(RNS) — Sport competitions often prompt the most pious fans to see divine favor and religious meaning in the performance of their chosen teams and athletes. This year’s NBA Finals, pitting the New York Knicks against the San Antonio Spurs, are no exception.
The Knicks, who had been on a winning streak since April 23 until the Finals’ third game, would end a 53-year championship drought if they claimed the championship title by winning one more of the remaining playoff games. That alone has inspired many to see the team as specially anointed this season. The Spurs, who won the championship in 2014 and are now down 3-1 to the Knicks, have received support from a now viral group of Catholic nuns known as the “Spurs nuns.”
Here are five faith facts about this year’s NBA Finals:
The Catholic university graduating (potential) NBA champions
Three Knicks players — Jalen Brunson, the team’s captain; Josh Hart; and Mikal Bridges — graduated from Villanova University, a private Augustinian college in the suburbs of Philadelphia. The trio’s ties to the Catholic university have earned them the nicknames “Villanova trio” and “Nova Knicks” throughout the championship. In 2016, all three were part of the Villanova Wildcats team that won the NCAA championship.
For fans, it’s no coinc …