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 to their first NBA championship in more than 50 years.

The 2025 papal conclave yielded the first American pope earlier this week, as Bishop Robert Prevost has succeeded the late Pope Francis as the head of the Catholic Church. While Prevost, 69, was born in Chicago,

Jalen Brunson and Pope Leo XIV are both Chicago kids who attended Villanova, so it only makes sense that the new Pope watches the Knicks. Former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost attended Villanova and, according to reporting from The Athletic, watches the Villanova Knicks as well as his alma mater’s hoops team.