The National Basketball Association released its new broadcast open for the 2026 NBA Finals on Monday, showcasing Los Angeles Lakers greats Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Jerry West. The one-minute feature will introduce every ABC telecast when the San Antonio Spurs host the New York Knicks for Game 1 on Wednesday night.
According to the league, each Finals game will begin with a “cinematic broadcast open” saluting the moments, milestones and people that have defined the championship stage. This year’s video is built around seven themed segments, one of which spotlights Bryant, Johnson and West. Together, the trio appeared in 25 Finals and captured 11 titles for the Lakers.
Historic parity continues
The 2026 series will deliver the NBA’s eighth different champion in as many seasons, marking the first such stretch in league history.
Spurs-Knicks rematch
San Antonio and New York last met in the 1999 Finals, but both franchises arrive this time with new cores. Rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama leads the Spurs, while Jalen Brunson fronts a Knicks roster chasing the club’s first championship since 1973.
Magic Johnson’s early breakdown
Johnson weighed in on social media ahead of Game 1, noting that Wembanyama’s zone defense versus the Oklahoma City Thunder “won’t work against the Knicks” because of Karl-Anthony Towns’ and OG Anunoby’s three-point range. He also questioned who on New York’s roster will guard the 7-foot-4 rookie and pointed to the contrasting rest periods—eight days for the Knicks, three for the Spurs after a seven-game series—as a potential factor.
Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals tips off Wednesday at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
Source: LakersNation.com
