NOTES & QUOTES FROM NBA SHOWTIME AHEAD OF WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS GAME 1 ON NBC AND PEACOCK

“Let me say this to all my hoopers out there: If you want to watch some real hooping, the Western Conference Finals…is the type of basketball you want to watch.” – Tracy McGrady

“This is the marquee matchup of the series…Can Chet make Wemby work? He has to be aggressive.” – Carmelo Anthony on Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren vs. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama

“All my (prior) seasons ended in April. I’m not taking this for granted.”– San Antonio’s Devin Vassell to Ashely ShahAhmadi on Spurs’ playoff run

“A lot of those guys you named are responsible for my joy in basketball growing up as a kid. It’s ridiculous that that kid that was watching them play basketball has achieved some of the things that they have.” – Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Mike Tirico on joining the back-to-back NBA MVP club

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 18, 2026 – The NBA Western Conference Finals returned to NBC and debuted on Peacock tonight, beginning with NBC Sports’ live on-site studio program NBA Showtime, leading into coverage of Game 1 between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion and Western Conference No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder and Victor Wembanyama and the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs. This is the first Western Conference Finals game on NBC since Game 7 on June 2, 2002.

Tonight’s on-site edition of NBA Showtime from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City featured host Maria Taylor alongside Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Carmelo Anthony and Tracy McGrady.

Pre-game coverage included Mike Tirico’s interview with Gilgeous-Alexander, who became only the 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP awards yesterday; Ashley ShahAhmadi’s pre-game interview with Spurs guard Devin Vassell; Zora Stephenson’s pre-game interview with Thunder point guard Ajay Mitchell; Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson speaking to his team in the locker room before the game; and a Western-themed opening tease narrated by Emmy Award-nominated actor Timothy Olyphant.

Mike Tirico (play-by-play), Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller and three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford (analysts), and Zora Stephenson and Ashley ShahAhmadi (courtside reporters) are calling Spurs-Thunder.

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Following are highlights from tonight’s NBA Showtime ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on NBC and Peacock:

ON WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

Tracy McGrady on the Western Conference Finals: “Let me say this to all my hoopers out there: If you want to watch some real hooping, the Western Conference Finals, with what they have on both of these teams – they have a bunch of hoopers. Guys that can create their own shots, the skill level is high. This is the type of basketball you want to watch.”

Mike Tirico: “Somebody that’s been around the league said maybe it’s the most anticipated Conference Finals we’ve had in a decade.”

Carmelo Anthony on if this is the most-anticipated Conference Finals in decades: “I think so. You have the MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year, and the Defensive Player of the Year wanted the MVP.”

McGrady: “Since Golden State-Houston (in 2018), absolutely.”

ON THUNDER

Anthony on Chet Holmgren vs. Victor Wembanyama: “This is the marquee matchup of the series…Can Chet make Wemby work? He has to be aggressive.”

McGrady: “That is the shiny object in this series. Both sides have depth. But when you look at the main matchup – this is it. Chet has to match Wemby.”

Ajay Mitchell to Zora Stephenson on his confidence: “I always felt like I was confident since I was a kid. My teammates and the coaching staff really believe in me.”

Mitchell to Stephenson on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: “He really cares about his teammates and the people around him. He really believes he wouldn’t be the player he is without us, and as his teammates, that’s really special for us to hear.”

Tirico on Gilgeous-Alexander: “As humble as he sounds, he is, on and off camera, and you saw that in the faces of his teammates as he was surrounded at his press conference.”

Jamal Crawford on Gilgeous-Alexander: “He’s playing like his future self is telling him, ‘Take advantage of every opportunity.’ He’s a two-time MVP now and still wants to get better.”

ON SPURS

McGrady on Victor Wembanyama: “He’s the one that has the biggest impact on the game. He doesn’t have to have a big scoring night to have a huge explosion.”

Reggie Miller on Wembanyama: “Now we have a guy that’s seen exactly what Shai has gotten and says, ‘You know what? I want some of that.’ And what better stage than the Conference Finals to go against a team you’ve beaten four times in the regular season?”

Devin Vassell to ShahAhmadi on San Antonio’s mentality: “There are times we’ve been down in hostile environments and we’ve able to respond every time. Every time a team has gotten in the game, we’ve put our head down and fought back.”

Vassell to ShahAhamdi on being one of the longest-tenured Spurs: “All my (prior) seasons ended in April. I’m not taking this for granted.”

Vassell to ShahAhmadi on the Spurs’ 4-1 regular season record vs. the Thunder: “We definitely have confidence playing against them. We know that in the playoffs it’s way more physical, but we’re just excited for the opportunity.”

Anthony on the youth of the Spurs: “They call De’Aaron Fox ‘Unc’ on that team. He’s not even 30 yet!”

McGrady on Dylan Harper: “When we watch Dylan Harper play, he plays like a vet. I have no hesitation to say he’ll continue to play like that.”

TIRICO-GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER INTERVIEW

Gilgeous Alexander to Tirico on becoming only the 14th player in NBA history to win back-to-back MVP awards: “It’s amazing. A lot of those guys you named are responsible for my joy in basketball growing up as a kid. Guys that shaped the game into how it’s played today. It’s ridiculous that that kid that was watching them play basketball has achieved some of the things that they have.”

Gilgeous Alexander to Tirico on his motivation this season: “I don’t think I was the best version of myself last year. There were still many places I could take my skills and affect the game at a higher level. The feeling I had was amazing after I won, but a year later, someone gets a chance to have that same feeling, and if you take it for granted, you might never get it again.”

Gilgeous Alexander to Tirico on Wembanyama: “He’s one of the most unique players we’ve ever seen. Guys that big usually don’t move that well…It’s going to be a tall task, but I think this team is equipped for the task.”

Gilgeous-Alexander on winning his second consecutive MVP award: “I would trade it all for the trophy at the end.”

ON CAVALIERS

McGrady on Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen: “If they can continue playing like they did in Games 6 and 7 (of the Eastern Conference Semifinals), this is going to be a much different series than what I thought. I didn’t know they had that in them, but they showed everybody they have that toughness.”

Anthony: “The Knicks haven’t seen this version of Cleveland yet (with James Harden) …They’re going to go in this series looking to exploit those (guard) matchups.”

ON PISTONS

McGrady on the Pistons after losing to the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals: “They need another star if they want to being play on this level right here.”

–NBA SHOWTIME–