Before Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had thousands of celebratory balloons hanging from the Forum rafters. The championship ceremony was planned before the game had even started. Instead, Bill Russell’s Celtics walked into a hostile arena, ignored the spectacle and spoiled the celebration. More than half a century later, LeBron James believes there are moments when being away from home can be an advantage on basketball’s biggest stage.

Sitting alongside Steve Nash on the latest episode of Mind the Game, recorded after the Knicks’ Game 3 loss, James offered an explanation for one of the strangest twists of the Finals so far. New York looked poised and composed while taking the first two games in San Antonio, only to appear noticeably more rattled after returning home to Madison Square Garden.

“Knicks fans right now are so f*****g insane and crazy right now for a Finals game, “ James said. “Them starting off on the road and just knowing that it’s keeping the main thing the main thing. The main thing is the game. Let’s just play the game.”

It may sound unusual, given that the home-court is traditionally considered the biggest advantage. Especially on a big stage like the Finals. However, the 4x Champ framed the situation purely based on the emotional chaos surrounding the Knicks’ Finals run.

Over the last few weeks, Knicks fandom has completely consumed New York City.

Resale prices for Game 3 reached historic levels, celebrity attendance became a nightly storyline, and massive fan gatherings around Madison Square Garden required increased police presence. By the time the series arrived in Manhattan, the Finals had become as much a citywide event as a basketball series.

“I can only imagine if Game 1 started at Madison Square Garden, people asking for tickets, people wanna be in there, the fans, all that. The city’s on fire,” Bron continued. “And it’s gonna be on fire for Game 3.”

Ticket requests, family obligations, media appearances and countless off-court demands are exactly the type of distractions James has spent years trying to eliminate during Finals runs.

James argued that San Antonio provided the exact opposite environment. Away from the celebrity spotlight and constant attention surrounding New York, the Spurs’ home city offered a setting where basketball remained the primary focus.

“I think just them having a level of being in San Antonio. ‘We’re in San Antonio. We’re probably gonna pass that.’ You ain’t doing sh*t in San Antonio. Nothing at all. Nothing. I mean nothing.”

When Nash humorously suggested the River Walk, James immediately shut it down, saying, “Hell no! River Walk, f*** around and fall in the water.”

Behind the joke was a serious point. For James, San Antonio’s quiet environment allowed the Knicks to focus almost exclusively on basketball. New York won both games in Texas, grabbed a 2-0 series lead and moved into historical territory where teams holding that advantage have gone on to win the Finals roughly 86% of the time.

LeBron James’ unusual Finals take comes through

After winning the first two away games, the Knicks returned home for Game 3. The 2-0 lead has created a monster inside the MSG. 

Game 3 ultimately provided the backdrop for James’ argument. Amid the celebrity-packed atmosphere, record ticket prices and the added security surrounding Donald Trump’s appearance, the Knicks opened the game flat. They fell behind 33-22 after one quarter and committed 13 turnovers overall, including five from Jalen Brunson, before eventually dropping their first game of the series. While James was not directly linking those factors to the loss, the contrast between New York’s composure in San Antonio and its more erratic performance at home became difficult to ignore.

James’ perspective is rooted in experience. During previous Finals runs, he became known for creating strict routines designed to minimize distractions. In an earlier episode of Mind the Game, he revealed that he rarely allowed family members to attend Finals games unless it was a potential closeout opportunity.

“For me personally, I never let my family come to the Finals games unless it was a closeout,” he said.

The philosophy extends beyond family attendance. Throughout his career, James has often spoken about treating road playoff games as business trips, free from ticket requests, social obligations and the logistical chaos that comes with playing at home.

Home-court advantage is usually viewed as one of the greatest advantages in sports. James’ theory flips that idea on its head. In his view, the opening games in San Antonio may have given the Knicks something even more valuable than a friendly crowd: a chance to focus solely on basketball before the chaos of Madison Square Garden finally caught up with them.