Luke Cornette Reflects on His Unexpected NBA Journey
SAN ANTONIO — Luke Cornette never imagined he’d be playing in the NBA Finals or alongside franchise legends.
Once, he was with the Westchester Knicks, where the stands often felt unusually empty in their 5,000-seat arena in White Plains.
“Being a part of the NBA Finals is a bit of a leap from the environment at the Westchester County Center,” the Spurs center said on Tuesday at Frostbank Arena. “I just wanted to make a name for myself, really! Just getting my foot in the door and seeing what I could do… I had a blast during my first couple of years, especially in Westchester. I think we played some really fun basketball. That’s the highlight for me. There was a lot of young talent, and it almost felt like an extension of college basketball. Honestly, I felt like my game matured a lot during that time. Many say the G League is just a stepping stone, but I truly enjoyed it there.”
Cornette went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2017 and later signed a two-way contract with the Knicks.
He mostly played with Westchester that season, appearing in 36 games, but the next year, he got more opportunities at Madison Square Garden.
In the 2018-19 season, Cornette participated in 46 games, including 18 starts, averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in about 17 minutes, playing alongside Kevin Knox, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Noah Vonleh on a struggling Knicks team that tied for the worst record in franchise history.
“Starting for the Knicks was a full-circle moment,” Cornette shared. “This is like my third Finals now. Maybe in 20 years, I’ll have a different perspective, but for now, I’m focusing on finding success and winning a championship.”
Cornette has already won a championship ring with the Celtics in 2024. After a few brief stints elsewhere, he’s now playing a significant role with the Spurs.
At 30, he signed a four-year, $41 million deal with San Antonio last summer, becoming a backup for Victor Wembanyama and bringing experience to what would become the second-youngest team to reach the NBA Finals since 1954.
Cornette, who recorded a career-high seven blocks in Game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks, has also drawn attention during the Spurs’ struggles, particularly alongside Wembanyama. Recently, though, he made a crucial play in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, blocking Isaiah Hartenstein and propelling San Antonio to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2014.
“Someone from the bench yelled, ‘Who is that? LeBron James?’” Cornette recalled. “It’ll be interesting to see which of us leaves a lasting mark in history.”
