Cardi B is a born and raised New Yorker, so there was approximately zero chance that she would miss the first NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden since 1999.
The New York Knicks hosted the San Antonio Spurs for Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Monday night. The Knicks carried a 2-0 series lead into the game and held a 64-57 lead at halftime, so the vibes couldn’t have been higher when Cardi took the floor for her halftime performance.
Unfortunately for Cardi and Knicks fans, the Spurs handled business down the stretch to win, 115-111, and cut their Finals deficit to 2-1. The loss snapped the Knicks’ 13-game winning streak, but it did not break Cardi’s spirit.
“The Knicks lost, but I’m still so proud of them,” the Grammy-winning rapper said while eating a SpongeBob Squarepants popsicle after the game. “I’m still so proud of them because it’s just like, you know, it’s not like they lost by mad points and [expletive] like that. They was workin’!”
“On Wednesday, I think before the game, all Knicks fans should get on my Live, and we should pray all together,” Cardi B continued. “We should have a prayer circle for the Knicks to win.”
Cardi B also marveled at seeing Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 phenom, in person: “Like a giraffe, he is so tall! I never seen somebody so tall before.It’s like, wow, what the [expletive]?”
Get her on ESPN’s “Inside the NBA” immediately.
The Knicks and Spurs will reconvene at Madison Square Garden for Game 4 on Wednesday night. The Knicks are seeking their first championship since 1973, while the Spurs are looking to end a 12-year title drought.
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