NBA Finals begin June 3 — Knicks vs. Spurs Game 1 on ABC/ESPN

ABC and ESPN said the 2026 NBA Finals will begin on Wednesday, June 3, with the New York Knicks facing the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC. ESPN’s press site listed the opener as the start of ABC’s exclusive Finals coverage, and NBA.com’s Finals page also lists June 3 as the tipoff date for the series. Tuesday’s buildup centered on San Antonio, where the NBA held Finals media day before the opener. NBA.com posted live media-day coverage from San Antonio and listed interview sessions for both teams ahead of Wednesday night’s game. ### Why is Game 1 in San Antonio? NBA.com’s 2026 Finals page lists the Spurs as the home team for Game 1, placing the opener in San Antonio on June 3. (espnpressroom.com) ESPN’s schedule listings for New York also show the Knicks opening the series on the road against San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC. San Antonio reached the Finals after eliminating the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals, according to ESPN’s Finals preview. (nba.com) NBA.com said the Spurs are back in the Finals for the first time since 2014. (nba.com) ### What is at stake for the two teams? NBA.com said the Knicks are seeking their first NBA championship in 53 years. The league’s playoffs site described the matchup as a Spurs return to the Finals against a New York team chasing its first title in more than five decades. ESPN’s preview material has framed the series around New York guard Jalen Brunson and Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. (espn.com) ESPN’s press-room item highlighted Brunson for the Knicks and identified Wembanyama as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year entering the Finals. ### What coverage has ESPN published before the opener? (nba.com) ESPN published a uniform-by-uniform schedule for the Finals on Tuesday, detailing what each team plans to wear in Games 1 through 4. The network’s story also included each team’s regular-season and postseason record in those uniforms. (espnpressroom.com) ESPN has also posted broader playoff and Finals preview coverage in the run-up to the opener. Its playoff hub and Finals preview pages list analysis, schedules and series storylines as the league moves from conference finals to the championship round. ### What does the schedule show from here? (espn.com) Game 1 is set for Wednesday, June 3, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC, according to ESPN’s press site and NBA.com’s Finals page. The league and its broadcast partner have both pointed viewers to those pages for the opening schedule and related coverage. Tuesday’s media-day schedule was the last formal event before tipoff. (espn.com) NBA.com’s media page listed the Spurs and Knicks interview sessions on June 2, followed by New York at San Antonio on June 3. (nba.com) (espnpressroom.com)