(RNS) \u2014 Religion has been all over the NBA Finals this year. Nuns have been <\/span>blessing the Spurs<\/span><\/a> in San Antonio. <\/span>Knicks fans burned sage<\/span><\/a> outside Madison Square Garden to ward off evil spirits after what has been dubbed \u201cThe Trump Game.\u201d Sports journalists reported numerous stories about how Spurs\u2019 phenom, Victor Wembanyama, spent time this past summer <\/span>training with Buddhist monks at a Shaolin Monastery in China<\/span><\/a>. And after Game 1, <\/span>a new slogan<\/span><\/a> took New York City and social media by storm: \u201cMy mayor\u2019s Muslim\/My bagel\u2019s Jewish\/My Christian Dior\/Knicks in Four!\u201d<\/span> I flew down to Game 1 for the finals to watch my beloved Spurs take on the Knicks. My parents are diehard Spurs fans and longtime season-ticket holders. My mom gifted her ticket to me. It\u2019s the biggest sacrifice anyone\u2019s ever made for me. That\u2019s the power of a mother\u2019s love.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I was back in Manhattan for Game 2. I wore my Spurs shirt while walking around town. Someone asked if I felt worried about being attacked. That question sparked a heartwarming reflection. I love living in a city where people don\u2019t look at me twice for wearing a turban. People care less about the religion I follow and care more about the basketball team I support.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Spurs fans GP Singh, left, and Parvinder Kaur, right, with Toronto Raptors fan Nav Bhatia, center, at a Spurs game in San Antonio, Texas. (Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This feeling lasted an entire two days, until the Spurs won Game 3, their first for the series. After that game, some fans in New York City started assaulting Spurs fans. The videos of the violence circulated quickly, prompting players and other prominent New Yorkers \u2014 including Mayor Mamdani and Ben Stiller \u2014 to <\/span>condemn the attacks.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n My daughter wanted to wear her Spurs jersey to elementary school the next day, and we discouraged her from doing so, just in case. So much for sports bringing everyone together. I guess every kind of tribe is vulnerable to having some people turn on \u201cthe other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n For Knicks fans, true faith came in Game 4, when their team rallied from a 29-point deficit to come back and win by one point. It was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. For Spurs fans, this sparked a crisis of faith. <\/span>Do I even believe in God anymore? <\/span><\/i>It\u2019s a fair question after such a brutal loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Spurs being down 3-1 in the series has me praying anyway. My faith may be shaken, but it\u2019s worth trying if it helps my team win. I\u2019ve heard there\u2019s a religious text that says it\u2019s always darkest before dawn. Spoken like a true sports fan searching for hope, right?<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s some good news, though, that doesn\u2019t rely on the outcome and can be celebrated by fans of both teams alike. This past week, I got a text from a friend. \u201cIsn\u2019t this your brother Raj?\u201d I opened the photo, and it was my brother in Spurs gear, alongside Spike Lee in his Knicks hat. It turns out that this photo was on the front page for Nike.com.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I shared it with my family immediately, and our group chat went nuts. It would be cool enough to see a Sikh featured on the site. How much cooler is it when it\u2019s your own brother?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I called Raj immediately, and we shared our excitement. He mentioned how his younger self would have loved to see a turbaned Sikh repping his beloved Spurs and how powerful this image could be for young Sikhs everywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n Spike Lee, left, and Raj Singh are featured on the Nike website. (Screen grab)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI\u2019ve loved basketball my whole life and would have never imagined being on Nike\u2019s homepage representing the Spurs,\u201d Raj told me. \u201cIt didn\u2019t occur to me as a kid that a sardar could be featured on such a big platform. Now seeing it in reality, I\u2019m excited for how it inspires the next generation. I know I won\u2019t be the last.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n I loved his reflection because it reminded me of a simple truth. Sports, at its best, brings people together. I see that happening in my city, and I love that for my fellow New Yorkers, even if it comes at the cost of my own team (and my own happiness). Whatever the outcome is, I hope that we continue to enjoy the awe and beauty of this incredible NBA Finals. And in the meantime, I\u2019ll do my best to keep the faith.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n
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<\/span>I\u2019m a Sikh who was born in San Antonio and now lives in New York City. Same with one of my brothers, Raj. We\u2019ve both lived in New York for almost 20 years now. And we\u2019re both <\/span>massive<\/span><\/i> Spurs fans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/religionnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/webRNS-Singh-Spurs2-277x369.jpg\")
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