Tough Crowd
New York is a tough city, often requiring it’s dwellers to sharpen their senses and ‘street smarts’ as they’re faced with more ‘right or left’ choices than the average American. From seeking out which subway line is even running (due to never-ceasing construction or repairs to our aging yet, critical transit system) to figuring out alternate routes to work, to deciphering which neighborhoods are safe to park your car at night (due to an uptick in violent crimes and muggings), us city dwellers are forced to gain a lot of experience in deciphering what matters. With all that background noise, it’s crucial that the residents of the 5 boroughs develop an eye for talent and opportunity as well as a strong sense of smell to detect the rampant BS thrown our way at high velocities!
This mindset leads to the reputation ‘The Big Apple’ has garnered as a harsh town on its athletes. From the way the local press handled Carmelo Anthony’s tenure, to the “boos” former Knick Kristaps Porzingis received during his first game back at the Garden in a Mavs uniform, New Yorkers have exceedingly high expectations for any who bestowed the name of our beloved city on their jersey. Unfortunately, the team that bears that name hasn’t lived up to many (if any) of these expectations in decades!
The 2020 season has barely dawned and there’s already a new crop of troubling developments (since the off-season) to frustrate even the most casual Knicks fan. The young talent, though promising, hasn’t yet captured the awe of the true Brooklynites catching highlights on YouTube or inspired the late night Harlemite college student to stay for another round of drinks as their home team allows another lead to slip away in the 4th quarter. From Queens to SI, Bronx to LES, many of us live and breathe this! The ferocity of our appetite for quality basketball aside--many New Yorkers will still choose to overlook the missteps of Knicks management and ‘tough-it-out’ to see how things develop. We commend them!
Here’s a list of 9 reasons it’s frankly difficult for some (many) New Yorkers to cheer for the Knicks.
#9 Buckets
…Davonte Graham dropping 9 threes at the Garden en route to scoring 29 pts. including nailing the game-winner! Graham has shown some flashes of brilliance this season on a young Hornets team with few expectations. The franchise is still adjusting from the loss of their all-star guard, Kemba Walker. Walker left for the Celtics in the off-season and Graham’s wasting no time in trying to prove he can fill Walker’s shoes. This is a great moment for young talent on the biggest stage!
The problem is, Knicks fans would’ve preferred if one of their own high lottery draft picks was exciting the home crowd with similar electric shooting display. It seems as if Knicks fan’s are always just missing on opportunities to draft that someone who’s really special. When the heads in the exec. rooms seem to finally get it right (KP), Knicks fans are often left scratching their heads as developing talent bolts for greener pastures primarily for non-basketball reasons.
At least when the Nets lose, Brooklyn gets to still witness the razzle-dazzle of the best layup package and handles in all of basketball in Kyrie Irving!
#8 Short Memory
It’s been over 20.5 years since the New York Knickerbockers played a game in the NBA finals against the Tim Duncan led San Antonio Spurs. An entire generation was birthed, schooled, and is eagerly awaiting the few months remaining until they can legally enter a bar, within that span of time. In ALL that time, the most valuable NBA franchise (according to Forbes) hasn’t managed to return to that stage. The team that graciously handed them a ‘gentleman’s sweep’ (4–1) en route to capturing the 1999 NBA championship during a lockout-shortened season, went on to win 4 additional titles over the ensuing decade+!
The Knicks are worth about $4 billion! That’s more valuable than the historically winning-est franchises (Lakers + Celtics), the defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors (who play in one of the largest cities on the East coast), that’s even more valuable than the Golden State Warriors, who’ve just wrapped up their own mini-dynasty by capturing 3 titles over the last half-decade!
If the name of the game is filling seats and gaining capitalistic equity, the Knicks are a shining example! For Knicks fans, New Yorkers yearn to be impressed all-the-time! There are seasons where the “It’s Showtime" dancers on the Q train display better athleticism than the roster on 34th street. But, the ‘real’ game for management is $$$, as the organization is not currently incentivized to win many game, at all!
Wherever you work, if your boss offered you bonuses, overtime pay, extra vacation time, and didn’t require any extra output on your part, maybe didn’t even require you to actually work the overtime that she/he is going to pay you for, you would bother putting in the extra effort. The Knicks are bad because they don’t have to be good. It’s actually fiscally irresponsible to spend any more $$$ than you have to because, you’re already at the top!
(For the record, the 5 time champion San Antonio Spurs are listed at #13 on Forbes most valuable list)
#7 Melo (Made In NYC)
Any New Yorker who rides packed subway trains at rush hour has surely seen the ingenious marketing campaign for films and shows that are “Made in NYC”. The posters are all over the place! It’s the Mayor’s initiative to attract film studios and independent filmmakers alike to produce content in the city. Apparently, the New York Knicks had their own ‘Made in NYC’ campaign in mind when they acquired future hall-of-fame forward Carmelo Anthony.
Born in Red-hook Brooklyn, the standout Syracuse star is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history. Starting his career in Denver, his move to New York came with much fanfare as he was seen as a hometown hero who could maybe one day bring a title to the Garden. It was not meant to be.
The narrative quickly went from a ballyhooed homecoming to a bitter divorce! The Knicks were never able to properly build around Carmelo and their record suffered for it. To boot, their best roster always existed during Lebron James’ historic string of final appearances (and championships). The Melo Knicks could never quite reach those heights.
True to form, the Knicks, during Melo’s tenure did, in fact, deliver on being a dramatic ‘Made In NYC’ production. If you ignore the basketball elements, the era was marked by gossip, finger-pointing, and bickering between a hall-of-fame star talent and a hall-of-fame(and celebrity) president of basketball operations. Once again, MSG proved itself to be the mecca of basketball-inspired-reality-tv rather than a glimmering example of the beautiful sport.
No matter how you felt about his production as a player, everything surrounding his tenure was tumultuous, from the roster they surrounded him with, to how his departure was bumbled.
The whole Carmelo Anthony saga continues to leave a bitter taste on the tongues of title-thirsty New Yorkers!
#6 No ❤ For Fans
Some things you have to see to believe. Not only does the team New Yorkers love to hate have a roster that’s usually lackluster, the organization doesn’t seem to value their concerned yet, consistent support. Fan clubs and zealous fans are sometimes shown the boot when they speak out over the team’s inconsistencies. Relentless as ever, fans even went as far as to stage a protest at Madison Square Garden over the direction ownership was taking team back in 2014.
Yes, fans of a basketball team felt the urgency to stand out in the rain and demand more from their home team! The orange and blue faithful lined up in an orderly manner, displaying signage, chanting “lets-change-things” slogans, and even donning custom Knicks apparel to commemorate to occasion. The Knicks, in response, hire Phil Jackson.
By the time the 13-time champion (11 as a head coach) hall-of-famer agreed to a 5 year, $60 million contract to shape the future of basketball in New York, the writing was already on the wall. Their star forward was already approaching the tail-end of his career, they had already missed on major opportunities to sign notable free agents (including Lebron James & Chris Bosh), and the geometry of the game was changing. As more teams were finding success behind the 3pt line (thanks to Steph Curry & James Harden), the famed ‘triangle offense’ (Phil Jackson’s bread-and-butter) became stale and antiquated, especially the version of it that made it’s way to MSG.
In a vacuum, a prolific all-around scoring forward such as Carmelo Anthony, who could both defend and rebound (and pass out of double-teams), combining forces with a proven basketball strategist, such as Jackson, should’ve propelled the Knicks into contention — had the move been made 5 seasons prior. Age and deteriorating mobility plagued one of the most successful coaches in history which, is in part why he took a gig that would require less travel (instead of Coaching Knicks himself). A younger Phil Jackson might’ve been more inclined to live up to his reputation as ‘Zen Master’ (earned by bringing together big personalities such as Dennis Rodman) and getting them buy into collective team success (instead of airing out grievances on social media). The 2012–13 season saw Carmelo Anthony win his last scoring title before age and injuries forced him to slow down.
For New Yorkers, Jackson’s signing was too little, too late!
#5 The Facilities
Once upon a fan’s childhood, Michael Jordan graced the nets at MSG by scorching the Knicks for 55 points during his (1st) post-retirement comeback tour in a game that has since been dubbed the ‘double-nickels’. MJ, Kobe, Lebron and dozens of all-stars have eagerly anticipated games at the Garden revel at the opportunity to put on a show in the greatest city on Earth. The best players in the world still desire to come and perform at their peak in the big apple.
In the 50 years since MSG was built, newer facilities have popped up around the country as the NBA expands in popularity and revenue. Although they’ve taken measures to attempt to modernize , Madison Square Garden pales in comparison to some of the modern facilities such as the Barclay’s center across the river in Brooklyn. Tickets for MSG events are ridiculously overpriced, the seating and vantage points leave much to be desired, and many of the modern touches we’ve come to expect are lacking in the historic arena.
The legendary status of the venue itself over-inflates the value of the team (package deal), as millions of people from around the world continue to spend top dollar to fill every seat for any event just to get a taste of New York City. It almost doesn’t matter what’s happening on the court to many (on some nights most) who fill it’s seats, as they’re more in awe of the big city than the game itself. Many are tourists from all across the globe just seeking to touch & feel a piece of an Empire state landmark. They’re content in paying top dollar for lousy hot-dogs as they may be on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to a place they’ve only ever seen on Instagram. What’s the world’s greatest selfie worth to you?
It’s worth repeating, Forbes has the Knicks ranked as the most valuable team in the NBA at $4 BILLION! That’s in large part to the $$$ the Garden rakes in from concerts, conferences, and other non-sporting events. Forbes estimates the arena itself is worth almost $1 Billion. Oh, and the Rangers play there.
Sorry Knicks fans, the team can’t afford to win!
#4 Draft Night Blues
Almost every June, Knicks fans can expect to be more focused on where ping-pong balls land ahead of the NBA draft than watching their favorite players suit up for any meaningful basketball. After another 82 games of watching the world’s most valuable basketball team dribble their way to another losing record, New York ball fans have to look forward to just missing out on another franchise-altering talent. The last decade has seen the Knickerbockers’ brass pass on eventual all-star after eventual all-star.
Hindsight is 20/20 and no fan can expect a general manager to have a crystal ball which can accurately predict the trajectory of an athletes career. Kristaps Porzingis aside, as he is now Mark Cuban’s problem, the high lottery picks that have made their way to the Knicks rosters have performed overwhelmingly and haven’t been properly developed. Some teams (Google OKC’s draft record) have better success than others. The Knicks seem to have a knack for lousy picks!
Questionable draft selections est. 1999:
- In 2003 Knicks drafted Michael Sweetney with the 9th overall pick. He would go on to play just 119 games and average merely 6.35PPG. Keep in mind David West was still available that year.
- In 2005 they drafted eventual fan-favorite Channing Frye (career 8.7 PPG) with the #8 overall pick. While the sharpshooting big-man would find eventual success as personable perimeter role-player, that draft still had Montae Eillis (career 17.8 PPG), eventual NBA champion Andrew Bynum, as well as perennial 6th-man of the year, Lou Williams.
- ’09 Would see the Knicks draft Arizona product Jordan Hill (7.9PPG). Bypassed gems include mid-range specialist DeMar DeRozan , and eventual all-star Jeff Teague.
#3 The Vaseline Years
Picture this, your favorite team has yet again missed the playoffs. 5 games out of the 8th seed and watching that year’s championships from, that team has a chance to add a 20PPG 8APG all-star point guard to that roster and dive right into the trophy hunt with everyone else. What can go wrong? If you play professional basketball at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, apparently any and everything.
Coney Island Brooklyn’s own Stephon Marbury officially became a Knick when management put together a package that featured Howard Eisley, Maciej Lampe, Antonio McDyess, Charlie Ward, and Milos Vujanic. While his production on the court was more or less consistent, injuries and a woefully assembled roster never allowed the Knicks to make much of the product of Lincoln high school. His relatively high usage rate on the Knicks, along with nagging injuries ensured the mercurial point guard’s stats never quite reached the heights they had on the Phoenix Suns, his former team.
Long before #metoo was a thing, the era would see the organization become mired in sexual scandals and allegations involving both players and management. MSG would eventually have to dole out millions to alleged victims of serious harassment and was forced to make hasty personnel decisions to save face. That, along with the famous feud between then head coach hall-of-famer Larry Brown and future hall-of-famer Stephon Marbury. Eventually, all the off-the-court drama played out in the conference standings.
The Knicks made the playoffs just one of those seasons and eventually the entire project was scrapped. Marbury was at times a fan-favorite who went on to find renewed success playing in China. His ‘Starbury’ line of affordable athletic wear was a local hit and continues to thrive in Asia. His best years as a player, entrepreneur, and a complete individual would come long after his Knicks tenure. He’s won championships abroad and even stars in his own Chinese musical!
#2 No ❤ For Players
This would ordinarily be #1 but, when an earth-shattering talent like KD is at your doorstep, and you seemingly whiff on the opportunity, it changes some feelings. The Charles Oakley fiasco was a blight in an otherwise promising and prosperous era for the NBA and the New York Knicks organization. You can YouTube the whole thing but, when a former player, fan favorite, and blue-collar beloved retired Knick has to be forcefully removed from the arena, it’s a bad look.
It no doubt may have played a role in some free agency choices as players are more keenly aware of the impact their organization has on their success and longevity. Any player has to be thinking “that could be me one day" regarding the MSG incident.
#1 No F.A. ❤ For New York
Call it recency bias if you must but, the elephant in the room is the missed opportunity to sign free agents Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving this past off-season. While there’s plenty of buzz on the ‘what-if-magic-8-ball’ (rumors) about how close (or far) a deal was to happening, it never came to fruition. Instead, the promising young Arena across the river has two of the game’s finest to fill it’s seats and stat-lines for seasons to come.
Kevin Durant is one of the top 3 human beings alive at the game of basketball. He is an adult who makes his own adult decisions. Knowing Knicks fans, they’ll move past this, the real litmus test will be if KD, Kyrie, DeAndre Jordan and co. can deliver a championship for Brooklyn. Will Knicks fans finally ‘jump ship’ then? #whyknickswhy
