The Knicks Are Currently On FIRE

The Knicks Are Currently On FIRE

What do the Knicks in general, because you really, again, you grew up in New York, you know, New York. It’s it it flows through your veins. What What do the Knicks mean to New York City? I mean, listen, we haven’t been champions for so many years, but basketball in New York is so intrinsic to the architecture of the city. Yeah. You you really can’t walk a mile literally in in all the five burrows without walking past the basketball court. Whether it’s being used, whether now there might be pickle ball, whether now it might be something else going on or or whether no one’s playing there. But New York and New York basketball are synonymous. We’ve been through the highs, we’ve been through the lows. Um, but the Knicks and when we’re doing good and when the Knicks when they’re like a a team that represents the true blue New York spirit, there’s nothing like it. You know, the Yankees, their success is one thing. The Mets, their success is another thing. The the Giants, the Rangers, uh, but there’s nothing like having a basketball team in the world’s most famous arena. Uh that combination of of Madison Square Garden and the Knicks is something that you know the Giants, the Yankees and the Mets and and and the other teams, it just it just it’s just part of the the culture of New York basketball. Yeah. It’s just so weird to me from a distance. And again, Ernesty and I lived in New York for whatever it was 15 years, so I have some feel for what you’re talking about. It It is the mecca of basketball. It it is. In fact, I know baseball’s big there with especially with the Yankees, but but there’s something about the feeling that I get when I’m in New York for basketball. It’s religion. It’s it’s like you said, it’s it’s part of of the structure of the city literally with court after court after court. And yet, what what just astounds me is that you directed a documentary about the last championship. It’s 52 years ago and and it’s hard to fathom that what a lot of people think is the greatest city in the world. We could argue that I think LA is pretty great. But but again, if if it is the greatest city in the world and basketball is its religion, then it’s doesn’t it seem unfathomable that that it it hasn’t won a championship? It’s been to two. One was that strike year in 99 but 94 99 but but still you won two in 70 and 73 and you were like in 73 you were like three years old or right three years old. Yeah. Three years old. So it’s not like that’s part of your psyche and your your sports memory. I don’t even think you can probably remember much about it. Right. As far as nothing of course not. Okay. So I mean it’s been it’s been Listen, it’s been storied. It’s been discussed. I’ve ranted about it. I’ve screamed about it. I have been through the highs and the lows. I have been through the 80s with the Patrick Euing and the Bernard Kings and I was with the the9s with the Jeff Van Gundy’s and the Pat Riley’s and the Charles Oakleys and and the Charles Spree rolls and those Doc Rivers teams and and then in the 2000s it’s it’s been really bad. You know, I was never a believer in the Carmelo. I think Carmemelllo is a great great great player, but those teams I never felt on this. Y I I never believed we were going to do something incredible. Um and I think some of that has to do with the core guys. Uh uh um again, I’m not going to sit here and say I think we’re going to win the championship, but I feel like we have a nucleus. when New York Knicks teams, even the 90s teams, we didn’t get over the hump, but there was something about those teams that was they were they were workers, they were nineto-fs, there was no glitz, there was no there was no uh suntan oil, it was just ham and these New York Knicks as as much spice as Jaylen Brunson puts on a defender, it’s only when necessary. I call them the New York nerder boxers. I feel like they’re nerds. They’re understated. It’s not a fashion show. And and and I feel like, you know, they understand what it means to play in New York. Uh and that means something. And I think the media, even though it’s changed and everybody’s got a podcast and everybody’s got a show, it is still the Mecca and it is still New York City. And these guys get it. And I’m just hoping and praying that they stay healthy, they stay together, and uh you know, we get we get a championship with these guys cuz it took a lot to get where we are right now. It took a lot to come back from 20 points last night in the sec. It’s only the second round of game game one. Uh but it took a lot. Jaylen Brunson astounds me also because he he’s like 5’11. I don’t know what he is, but he I I look at him next to the trees and he’s just he he’s stout. He’s put together. I don’t know how he does it. I I just But he keeps getting his shot whenever he wants his shot and nobody seems to be able to block it. I don’t He’s a wizard, man. I I don’t know how he keeps pulling it off, but you want to talk about having balls. He’s got big balls. He has got I mean, I would love to know what his heart rate does during a game. It doesn’t seem like it goes up or down. He’s tough. He’s left-handed. He’s herky jerky. I think uh you know um mentally uh is is his strength mentally is is above and beyond his ball handling, his shooting and all that stuff because he just doesn’t get rattled. Um and he’s a great leader and understated leader. Um and um it’s a he’s amazing. He’s amazing and he’s such a New York Nick. He’s so New York as a as a as a New York athlete, as a New York basketball player. He especially in 2025, he really truly uh uh um is the fabric of New York City. The way he plays, the fact that his father uh uh Rick played for the Knicks teams, he he didn’t play much, but he was there. Um I mean, it’s just a it’s an incredible story. And the fact that Dallas gave him up uh uh like he was nothing. Uh I still don’t understand that, but I’m happy we have him. And he superseded everybody’s um expectations, I think, except for maybe his and his father’s. Yeah, exactly. So now quickly take me back to that doc that you directed 73. What what was the difference in 73 and 2025? What when you look at at the fabric of that team? What what was it just more star power more what I I I got to say you know I I there’s similarities. I haven’t thought about that um ex you know specifically. I don’t want to, you know, be able to match up man for man. But, you know, as glitzy as Clyde’s image was off the court, on the court and who he was as a player, he wasn’t, you know, like some big college star, uh, you know, the Clyde image, you know, took off, but on the on the court, you know, he he had sauce, but he was he was understated. He was he was tough. And obviously his game seven, his championship game seven, he showed it uh completely. But who those guys were were similar to this team. They were they were hardworking, understated, Willis Reed. Um, uh, you know, Bill Bradley, Dave De Busher, uh, uh, um, and they they loved playing for New York and they were, you know, Phil Jackson and and the late great Dick Barnett and they they they got it and and all the Pearl and all the Pearl came at 73. But you know that that first championship team they there was when I did that documentary the thing that they talked about and the fans talked about and the sort of reminiscing was that they were a hard-nosed tough uh team that played like a team. They it was the pass before the pass before the pass. That’s what the great Bill Bradley talked about. The pass before the pass before the pass. And and that has to do with you know not so much even more than coaching. It’s who you are as a as a person, you know, being unselfish and trusting your teammate. Sometimes I feel like the Knicks need to move the ball more. Uh I feel like even Jaylen, as much as I love him, you know, sometimes he gets bogged down pushing the and banging the rock too much. But we need to we need to pass the ball. But I think the essence of those teams and the spirit of those teams are very similar. And obviously Willis Reed hobbled out for a game seven and and just I guess he made his first shot and then that’s all you needed to to inspire and lift the whole Here comes Willis. Here comes Willis. Yeah. Okay. And you were talking about Clyde who’s Walt Frasier who’s still going strong as a Knicks broadcaster and still styling and profiling as a Knicks broadcaster. But to your point, I’m old enough to that I I got to watch him. I got to watch him in college. He was meat and potatoes. He just played basketball the way you’re supposed to play basketball and was a rebounder and a you know potential sort of triple double guy and that hey that team had he was a big guard big guard for his time and you know Wal Fraser but but you know he’s taller than Jaylen Brunson at the time a 6’3 like a legitimate 6’3 guard was considered you know that almost be like a 6’6 guard now like he was a tall guard but the Clyde and the image and the dressing of the sneakers wasn’t who he is. There was that that was an image that was contrived and it was great for him and great for the team, but that’s not that’s not who he was on the court. I mean, Earl was more flashy than a player than than Clyde was. [Music]

Michael shares his insights on the New York Knicks’ past and current successes, and dive into what they mean to New York.

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