San Antonio Spurs reach NBA Finals with 24.4-year average rotation age

The San Antonio Spurs will open the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. The Spurs enter with a rotation averaging 24.4 years old, the youngest among title contenders since 2016 according to an NBC News analysis. The Knicks rotation averages 28.8 years old, one year above the 27.8-year average for recent champions.

San Antonio’s three leading postseason scorers average five years younger than the median age for leading scorers on championship teams.

Player ages and postseason performance Center Victor Wembanyama, 22, leads the Spurs in postseason scoring in his third NBA season. The team’s top three scorers are all younger than New York’s leading scorer, who is 29 and in his eighth season. The Spurs have already defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves and the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder to reach the Finals.

Wembanyama told ESPN that the team’s lack of experience allows them to attempt plays others might avoid.

Historical context for young title teams If San Antonio wins the series, it would become the youngest NBA champion in recent history. The team’s average age is 3.4 years below last year’s Oklahoma City Thunder, the previous youngest title winner in the examined period.