By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The New York Knicks-San Antonio Spurs Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals is the highest-viewed finals game since Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals.
Michael Jordan took the “Last Shot” in that game. The Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz brought in an average of $29.04 million in six games. Jordan won his last championship with the Bulls in 1998. The Knicks-Spurs game drew 24.5 million viewers. The Finals were televised on ESPN and ABC. It’s the highest rating the network has received for the NBA Finals since its first year, during the 2003 NBA Finals.
When a top-market city like New York makes the championship round, it draws a lot of viewership. Whether it’s New York, Boston, Los Angeles, or Chicago, the ratings will go through the roof. If the Knicks-Spurs series had ended in six or seven games, the ratings would have been much higher.
The Knicks winning their first championship in 53 years is a great story for the nation. Fans have waited for so long for this moment. Merchandise has been selling like hot cakes. The parade, which will be on Thursday, will be flooded with Knicks fans from all over the world wearing their shirts, jerseys, jackets, and hats. There will be a lot of police presence at this parade.
Knick players are enjoying themselves, appearing in many interviews. Tonight, at Yankee Stadium, the madness continues because Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart will be in attendance to throw the first pitch. The Yankees will play the Chicago White Sox at 7:05 pm.
It’s the eighth consecutive season that the NBA has a new champion. The NBA would like to see more top-market city teams make the NBA Finals because of the ratings. We wouldn’t mind seeing the Knicks make another run to the Finals next season if everyone comes back to the team and stays healthy.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
X: @mmm_sportnfilms, Instagram: @miguel_passionforsports and @themmmjournal, LinkedIn: The MMM Journal, TikTok: @miguelmikemedina