The THW Finals
San Antonio Spurs vs New York Knicks
We’re back with a little nonsense.
After the Spurs dethroned the Thunder last weekend, we’re pumped for the NBA Finals. We’re calling it a grit-and-grind series. The Spurs and the Knicks are the two best team-basketball outfits in the league, and that should make for a war.
Game 1 tips off tomorrow at 7:30 CST.
At The Hobby Wire, we’re always trying to find an edge. And if there’s a better way to predict this year’s champ than letting the card market decide, we’re not interested.
So, let’s tip off…
The 2026 THW Finals
Spurs vs Knicks
The Rules
We go head-to-head using PSA 10 Prizm Silver Rookie cards in a best-of-seven series, one position per game:
Game 1 — Point Guards
Game 2 — Shooting Guards
Game 3 — Small Forwards
Game 4 — Power Forwards
Game 5 (If Necessary) — Centers
Game 6 (If Necessary) — 6th Men
Game 7 (If Necessary) — Last Franchise MVPs
If a player doesn't have a PSA 10 Silver available, raw prices are used for both players at that position.
Scoring works like this:
Higher average price from the last five sales = 1 point
Larger price increase since the start of the season = 1 point
Ties go to overtime, decided by the most sales volume since the start of the season.
Game 1: Point Guards
De’Aaron Fox vs Jalen Brunson
The Knicks make a statement in Game 1.
Brunson buried the Spurs early, his last five Silver Prizm sales averaging $1,069. Fox never got a look.
Then Brunson kept his foot on the gas, running circles around De’Aaron Fox with his card up 224% on the season to Fox’s measly 13.6%.
Couldn’t have been a bigger blowout.
Spurs 0 — Knicks 1
Game 2: Shooting Guards
Stephon Castle vs Mikal Bridges
San Antonio answers back.
The 2024-25 Rookie of the Year stole the spotlight, his Silver Prizm up 218% on an $850 average.
Mikal Bridges’ Prizm posted a respectable 114%, but it wasn’t enough to get the job done tonight.
Now it’s a series.
Spurs 1 — Knicks 1
Game 3: Small Forwards
Devin Vassell vs OG Anunoby
After two blowouts, Game 3 was a real nail-biter.
The Spurs came out hot, Vassell’s last five sales averaging $153. Well above OG Anunoby’s $71.85.
But the Knicks clawed back in the second half, Anunoby’s 48.8% season gain edging Vassell’s 40.2%.
We’re going to overtime!
Anunoby had the most liquidity on the board this season — 21 sales to Vassell's 5.
The Knicks complete the comeback and steal Game 3.
Spurs 1 — Knicks 2
Game 4: Power Forwards
Julian Champagnie vs Josh Hart
Game 4 got weird right out of the gate.
Julian Champagnie doesn’t have a base rookie in 2022-23 Prizm Basketball, so instead of Silver Prizms, we’re going raw with Rookie Autos.
The Spurs squeaked out a first-half lead, Champagnie’s last five autos averaging $26.40 to Hart’s $17.43. But Mitch Johnson must’ve drawn up something special at the half, because San Antonio took it to another level.
Champagnie’s auto ran from $2.50 to $30 on the season. A whopping 1,100%. Hart’s 367% was no match.
Spurs take Game 4.
Spurs 2 — Knicks 2
Game 5: Centers
Victor Wembanyama vs Karl-Anthony Towns
The Knicks looked asleep out there.
Wemby ran away with it. It was the biggest first-half lead of the series, an insane $3,565 average to KAT’s $299.
The second half wasn’t any more favorable for New York, Wembanyama’s Silver Prizm up 286% on the season.
Can the Spurs close it out in six?
Spurs 3 — Knicks 2
Game 6: 6th Men
Keldon Johnson vs Jordan Clarkson
The Knicks are doing everything they can to stay alive.
Jordan Clarkson crushed Keldon Johnson on the five-sale average. But Spurs fans will cry foul. Three of Clarkson’s last five PSA 10 Silver Prizm sales date all the way back to 2022.
Regardless, San Antonio answered in the second half, the newly crowned Sixth Man of the Year up 75% on the season to Clarkson’s 53.8%.
Another overtime! A Knicks win here swings real momentum toward Game 7.
The Spurs get the job done. Clarkson’s dirty first-half numbers cost him in OT with just 2 sales on the season to Keldon Johnson’s staggering 59.
The San Antonio Spurs are your 2026 NBA Champions!
Spurs 4 — Knicks 2
Post Game
No surprise the Spurs were the hobby favorite all along. They’re anchored by the most collectible name in basketball, and Wemby’s got plenty of help with a young core loaded with hardware of its own.
The Spurs are your THW Champions, and with Wemby, Castle, and Dylan Harper barely getting started, don’t be shocked to see them back here next year.
Does this guarantee anything for the real NBA Finals? Absolutely not. Just look at how our Super Bowl call went.
And if the whole exercise feels a little ridiculous, good. We just decided a seven-game series on sales comps and price swings, all riding on pictures of athletes printed on cardboard. No box scores. No minutes played. Just the market talking.
Same chaos, same cardboard. See you for the next bracket.
Disclaimer: The content in The Hobby Wire is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Commentary, analysis, and opinions on sports cards, rookies, and the hobby are not financial, investment, or professional advice. Collectors should always do their own research before buying, selling, or trading cards. Market values are volatile and can change rapidly—past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
Unless specified, all pricing references are based on the Prizm/Refractor parallels of an athlete’s Chrome rookie card, with prices from market movers, alt.xyz & 130pt.com.
Any odds mentioned were derived from DraftKings Sportsbook.