Basketball
San Antonio Spurs Make The NBA Finals: Fun Facts Ahead Of 2026 Championship Series
From 3-2 down to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs have made their way into the NBA Finals and William Hill News look at some of the famous facts and statistics relating to the team.
San Antonio will face the New York Knicks in the best-of-seven series, with Victor Wembanyama entering the series as the clear favourite for Finals MVP.
Spurs Odds To Win Championship:
- San Antonio Spurs are priced at 1/2 to win the 2026 NBA title at William Hill
The stage is set and millions of basketball fans around the world are ready and waiting. It’s almost time for the on-court action to get underway but for now, learn more about the Spurs ahead of their Championship bid.
Spurs are the Second-Youngest Team to Reach the Finals
San Antonio, per weighted minutes played, is the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals, behind the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers. The ‘can’t win anything with kids’ adage has often been proven wrong – the Spurs are 1/2 favourites to win the NBA title.
Wembanyama is accompanied by Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Carter Bryant in an ultra-young rotation. Julian Champagnie is one of the older heads with only one more year of NBA experience than Wemby. Harrison Barnes is the only rotation player older than 28.
First Finals Team with Top Two Scorers 22 Or Younger
Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle are the first duo to lead their team in scoring at 22 or younger and reach the NBA Finals.
From averaging 16.6 points per game in the regular season, Castle has leapt to 19.2 points per game in the playoffs. The second-year guard has also shot 36.3% from beyond the arc in the postseason.
Of the 15 playoff games where he’s played more than 12 minutes, Wembanyama has scored 19 or more points on 13 occasions.
Wembanyama is Chasing a First Title in His Third Season
Michael Jordan had to wait until his seventh season for his first title. For LeBron James, it was year nine. It’s not unprecedented for a superstar to win a title this early in their career (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, for instance, did it in his second season), but it is a particularly exclusive club.
Many of the players in that group were accompanied by a more experienced star, too. Wembanyama has De’Aaron Fox, but that’s hardly comparable, and the Spurs’ second- and third-best players have even less NBA experience than Wemby.
Spurs Had 31 More Rebounds Than Thunder in WCF
San Antonio had a lower 3-point percentage than the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. What the Spurs did manage, though, was 31 more rebounds across the series, including 15 additional offensive boards.
It was a gang effort on the glass, which is a key factor to consider for anyone betting on the NBA Finals. The Spurs’ rebounding isn’t all about Wemby’s size – they are physical and competitive at both ends.
Spurs Won 4-1 in the 1999 NBA Finals
The Knicks are back in the Finals for the first time in 27 years. San Antonio has made plenty of trips to the last series of the season since then, but it’s notable that the Knicks’ last Finals appearance also came against the Spurs.
San Antonio won 4-1 on that occasion, with a 22-year-old Tim Duncan winning Finals MVP. Wembanyama, who celebrated his 22nd birthday in January, is looking to follow in those footsteps.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
