Cardinal Robert Prevost's election as pope is giving Knicks fans a boost. He's the first American pontiff and, like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, went to Villanova.

The team may have newly-elected Pope Leo XIV on its side, thanks to their shared Villanova roots, but the Celtics still blew them out of the Garden, 115-93, this weekend. The Knicks’ late-game heroics from Games 1 and 2 didn’t manifest, as the Celtics managed to make their early 20-point lead stick.

With the arrival of Robert Prevost as the first US-born Pope as successor to Pope Francis, a self-confessed soccer fan and especially of San Lorenzo de Almagro of Argentina, invest

The election of Pope Leo XIV has sparked excitement among New York Knicks fans, including longtime supporter Spike Lee, who now find inspiration in the historic rise of the first American Pope. Pope Leo XIV has stirred a surprising wave of sports-related optimism,

The sports loyalties of Pope Leo XIV ... Knicks erased 20-point deficits in winning Games 1 and 2 against the defending champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Now, fans are praying the combination of the Villanova guys and the new ...

The American sports world immediately latched onto this connection, specifically regarding the New York Knicks' ongoing NBA playoff run. The Knicks currently lead the defending NBA-champion Boston Celtics 2-0 after stealing two wins at the TD Garden.

Some Knicks fans think the fact that Pope Leo is a Villanova alum — like the team’s stars Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges — is divine intervention that will lead them

If you'd let Knicks fans tell it, because Pope Leo graduated from Villanova in 1977, it's officially their year. Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart all went to Villanova, too. So, of course, that means the Knicks will win it all.