The Knicks might have received some divine assistance.
On Wednesday, the Pope Leo XIV was parading through the crowd at the Vatican when he heard an insistent Knicks fan screaming “Pope Leo, go Knicks!”
The Pope, in response, appeared give a thumbs-up.
The clip immediately went viral. It even reached his alma mater, Villanova, with former men’s basketeball coach Jay Wright posting the clip to his X account, adding “Love it!”
Wright has several connections to this Knicks team, having coached stars Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges to national titles with the Wildcats.
The Knicks, on an 11-game winning streak, are just four wins away from the franchise’s first title since 1973. It’s the closest they’ve been since 1999, their last trip to the NBA Finals.
Brunson’s arrival in 2022 helped change the Knicks’ fortunes, though when Robert Francis Prevost was named Pope last year, many thought his ties to the ‘Nova Knicks were a sign from above.
If anything, Pope Leo’s apparent endorsement is a helpful way to fill the wait ahead of the June 3 start of the NBA Finals.
The Spurs and reigning champion Thunder are still duking it out to join the Knicks in the championship round, but whether they have a higher power on their side remains to be seen.
