As New York City buzzes with unprecedented excitement ahead of tonight’s decisive Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, local Spurs supporters find themselves navigating a city swept up in overwhelming Knicks championship fever — and a small group of local venues are stepping up to create welcoming, safe spaces for outnumbered Texas fans.
The matchup carries historic stakes for the Knicks: a win tonight in the best-of-seven series would hand the franchise its first NBA championship in more than 50 years, a milestone that has sent the city’s already rabid fanbase into a frenzy. But for transplants and lifelong San Antonio supporters who call New York home, that intense local passion has turned hostile in isolated, alarming cases. Local media reports have documented multiple assaults on Spurs fans in the city, including one incident that left a fan hospitalized and another attack on a fast food employee who wore a Spurs jersey to work.
Amid this tension, Manhattan’s Yellow Rose, a Texas-themed restaurant owned by San Antonio native Dave Rizo, has emerged as a quiet refuge for local Spurs fans. Decorated with a cardboard cutout of Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, an official Spurs team flag, a hand-painted fan banner, and a signed greeting from Spurs owner Peter Holt, the restaurant has opened its doors to stream every Finals game for supporters, while intentionally keeping the atmosphere low-key to avoid stoking conflict. “I don’t want to unintentionally add more fuel to any of the fire that’s going on,” Rizo explained to the BBC. “I want this to be a safe space for people that are Spurs fans. Spurs fans that live in New York City are just as much part of the city as anyone else.”
Rizo, who has lived in New York for a decade, got a first-hand taste of the hostility facing visible Spurs fans when he walked around Manhattan in a Spurs jersey ahead of Game 3. Multiple passersby stopped to warn him he was putting himself at risk, commenting on how “bold” his choice of clothing was. At the time, he brushed off the warnings, but seeing reports of harassment and violence against fellow fans on social media left him disheartened. Still, the lifelong Spurs fan who now calls New York home remains upbeat: even if the Knicks take the title tonight, he says, “Either way, I win.”
Both teams’ top players have publicly condemned the fan violence and harassment, calling for respectful competition between supporters. Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama emphasized at a recent press conference that the game should stay on the court. “We’re just playing a game out there. And I’m all for passion, but with respect for each other. It’s unacceptable,” he said. Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns echoed that call, urging fans to “leave the physicality to everyone on the court.”
Across the city, other venues have worked to foster unity between opposing fanbases, showing that friendly coexistence is possible even amid the high stakes of a championship race. At Manhattan’s Whiskey Tavern, which has drawn packed crowds on every Finals game night, manager Alex told the BBC the bar has hosted a healthy mix of both Knicks and Spurs fans, with zero reported clashes between the groups. “It’s fun, it’s good energy. Everybody’s here just having a good time and celebrating either team. It is definitely heavily mixed,” Alex said, adding that she has even seen Knicks fans reserve seats for attending Spurs fans. “It’s all just people here together.”
Other spots lean into their preference for the Spurs while still welcoming all comers. Brooklyn cocktail bar Doris, for example, rebranded as a makeshift Finals sports bar when the series began, openly advertising its support for San Antonio while still extending an invite to fans of any team. Its Instagram page features photos of Texas’ iconic Lone Star Beer, highlights a Manu Ginobili jersey that has hung on the wall since 2013, and proclaims “GO SPURS GO” in bold all caps, with a playful addendum: “Doris loves the Knicks, too! We just LOVE the SPURS more!”
As tip-off for the most consequential game of the season approaches, New York remains divided: swept up in a historic, city-wide celebration of the Knicks’ underdog run, but also holding space for the small, passionate community of Spurs fans who call the five boroughs home.