LeBron James may have delivered the most hilarious endorsement San Antonio has received in years — but it isn’t one that is unlikely to be adopted by the tourism bureau anytime soon.
While discussing the NBA Finals on the latest episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast, the Lakers star explained why he believes the Knicks benefited from opening the series on the road against the Spurs rather than beginning amid the chaos of Madison Square Garden.
His reasoning? San Antonio offers players a rare luxury during the Finals: absolutely nothing to do.
“I mean, San Antonio, we focus on basketball,” James said. “You ain’t doing s–t in San Antonio. Nothing at all. Nothing. And I mean nothing.”
Was that a backhanded compliment or a blatant roast of the Deuce Dime city?
James argued that starting the Finals in Texas helped the Knicks avoid the distractions that would have come with opening at home in New York, where celebrities, ticket requests and nonstop media attention can quickly overwhelm a team.
The four-time NBA champion painted the city as basketball’s version of a productivity retreat. No red carpets. No Club Room at Soho Grand. No endless social calendar. Just basketball.
Even when co-host Steve Nash attempted to rescue San Antonio’s reputation by bringing up the famous River Walk, James wasn’t interested.
“Hell, no,” James replied. “You get on a River Walk, f— around and fall in the water.”
His larger point was that San Antonio’s lack of distractions creates ideal conditions for focusing on winning basketball.
And history backs it up.
The Spurs built one of the NBA’s model franchises under Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich, winning five championships while becoming famous for a culture that prioritized basketball over celebrity.
Duncan is often characterized as one of the NBA’s most boring superstars for his stoic demeanor and methodical play style.
James knows this reality better than most. He lost two NBA Finals series in San Antonio and spent his early years in the league trying to overcome the Spurs’ dynasty.
And now the Spurs seem to be doing it all over again with Victor Wembanyama.
But while San Antonio may be the city where “nothing” happens, the Spurs spent Monday night proving their team is capable of a gobsmacking comeback.
Behind another dazzling performance from Wembanyama, San Antonio marched into the city that never sleeps and turned what looked like a one-sided NBA Finals into a real fight.
