On Tuesday evening, the Knicks and Spurs met for the Emirates NBA Cup championship in Las Vegas. Despite having the lead entering the fourth quarter, San Antonio crumbled,Â
They were outscored 35-19 in the fourth and lost 124-113. New York had a balanced scoring attack on Tuesday. Seven players finished with double-digit points. Leading the way for the Knicks was O.G. Anunoby with 28 points. NBA on Prime analyst Dirk Nowitzki was in the building Tuesday night. Ahead of the game, he shared that Anunoby reached out for advice on how to improve his shooting form.
O.G. Anunoby received advice from one of the NBA’s top shooting big men of all time
Dirk on OG: “He wanted to know more about shooting so last year he reached out to me…He wanted to know every little detail about feet, positioning of hands, breathing, where eyes go––he asked me all sorts of questions. One main thing I told him about: finger position on ball” pic.twitter.com/pU58BX82s8
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) December 17, 2025
At the 2023-24 deadline, the Knicks traded with the Raptors to acquire O.G. Anunoby. The former first-round pick has started all 113 regular-season games he’s played for New York. In 2025-26, O.G. Anunoby has missed nine games due to injury. When he’s been available, the 28-year-old is playing at a high level for the Knicks. On Tuesday evening, the Knicks were in Las Vegas to face the Spurs in the Emirates NBA Cup championship.
During Prime Video’s pregame coverage, analyst and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki shared an interesting story. He said that New York’s O.G. Anunoby reached out to him last season. Anunoby wanted to know every detail of what made Dirk successful. New York’s PF went to the right player. Nowitzki is arguably one of, if not the greatest, shooting big men in NBA history.
Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki provided shooting details as OG Anunoby sought advice from him. 🫡
“He wanted to know more about shooting so last year he reached out to me…He wanted to know every little detail about feet, positioning of hands, breathing, where eyes go––he asked… pic.twitter.com/NmwxLgRbAm
— TalkBasket (@TalkBasket) December 17, 2025
Nowitzki scored 31,560 points in 21 seasons. On the broadcast, Dirk said he gave Anunoby numerous tips on how to improve his shooting form. His most important was the placement of his fingers on the ball. The one-time NBA champion explained how the pointer and middle finger should be the last two touching the ball as it is released from the hand. That helps create backspin and keep the ball straight.
Over his first 16 games of the 2025-26 season, O.G. Anunoby is averaging .408% from beyond the arc. That is a new personal best for New York’s PF. His 16.2 points per game are fourth on the team this season. Just behind Mikal Bridges’ 16.4 per game. In six of his 16 games in 2025-26, Anunoby has scored 20+ points for the Knicks. After winning the Emirates NBA Cup, the Knicks will look to carry that team success into the regular season and beyond.
