CABO ROJO, PUERTO RICO — Being here in my homeland of Puerto Rico and watching the NBA Playoffs has been an exciting and eye-opening experience. As a Nuyorican who lived in New York for more than 70 years, my heart has always belonged to New York sports teams.
Having spent most of my life in the South Bronx, known as the Boogie Down Bronx, I developed a deep loyalty to the Yankees, who were always within walking distance of wherever I lived, and to the New York Giants because they, too, called the Bronx home. The Giants played at the original Yankee Stadium from 1956 to 1973.
Those were my two favorite sports growing up—baseball and football.
Sports history in the Bronx made many New Yorkers the passionate fans they are today across the city – Image Credit: MLB
The Knicks were a team I learned to appreciate largely because of my son, an avid Yankees, Giants, and Knicks fan. Unfortunately, he was not around during the Knicks’ championship years of 1970 and 1973. However, he did catch Knicks fever in 1999 at the age of 19 when New York made its last NBA Finals appearance. Since then, like millions of Knicks fans, he has experienced decades of frustration and disappointment. That is among many reasons why this year’s playoff run has generated such excitement throughout New York.
For many fans, this represents a long-awaited return to basketball’s biggest stage.
Now, fast forward to today. As I unfortunately miss all of our Latino Sports New York-based Knicks watch parties at American Whiskey Bar and Grill located on 247 W 30th Street in New York City—a short walk to-and-from Madison Square Garden—I still find myself excited to watch the games from Puerto Rico, where basketball is one of the island’s most beloved sports and where the Knicks contain a passionate following.
American Whiskey Bar and Grill (located on 247 W 30th Street near Madison Square Garden) has hosted watch parties for each and every Knicks playoff game during New York’s historic run back to the NBA Finals – Image Credit: Hector Beauchamp/Latino Sports
Over the past week, I watched Games Five, Six and Seven of the Western Conference Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder on television screens throughout the island. From restaurants and bars to family homes, basketball conversations have dominated the day as fans eagerly waited to see who the Knicks would eventually face.
And just this weekend, we held a small watch party at our home, and everyone was rooting for the Spurs in Game 7 of the WCF. We celebrated their victory not because we were Spurs fans, but because of Latino pride.
I have visited San Antonio, Texas several times and even considered relocating there because of its rich Latino culture and heritage.
Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks is scheduled for this Wednesday, June 3rd (full series schedule available here) – Image Credit: NBA
San Antonio is approximately 66% Latino. However, the biggest reason we supported the Spurs was their Puerto Rican connection through Carter Bryant Torres, a rookie out of Arizona University who was selected 14th overall by San Antonio in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
His presence on one side of the Finals, combined with the Knicks’ Caribbean representation of Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican heritage) and José Alvarado (Puerto Rican heritage), has helped create what may be one of the most Latino dominated NBA Finals in league history.
On San Antonio’s side is also Dominican David Jones García even though the undrafted rookie will be unable to play due to his ongoing recovery from right-ankle surgery. In his first season with the Spurs, Jones García (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) played an immense impact for San Antonio on both ends of the floor.
The Spurs feature two Latinos on their 2025-2026 roster in Dominican David Jones García (24 from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) and Puerto Rican Carter Bryant Torres (20 from Riverside, California – Image Credit: NBA
All in all, that means four players with Caribbean/Latino roots will be competing for this NBA championship—two with Dominican heritage and two with Puerto Rican heritage.
Latinos in 2026 NBA Finals
- Carter Bryant Torres (SAS): 20-year-old forward out of Riverside, California
- David Jones García (SAS-out due to ankle surgery): 24-year-old forward out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK): 30-year-old center out of Edison, New Jersey
- José Alvarado (NYK): 28-year-old guard out of Brooklyn, New York
For Latino basketball fans, this is much more than a best of seven series to decide a champion. It is a historic moment that reflects the growing influence of Latinos in professional basketball and the tremendous importance of the Latino market to the NBA.
Four Latinos have made it to this year’s NBA Finals with two on each side of San Antonio and New York: Puerto Rican José Alvarado (NYK), Puerto Rican Carter Bryant Torres (SAS), Dominican David Jones García (SAS) and Dominican-American Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK) – Image Credit: NBA
For decades, Major League Baseball (MLB) has benefited from the passion and support of Latino fans throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. The NBA is now witnessing a similar opportunity. With marquee names representing Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic while playing on basketball’s biggest stage, interest in this year’s Finals has reached unprecedented levels throughout the Caribbean.
In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, sports talk shows, television programs, radio stations, and social media platforms are consumed with discussions around the Finals.
Families are gathering around televisions and radios while sports bars are packed with young Latinos watching players who look like them and share their heritage, compete for a world championship title.
José Alvarado (28 from Brooklyn, NY) and Karl-Anthony Towns (30 from Edison, New Jersey), each growing up in the local area of New York and New Jersey, have had quite the busy stretch of being a part of Knicks history in front of their family and friends – Image Credit: NBA
The significance of this moment extends far beyond basketball. It demonstrates the purchasing power, influence, and passion of the Latino market—one of the fastest-growing demographics in professional sports.
Recent economic studies show that Latino sports fans are a financial force, currently driving 19% of the $160 billion within the United States’ sports economy. This is beyond Latinos being a niche market. This year’s NBA Finals provide the league with a unique opportunity to deepen its connection with millions of Latino fans throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and across Latin America.
Whether watching from New York, San Antonio, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, or anywhere throughout the Latino diaspora, fans understand they are witnessing something special.
There can only be one winner between the Spurs and Knicks in this best of seven championship series and it’s for all the marbles – Image Credit: NBA
The 2026 NBA Finals are not just about crowning a champion, they are about representation, pride, culture, and the continuing rise of Latino influence in the world of sports.
For millions of Latino fans around the globe, this year’s NBA Finals feel personal. And that is what will make it even more historic—something that we have to teach and show to corporate America.
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