Hundreds of Hong Kong basketball fans packed a Kowloon Bay cinema on Sunday to witness the New York Knicks secure their first NBA championship in 53 years, joined by seven-time ring winner Robert Horry as the franchise ended one of the longest title droughts in professional sports.
Organised by the NBA, the watch party drew fans of both the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, who gathered for the 8.30am Hong Kong time tip-off knowing the series could be decided that morning.
A Knicks victory sealed the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1973, while a Spurs win would have forced a Game 6 in the finals.
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Horry, a seven-time NBA champion nicknamed “Big Shot Rob” for his clutch playoff performances, spent the morning interacting with fans, taking photographs and handing out prizes, including two courtside tickets to the NBA China Games in Macau in October.
Sunday’s gathering came at a time when the NBA’s relationship with China has largely stabilised following years of uncertainty.
After a social media post by then-Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey in 2019 triggered a political backlash that led to the suspension of broadcasts and a six-year absence of NBA games in the region, the league returned to Macau last year with the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns facing off in two pre-season games.