NEW YORK – It was the perfect backdrop for the New York Knicks, king of the league, and the NBA itself.

And of course on Christmas Day.

While the NFL continues to lay claim to territory normally respected and reserved for the NBA, it has the added benefit of making every regular season game mean something. The advantage of the NBA is that a regular-season game feels like anything at the moment, even if it means 82 fewer games in the grand scheme of things.

But for two hours it can feel like an NBA Finals if the investment is there, especially against the backdrop of Madison Square Garden and desperate Knicks fans.

Victor Wembanyama was majestic and Spurs are getting closer to a team that matches his talent and deserves constant attention on the national stage. They looked fun, using their athleticism and often catching the Knicks off guard on the break.

“Fun” was never at the top of the list of adjectives during their successful times, but hopefully that will change.

“I thought their approach was great,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said while Gregg Popovich was recovering from a stroke in November. “I didn’t feel like it was going to be too big of a moment. I found the energy and excitement positive. I thought they felt like they were exactly where they were supposed to be. And I thought they played like that.”

Wembanyama was not impressed with the garden; In fact, he seemed to rise to the occasion – the only thing missing was a last-second chance and the ball in his hands with the chance to extend the afternoon by another five minutes.

Although he and his teammates failed to score a rebound on the final possession and succumbed to the Knicks’ determination and courage in a 117-114 loss, Wembanyama and the Spurs took a pass on Christmas Day.

If Wembanyama’s 3-pointer hadn’t been knocked down for an off-ball foul midway through the fourth, the future would have been the present – the best for Adam Silver – as he scored 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and many more modified shot attempts.

The 42 was just shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 45 for the Christmas debut, but no record needs to be set to mark the occasion.

He is ready to be presented, the heir to everything the Greybeards still hold on to. Wembanyama is ready to snatch it from the stately torchbearers: LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant.

“Tonight just showed that we’re not ready yet,” Wembanyama said. “I’m sure we’ll see it work and we’ll get addicted to things. It’s a lot of effort, but also a lot of reward.”

Spurs aren’t ready, but he is. And the Spurs are at .500 and hot on the heels of the older Lakers and Warriors – which means more room for growth this season.

And although he is still just over a week away from legally drinking alcohol, Wembanyama speaks with maturity and confidence as he fully embraces the moment and makes full use of the opportunity to announce his candidacy to the world.

He hit shots so devastating that it seemed like a goalkeeper, only to be turned into the opposite in the reviews. There were lengthy offensive rebounds and subsequent dunks over the game’s defenders, who were helpless at the mercy of the 7-foot-4 wonder.

“It’s a game of anticipation where you try to recognize your opponent,” Wembanyama said. “It’s a very interesting part of the game. I get a lot of chances to block opponents, but these guys don’t get a lot of chances to make layups on me.”

The temptation is to dream that Wembanyama is somewhere else, in a bigger market, where a Christmas show is one of many for the casual fan, to see him on billboards with his arms outstretched for his “Hello World” by Tiger Woods “Moment.

But there’s nothing wrong with Wembanyama being in San Antonio, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being in Oklahoma City, or the new Cooper Flagg landing in Salt Lake City – young superstars (or presumed superstars in Flagg’s case) in small markets.

But the old and tired excuse that these well-run franchises don’t allow the public to get to know their standout stars should no longer be allowed by the league. There’s an argument to be made that small markets complain about the advantages of Los Angeles and New York, but those same franchises benefit from the surge in sales of the big franchises, and because of this two-court system with salaries, the scales will be the same even financially, as every franchise wants.

Besides, these franchises cannot represent both sides. They need to be part of the growth of this league, or at least maintain their place in the American lexicon. The NBA can’t afford to have franchises sitting on the sidelines, in some quarters almost angry with the league’s governing body, while simultaneously pocketing bread.

There are a lot of withdrawals and underpayments in the league’s present and future, and fans won’t invest in new stars unless they feel like they know them somehow. Acting like gamers have state secrets and aren’t in the entertainment industry can no longer be considered “cute.”

You can’t sell mystery games in an 82-game season, especially not on a large scale, when many fans are already pinning their hopes on their home markets. Wembanyama, with all his experience playing in his native France so far, is experienced enough to handle the attention that has engulfed many before him.

Zion Williamson and his body were not ready to be the next big thing. Ja Morant is still rebuilding his reputation after his missteps a few years ago. That leaves Anthony Edwards as the authentic face – and Wembanyama.

The public should get to know Wembanyama, and the NBA should encourage and support this journey – because it is crucial to the future of the league.

It’s no secret that part of the reason for the Golden State Warriors’ popularity was not just their excellence on the court – NBA reference: America loves basketball dynasties, not parity – but also the feeling of closeness to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant for a while.

We saw the players not naked, but as three-dimensional characters with real stories, real quirks and personalities – not carefully curated Instagram posts that show a lot but say nothing. The gift of the NBA is that the players don’t wear helmets and you see them everywhere because it’s an 82-game story waiting to unfold.

But players must be characters with character, unafraid to be themselves, and not the cookie-cutter images they think American business wants them to be – because as we see, that’s not the case.

It’s not just the game that needs to be examined, as there are so many exceptional and versatile athletes who do unimaginable things every night, including Wembanyama, who easily recorded 12 blocks and 12 3-pointers in a two-game span can, as he did against New York and Philadelphia.

There are too many 3-point calls being made, too much creativity being undermined by the analytics crew that has too many seats at the table. But beyond this, there are other factors that require attention – or at least must be acknowledged by all observers.

Commissioner Adam Silver finds himself in an unenviable position. Franchise owners paid mint as more teams changed hands than ever before in league history. Not only do the owners want to make money and have it guaranteed, but they also want an NFL-like system where they have a chance to win every year.

Pursuing this goal while maintaining the attention span of itchy viewers is mutually contradictory.

Silver works for the owners, but honestly he should also see himself as an employee of the public, because their support and interest will keep the game growing – or their lack of interest will put Silver in the crosshairs.

Since 2010, 16 teams have changed ownership. That’s more than half the league. Even though the late David Stern was still in power at the time, everyone knew Silver’s time would come, and the CBAs that followed were led by Silver.

It may not seem possible to achieve every financial and symbolic goal, but getting close to this goal requires skillful tact and agreement by all parties on the common good.

The players certainly haven’t done their part, as everything is dominated by the feeling of “you can’t make me” without thinking about how the game has evolved to the point where exorbitant salaries are the norm and not just reserved for players, there are a special few.

The players don’t even try out in the All-Star Game, pretending we don’t have decades of information showing players exceeding very low expectations for the league’s biggest weekend.

It’s become unbalanced, and that’s why there’s so much focus on ratings and TV draws and “Who’s next?” discussions.

On one glorious afternoon, however, America could look forward to a long, joyful future – and it’s up to the NBA to fuel Wembanyama’s momentum.

The future depends on it.