Over the course of the 2026 NBA Finals, featuring the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, the Nova Notebook by Mike Sheridan is focused on the Wildcats' alumni trio of Knicks standouts: Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and Josh Hart. In this edition, we chat with a former teammate who will be making his way to Texas for Game 5.
 
Tom Leibig has been to San Antonio before, of course. The local guy from Havertown, son of a longtime Villanova University staffer, appeared in 15 games during the magical 2017-18 season that concluded with dominant victories over Kansas and Michigan at the Alamodome in the NCAA Final Four.
 
This weekend, Leibig, recently transplanted to Charlotte, will board a flight to San Antonio, where he will meet two other ex-teammates, Phil Booth and Matt Kennedy, to attend Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
 
"We've got some history there," Leibig said this week. "Hopefully, that's a good omen and we've got something to celebrate on the Riverwalk Saturday night."
 
New York carries a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 Saturday night at Frost Bank Arena. It can secure its first National Basketball Association championship since 1973 with a win then or in Games 6 or 7.
 
This isn't Leibig's first foray on the road with the Knicks in a playoff season that has seen them compile a 14-2 postseason record thus far. He watched them face the Hawks in Atlanta in the opening round and was behind enemy lines for Games 3 and 4 of the second round series against the 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philadelphia last month. Plus, he's been at Madison Square Garden multiple times in 2025-26 to watch the Knicks.
 
While that sounds like a lifetime sports' fans nirvana, Leibig says his primary reason for making the effort is rooted in the bonds forged during their college days.
 
"Mikal," he states, "wants us to be there."
 
Leibig is not currently without his own professional responsibilities. He recently accepted a position with Principal Financial Group, relocating to Charlotte for the opportunity earlier this month. These past few weeks have been a whirlwind as he has navigated the usual items that accompany a relocation, including finding a place to live and settling into the rhythm of a new workplace.
 
"There have been a lot of fast-moving parts to this," Leibig says. "My start date was June 1 and it's been great. I'm really excited about it."
 
Concurrently, Leibig has been following the Knickerbockers closely because of his former teammates. The foursome of Kennedy, Booth, Bridges and Leibig have maintained a tight connection dating to their days on campus at Villanova.
 
"Mikal is the same humble guy he always was," Leibig states. "Who am I? Just some walk-on he played with in college. But that's never mattered to Mikal. He's a great friend to me. We still see each other a lot."
 
When the "Bridges Brigade" arrives to the arena Saturday night, it fully anticipates seeing a repeat of what it has observed in other road venues: lots of interlopers decked out in the Knicks' colors of blue, orange and white.
 
"Knicks fans," adds Leibig, "are very present in these road arenas."
 
On the court, Leibig sees echoes of the mantras and lessons they absorbed as players under the mentorship of former head coach Jay Wright. It is one reason this veteran squad has been so effective on the road in the 2026 postseason.
 
"Jalen, Josh and Mikal developed a very established road attitude in their time with us at Villanova," Leibig states. "When the noise and excitement rise, they're able to keep their focus on the court, the 94 by 50 feet that Coach always talked to us about."
 
Leibig himself circles back to some of the themes he learned at Villanova in stressful moments away from the basketball court.
 
"If I'm stuck in traffic," he says, "I'm reminding myself to stay calm by going back to that word 'attitude'."
 
The joy that this group of Knicks has generated in the New York metropolitan area is owed to many factors. There is the 53-year drought for a proud franchise that has endured many lost seasons in the ensuing years. Madison Square Garden is a venue unlike any other only blocks from Broadway. And these Knicks play a selfless style of basketball that is very similar to that played by the 1970 and '73 champions. Those men remain revered by New York basketball purists a half-century later.
 
Somewhere in the mix, though, is another, more human element that the Nova Knicks embody.
 
"All three of the guys are the same humble people I first met in college," says Leibig.
 
On Saturday night, Leibig plans to be in the house, cheering them on. If the Spurs bounce back with a homecourt win, Leibig says he's already set to make his way to the Garden for Game 6. After all, that's what friends are for.