Archbishops of NY and San Antonio Adopt New Teams, Wager on NBA Finals

Archbishop Ronald Hicks, head of the Catholic New York Archdiocese appeared to be in the drivers seat in the friendly wager vs his counterpart in San Antonio, Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller. The wager was placed before the series began but he appeared to be on the brink after the Knicks miracle win in Game 4 to take a 3 to 1 series lead.

For both religious leaders, rooting for their new hometown teams is somewhat new.

Hicks, who was only succeeded Cardinal Dolan in Feburary, grew up in the Chicago area so it meant he had to jettison his hometown Chicago Bulls and adopt his new hometown favorite, the New York Knicks. Archbishop García-Siller also grew up in the Chicago area.

There is a split among other noteworthy religious figures who have expressed support for their favorite team. Pope Leo is a Villanova graduate and the Knicks have three Villanova alums on their team, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, who won an NCAA championship together in 2016. Presumably the Pope is rooting for players from his alma mater.

The Spurs also have some divine inspiration among their fan base from a group of San Antonio-based Salesian nuns, who don San Antonio jerseys over their traditional nuns habits to show their support at Spurs games. According to USA Today, it “made the nuns almost as easy to spot as Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ 7-foot-4 phenom.” The nuns, officially called the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, were not at the Garden for games 3 and 4. The Knicks miraculous comeback in Game 4 probably occurred after the nun’s strict curfew.

The two archbishops are eschewing gambling sites like Draft Kings and Fan Duel. Instead, they took to social media to share videos and photos supporting their newly adopted hometown teams, promising to send a collection of goods to the winning archdiocese.

Before the tip-off of Game 1, Archbishop Hicks of NY announced he would send a box of bagels, cream cheese, and lox from H&H bagels in the ‘very unlikely event that the San Antonio Spurs win.’ While if the NY Knicks win, who currently are 2-0 in the finals heading into Game 3 as we went to press, Archbishop Gustavo of San Antonio promised to send a curated Texas gift box from H-E-B, a San Antonio-based grocery chain. The gift box would be set to include Texas staples such as pecan coffee, cowboy cookies, trail mix, 1877 mineral water, ‘That Green Sauce,’ barbecue sauce, and other items to commemorate the ‘likely’ win.

The two archbishops, who have been friends since serving together in the Archdiocese of Chicago, posted videos in support of their respective teams, with a bit of friendly banter.

“Go, Spurs, go,” Gustavo said in his instagram video, donning a Spurs jersey.

Archbishop Hicks said he has ‘caught Knicks fever’ and spoke to the strength of the team, and their special connection to Pope Leo XIV.

“With players like Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Jalen Brunson, they are products from Villanova University--the Alma Mater of our Holy Father-- who reminds us that he praises the Lord for the gift of sport,” Hicks said in his video on ‘X.’

”I’ve lit my candles, I’m saying my prayers, go Knicks,” Hicks added.

In his June prayer intention, Pope Leo commented on the value of sport, ahead of the FIFA World Cup and NBA Finals, thanking the Lord for “the gift of sport, for those who glorify God through the exercise of their bodies, for the friendships born on the field, and the joy of playing as a team.”

As we were going to press, the Knicks were set to face off against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA finals at 8:30 p.m. on June 8 at Madison Square Garden.