06-06T14:32:23Z")
Yeah, he turned over the ball and fouled Bruson. That put them behind when they had a chance to take the lead. He is young though, those things will happen. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2026, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/286 "2026-06-07T18:39:12Z")
The cheapest tickets for Game 3 at Madison Square Garden are roughly about as much as I make in a year on Social Security Disability. In other news, Stacey King, a backup on the Bulls’ first three-peat team who later joined their broadcast team, has passed away at 59. > **[Stacey King, 3-time NBA champion with Bulls, dies at 59](https://www.espn.ph/nba/story/_/id/48992706/stacey-king-3-nba-champion-bulls-dies-59)** > > Stacey King, a three-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls who became a fan favorite on their broadcast team after his playing career, has died at 59. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2026, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/287 "2026-06-09T03:58:53Z")
Spurs hang on for a four-point win in the Garden and now trail 2-1 in the series. Maybe if Trump would have stayed awake for the whole game things would have turned out differently. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/288 "2026-06-09T17:56:46Z")
well, since he was there, and Mike Brown complained about the refs, so maybe…? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/289 "2026-06-09T18:59:19Z")
Spurs fan right now: STOP THE STEAL! ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2026, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/290 "2026-06-09T21:45:07Z")
Knicks fans: Stop playing! Stop counting the points! It’s over! It’s over now! ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171/291 "2026-06-11T03:44:58Z")
How is no one commenting on this? The biggest comeback in NBA Finals history! The Knicks were down by 29 points! That tip-in with less than 2 seconds remaining was incredible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2025-26-nba-season/1024171.md?page=15)