2026 NBA Finals: Where did the New York Knicks roster play in high school?

The 2026 NBA Finals begins tomorrow night at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, pitting the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs versus the Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks, which is making their first championship appearance since the 1998-1999 season.

Both teams have drafted players near and far when it comes to constructing their rosters as athletes are dotted along each roster hailing from states within the country and around the world. Before the starting 15 players on each team, front court or back court members, take the hardwood tomorrow evening at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, where did they all play in high school boys hoops at?

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Rivals went through the roster for the New York Knicks, giving to you where each of the players starred on the prep boys basketball scene before tomorrow night’s 2026 NBA Finals tips off in the Lone Star State.

New York Knicks: Where did they play in high school?

PG Jalen Brunson, Adlai Stevenson (IL)

Before Brunson arrived to the Big Apple and became the face of the Knicks, he was a high school hoops star out of the Prairie State. The point guard was a five-star product coming out of Adlai Stevenson High School and had plenty of accolades along the way. Brunson led Adlai Stevenson to the 2015 IHSA Class 4A state championship, and was also a McDonald’s All-American in addition to being Illinois Mr. Basketball.

F OG Anunoby, Jefferson City (MO)

One of the most versatile players for the Knicks heading into tonight’s showdown with the Spurs is Anunoby, who played his high school boys hoops out of the Show Me State of Missouri. During his hay day as a three-star forward prospect, Anunoby averaged 19 points, 8.6 rebounds as a senior and was a Missouri Mr. Basketball finalist.

SF Mikal Bridges, Great Valley (Pa.)

Whether Bridges is asked to cover guards on the perimeter or needed to head into the painted area and snag rebounds, he’s a do-it-all type player for New York. The former Villanova star played his high school boys basketball at Great Valley, earning Class AAAA all-star selectee and Philadelphia-area honors.

C/F Karl-Anthony Towns, Saint Joseph (NJ)

The big man for the New York Knicks has been the next biggest star next to Brunson throughout this playoff run, which has brought the franchise to their first NBA Finals appearance in nearly three decades. Towns was a five-star prospect out of Saint Joseph where he won multiple state championships and was a McDonald’s All-American.

SG Josh Hart, Sidwell Friends (D.C.)

Another former Villanova product has shined on the big stage for New York and will look to do so again beginning tonight in Texas. Hart back in his high school boys basketball playing days was a four-star shooting guard prospect, ranking as the state’s No. 2 player and No. 12 at his position. Hart was a First-team All-Met selection and led Sidwell Friends to a 22-9 record his senior campaign.

C Mitchell Robinson, Chalmette (La.)

The 7-foot, 222-pound center will likely be tasked with covering arguably the league’s top player in Victor Wembanyama throughout the series because of his length and agility. Robinson was a can’t miss prospect out of the Pelican State, ranking as a five-star prospect before heading off to play collegiately at Western Kentucky. Robinson finished his high school career at Chalmette after being at Pensacola (Fla.) Pine Forest, named a McDonald’s All-American and averaging 25 points and 12 rebounds per game.

PG Miles McBride, Archbishop Moeller (OH)

McBride is a rotation player for the Knicks that will be expected to play key minutes throughout the NBA Finals. Before his days in the NBA and collegiately, however, McBride starred at Archbishop Moeller where he led the Crusaders to multiple state titles and earned all-state honors.

G Jordan Clarkson, Wagner (TX)

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Clarkson tonight as he will play in a city where he made a name for himself on the high school boys basketball scene. In his senior season out of the Lone Star State, Clarkson was named San Antonio Player of the Year before playing collegiately at Missouri.

G Jose Alvarado, Christ The King Regional (N.Y.)

Played his college days at Georgia Tech after his high school boys basketball career playing for one of New York’s top teams in Christ The King Regional. There with the Lions, Alvarado his junior season was the CHSAA Player of the Year and notched the ultra-rare quadruple-double in a game his senior year.

F Jeremy Sochan, Orange Academy (Tenn.)

Sochan was one of the best high school boys basketball players out of the state of Tennessee coming out, rated as a four-star forward before playing at Baylor University. The forward played at a number of schools during and after his high school days, including Itchen College (UK), La Lumiere School (Indiana; junior year) and eventually played professionally in Germany.

G Landry Shamet, Park Hill (MO)

When it comes to little or no fanfare coming out of high school, but ending up playing at the highest level, that’s the story for Shamet. The guard played mostly at Bartram Trail (Fla.) before heading to Park Hill and eventually collegiately at Wichita State.

F Pacome Dadiet, Saint-Charles Charenton (France)

Dadiet didn’t play any high school boys basketball within the states as he starred at Saint-Charles Charenton for nearly a decade before entering the professional world of hoops. The 6-foot-9, 217-pound forward for the Knicks could see rotational time in the Finals series.

G Tyler Kolek, St George’s School (RI)

A Rhode Island high school boys basketball standout before heading to college and the pros, Kolek was the 2019 Rhode Island Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year after scoring 1,000 points his senior year and earning all-state honors.

C Ariel Hukporti, Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg (Germany)

Hukporti is another international player that developed outside of the United States before jumping into the NBA. The 7-foot, 245-pound center spent a majority of his time in the German youth basketball system before playing professionally in Austraila and Europe.

SG Kevin McCullar, Wagner (TX)

Another player that played his high school boys basketball growing up in the San Antonio area and now will be back in the city is McCullar, who like Clarkson also played at Wagner. McCullar re-classed and graduated early to play collegiately at Texas Tech before moving on to Kansas.

SF Dillon Jones, Sunrise Christian Academy (KS)

Rounding out the list of 16 players heading into tonight’s NBA Finals is Jones, who is the lone representative of the Knicks from the state of Kansas. Jones for his first three years of high school boys basketball played at W.J. Keenan High School in Columbia, South Carolina where he won a SCHSL Class 3A state crown before heading to Sunrise Christian Academy for his senior season.