The San Antonio Spurs’ breakthrough season ended with a visit to the NBA Finals, but it surely was what occurred after the ultimate buzzer that drew criticism from Draymond Inexperienced.
Talking on The Draymond Inexperienced Present, the four-time NBA champion mentioned he was dissatisfied to see Spurs gamers go away the court docket with out publicly congratulating the New York Knicks after their championship-clinching victory in Sport 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
“To see [the Spurs] stroll off the court docket, it was disheartening,” Inexperienced mentioned, through NBC Sports Bay Area. “I’ll blame it on youth. I’ll blame it on missing the chief to point out them that ‘hey, that is what you do. Not stroll off.’”
The Knicks secured their first NBA title in 53 years with a 94-90 victory in San Antonio, finishing a 4-1 sequence win. As had grow to be a theme all through the Finals, New York erased one other double-digit deficit, rallying from 16 factors down behind a historic efficiency from Jalen Brunson.
Brunson scored 45 factors, together with 13 consecutive Knicks factors within the fourth quarter. The whole set a franchise Finals document, surpassing the earlier mark of 38 factors established by Willis Reed through the 1970 championship run. New York additionally turned champions after overcoming double-digit deficits in all 4 of its sequence victories.
Inexperienced, who has performed in six NBA Finals and gained 4 championships with the Golden State Warriors, mentioned dropping groups nonetheless have an obligation to acknowledge the opponent’s accomplishment.
“There’s a solution to win and there’s a solution to lose,” Inexperienced mentioned. “And strolling off the court docket, not wanting your killer in his eyes, ain’t the best way to lose. I hate it.”
The veteran ahead pointed to Brunson’s personal actions instantly after the sport for example of the respect he believes ought to exist between opponents.
Inexperienced famous that one among Brunson’s first strikes after securing the championship was to hunt out Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson.
“What’s the very first thing Jalen Brunson did? Beeline to Mitch Johnson. Respect. A lot respect,” Inexperienced mentioned. “I might have cherished for the Spurs gamers to be there for them to shake the Knicks’ palms.”
The criticism comes after a season by which San Antonio exceeded expectations. The Spurs completed 62-20, second within the Western Convention, earlier than defeating the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder to achieve the Finals. Their postseason run was fueled by a younger core led by Victor Wembanyama and rookie Dylan Harper.
Wembanyama delivered one other robust efficiency within the deciding recreation, ending with 19 factors, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks. Harper led San Antonio with 25 factors. However after main by 10 within the first quarter and 16 within the second, the Spurs couldn’t maintain off New York’s newest comeback.
Inexperienced emphasised that his criticism stems from his perception in San Antonio’s future moderately than disappointment within the workforce’s competitiveness.
“I hated to see these younger Spurs do it as a result of I truly assume they’re able to doing one thing particular,” Inexperienced mentioned. He added that he would encourage Spurs gamers to personally attain out to Brunson, Karl-Anthony Cities and Josh Hart to congratulate them on the championship.
