Spike Lee turns to Pope Leo jersey as Knicks chase NBA Finals breakthrough

Spike Lee is bringing a little extra heavenly flair to the Knicks’ postseason push. Ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the celebrity superfan was seen wearing a custom Pope Leo jersey, a nod to a faith-based tradition he has tied to New York’s run toward its first title since 1973, according to reporting from Yahoo Sports and USA Today.

Lee’s interest in the jersey is more than a costume. He has described receiving the Pope Leo jersey from Pope Leo last year during a visit to the Vatican in November. The gesture has since become part of his game-day routine, something he has carried onto the biggest stages of this postseason, with the Knicks’ title hopes now concentrated in the NBA Finals.

The timing matters because Lee has worn the jersey during multiple high-leverage Knicks moments this spring. USA Today reported that he also wore it to Game 2 of the Knicks’ first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, a game New York lost 107-106 at Madison Square Garden. New York then dropped the next contest as well, falling behind 2-1 in the series on April 23.

Yet what followed is why Lee’s jersey has attracted attention beyond celebrity culture. USA Today said that the April 23 loss was New York’s last defeat before the Knicks entered a 13-game postseason winning streak. The symbolism of “divine help” has therefore taken on new meaning, with Lee positioning the Pope Leo jersey as an amulet for the team’s turnaround from early series trouble into late-stage momentum.

The NBA Finals themselves are the clearest context for why the story is resonating. The Knicks are in a title series for a franchise long defined by drought, and their postseason march has already asked questions that go beyond one game or one quarter. In that environment, fans often latch onto rituals, especially when those rituals are connected to a notable shift in results.

Of course, basketball remains the deciding factor, and a jersey does not alter matchups, rotations, or the grind of a championship series. Lee’s presence is better understood as a window into how the Knicks’ fan base is processing pressure and belief than as a substitute for on-court production. Still, as New York tries to convert Finals opportunity into the next round of history, Lee’s Pope Leo tradition will be an easy storyline to watch, particularly for how consistently it appears on New York’s sideline during pivotal games.

What to watch next is less about the ceremonial element and more about whether the Knicks’ performance sustains the same level of resolve that arrived after their last regular-season defeat of the postseason. With Game 3 in progress or imminent depending on the local broadcast window, the Knicks’ next step will determine whether their momentum turns into a commanding series posture or whether the Spurs can reassert themselves and slow the run that has defined this stretch.