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Nostalgia hits the courts (and the Search bar) as the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs face off in the NBA Finals for the first time since the ‘90s.
Megan Stoner
Keyword Contributor
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The 2026 NBA Finals are officially here: Tune in tonight at 8:30pm ET for Game 3, as the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks face off. Since this is the first time the two teams have met in the NBA Finals since 1999, we dug into Google Trends data from the NBA Playoffs thus far and found out where teams are piquing people’s interests, as well as some serious '90s nostalgia:
New York City and San Antonio are searching the NBA more than ever before
Fandom is on fire: Knicks vs. Spurs is the top trending Search query in the U.S. over the past week. And both San Antonio and New York City metros are searching for their respective teams more than they’re searching for the weather, which is one of the most consistently searched topics on Google. States across the U.S. are also showing their support for the two remaining teams. Texas is the state searching for the Spurs the most, followed by Oklahoma, Minnesota, New Jersey and New Mexico. New York tops the list for Knicks-related searches, followed by New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and D.C.
Google Trends data shows that New York is the state searching for the Knicks the most, followed by New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and D.C.
Google Trends show that Texas is the state searching for the Spurs the most, followed by Oklahoma, Minnesota, New Jersey and New Mexico.
The NBA Finals feature plenty of fan favorites and breakout stars
The Finals are brimming with talent, but there’s one player who’s catching the world’s eye: Victor Wembanyama. People are searching for him now more than ever before in his career — both in the U.S. and globally.
Looking at the top-searched players for each team since the NBA Playoffs kicked off on April 18, San Antonio favorites are a mix of new and veteran players, while the ‘Nova Knicks dominate the top-searched players for New York. Search interest in Spurs-turned-Knicks player Jeremy Sochan is also spiking in the U.S. — with searches for the player increasing 250% over the last week.
Top-searched San Antonio Spurs players
since the start of the 2026 NBA Playoffs (April 18), U.S.
Victor WembanyamaDylan HarperStephon CastleJulian ChampagnieDe'Aaron FoxTop-searched New York Knicks players
since the start of the 2026 NBA Playoffs (April 18), U.S.
Jalen BrunsonOG AnunobyJosh HartMikal BridgesMitchell RobinsonFun fact: Jalen Brunson isn’t the only trending player in his family. Searches about his dad, Rick Brunson, are spiking, too. “Rick Brunson 1999 finals” is a breakout search in the U.S. over the past week. And on that note…
We’re going back to the ‘90s
The last time these two teams met in the Finals was 1999, and fans are using Google to teleport back.
Here are some breakout questions about the NBA in the ‘90s from the past week in the U.S.:
“Who made NBA jerseys in the 90s”“Who had a 40 inch vert in the 1990s NBA”“Who was the last NBA player from the 90s”“Good big men in the 90s who could shoot”“Who dominated the NBA in the 90s”Vintage apparel is also having a massive moment. Searches for “vintage jersey” recently reached an all-time high, and there have also been breakout searches for “1999 NBA finals shirt,” “Knicks 1999 finals shirt” and “1999 NBA finals hat” over the past week. (Here’s how to use Search to boost your own thrifting game.)
No matter who you’re rooting for, keep checking Trends.Google.com to see what’s taking off.
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