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[Saba Sports News] A new pope was elected on Thursday, and sports fans couldn’t help but connect the news to the New York Knicks’ playoff run.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a Chicago native and Villanova University graduate, was named the 267th pope and will take the name Pope Leo XIV — marking the first time a pope has hailed from the United States.
His ties to Villanova immediately caught the attention of Knicks fans, given the team’s strong core of former Wildcats.
Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges all played for Villanova’s 2016–17 national championship team, and former teammate Donte DiVincenzo was on that squad before being traded to the Timberwolves in the Karl-Anthony Towns deal.
With Pope Leo XIV’s Villanova connection, many fans are joking that the Knicks are now divinely aligned for a title run. The team has started strong in the Eastern Conference semifinals, rallying from 20-point deficits in both Games 1 and 2 to stun the Boston Celtics on the road.
With momentum — and perhaps a higher power — on their side, some fans believe nothing can stop the Knicks now.