NBA Thread

[96583UP]

WE DID IT

[96583UP]

Wemby such a crybaby

[VinylGuy]

So happy for the Haim sisters right now

They even went to the street to party! Such fans

[liebzz]

Yeah, I don’t post a lot about sports but this one was special. I started watching basketball and the Knicks in ‘91-‘92, when Ewing and Oakley and Starks and McDaniel pushed Jordan and the Bulls to 7 games in round 2. Then they lost that series in the Eastern Conference Finals the next year when I was sure they were the better team. Then it was the Rockets, the Pacers, the Heat…Knicks never stood a chance without Ewing in the Finals in 1999 against Robinson and Tim Duncan. And then the slow descent to irrelevance. The failed full court press to bring LeBron, the miserable Isiah Thomas years, the Amare Stoudemire years where he was barely on the court, the building of a solid team only to trade them all away to get Carmelo Anthony when he was about to be a free agent anyway. The list goes on and on.

My 12 year old son knew none of that. He got into sports and basketball in particular a few years ago when the Knicks had their resurgence with Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo. He saw them get KAT and Bridges and some other pieces, and had all the confidence of a kid who didn’t understand that whatever they did, someone would always stand in the way of the Knicks. At the end of Game 3 of the first round against the Hawks, with the Knicks having lost 2 straight games by one point, I couldn’t help but think, “here we go again.” And I looked at my wife and with a level of emotion suggesting a full lack of belief in anything, I said “I watched this team all my life and I don’t even want this for me. I want it for him - so that he can feel some kind of magic in the world.” From that night, the Knicks went on a historic run. We watched every other night as they dismantled the Hawks, the 76ers, and then the Cavs (we went to the Garden watch party for Game 3). They were unstoppable. Then I saw they were playing the Spurs (the team I said would be near impossible to beat when the Knicks took them for the NBA Cup). Every game of the finals was a nailbiter, and watching all those no-calls, I was convinced the NBA was looking for its new face and the Knicks would once again end up on the short end. Instead, they fought through the physical play and the no-calls and still delivered every night in the series, and getting to watch my son explode in excitement at the Game 4 comeback and then winning it all in Game 5 is something I will take with me forever. Seeing my daughter also swept away in the excitement, and as an 8 year old rattling off these Knicks players like it’s drilled into her subconscious mind was wild. We had a real bonding period as a family with this team. A reminder that even if you think sports are meaningless that they provide these opportunities for something more to come of it. And for that reason, of all my favorite sports teams, this one meant the most. Seeing the Yankees win in ‘96 after 18 years was great, the Rangers win in ‘94 spectacular, the Giants improbably beating the Bills with a backup QB in ‘90 magical, the Giants taking out the behemoth that was Tom Brady and the Patriots twice similarly magical. The Knicks in ‘26 tops them all.

[VinylGuy]

I was with my mom in 1994 in NYC and i kinda understood the fans back then and now we want back to the city and it felt like a full circle.

so yes, they won because of us

you are welcome new york

[epilogue]

Yeah, I don’t post a lot about sports but this one was special. I started watching basketball and the Knicks in ‘91-‘92, when Ewing and Oakley and Starks and McDaniel pushed Jordan and the Bulls to 7 games in round 2. Then they lost that series in the Eastern Conference Finals the next year when I was sure they were the better team. Then it was the Rockets, the Pacers, the Heat…Knicks never stood a chance without Ewing in the Finals in 1999 against Robinson and Tim Duncan. And then the slow descent to irrelevance. The failed full court press to bring LeBron, the miserable Isiah Thomas years, the Amare Stoudemire years where he was barely on the court, the building of a solid team only to trade them all away to get Carmelo Anthony when he was about to be a free agent anyway. The list goes on and on.

My 12 year old son knew none of that. He got into sports and basketball in particular a few years ago when the Knicks had their resurgence with Brunson, Hart, and DiVincenzo. He saw them get KAT and Bridges and some other pieces, and had all the confidence of a kid who didn’t understand that whatever they did, someone would always stand in the way of the Knicks. At the end of Game 3 of the first round against the Hawks, with the Knicks having lost 2 straight games by one point, I couldn’t help but think, “here we go again.” And I looked at my wife and with a level of emotion suggesting a full lack of belief in anything, I said “I watched this team all my life and I don’t even want this for me. I want it for him - so that he can feel some kind of magic in the world.” From that night, the Knicks went on a historic run. We watched every other night as they dismantled the Hawks, the 76ers, and then the Cavs (we went to the Garden watch party for Game 3). They were unstoppable. Then I saw they were playing the Spurs (the team I said would be near impossible to beat when the Knicks took them for the NBA Cup). Every game of the finals was a nailbiter, and watching all those no-calls, I was convinced the NBA was looking for its new face and the Knicks would once again end up on the short end. Instead, they fought through the physical play and the no-calls and still delivered every night in the series, and getting to watch my son explode in excitement at the Game 4 comeback and then winning it all in Game 5 is something I will take with me forever. Seeing my daughter also swept away in the excitement, and as an 8 year old rattling off these Knicks players like it’s drilled into her subconscious mind was wild. We had a real bonding period as a family with this team. A reminder that even if you think sports are meaningless that they provide these opportunities for something more to come of it. And for that reason, of all my favorite sports teams, this one meant the most. Seeing the Yankees win in ‘96 after 18 years was great, the Rangers win in ‘94 spectacular, the Giants improbably beating the Bills with a backup QB in ‘90 magical, the Giants taking out the behemoth that was Tom Brady and the Patriots twice similarly magical. The Knicks in ‘26 tops them all.

Dude, I love this. Thanks for sharing.

So happy for you and your kids. I'm not a big NBA fan (VERY casual Knicks fan since '07) and to me the magic of this run was how the city came together. I see a lot of people bagging on "bandwagon" fans but this felt different and inclusive in such a unique way. The city needed it. And I love that I got to be here to experience it first hand. But all of that is about some kind of collective joy. For those that have been with this team for decades (or for the young'uns since birth) I feel so much joy for y'all. I felt something similar growing up a KC fan. I never thought I'd see my team win a Super Bowl -- for a lot of the same reasons you said above; something always got in the way. But when they finally did, it was like an exorcism. It was incredible. This was the similar but also amplified because everyone, even non-sports fans, we out sharing in the joy and celebration. It was truly beautiful. But for the OGs, I imagine it was everything.

Love that for y'all. Congratulations, Knicks fan!

[spike]

I hope Knicks fans are content with one.

[4/5]

Whatcha thinking spike? I think I'd prefer for Giannis to stay with the Bucks.

[spike]

I mean, that’d be lovely, but I think it’s time to max what we can get in return. I’m not confident he ever gets another title in Milwaukee, so let the rebuild start.

He’s also managed to damage his relationship with the team and the city with his wishy washy attitude towards all this. Sometimes you have to be the bad guy.

[spike]

[VinylGuy]

Im sure Ben Stiller is releasing a documentary

“Cheasing the dream”

This is actually happening!!

I had a insider

[96583UP]

there was a moment after the Hawks had won 2 vs. the Knicks, the team looked so disjointed and uninspired, I was like 'omg is Mike Brown gonna get fired'

then they came back the next game and won 13 straight

huge turn

[spike]

Goodbye Giannis

[4/5]

Heat got fleeced.

[Monkey_Driven]

Heat got fleeced.

It certainly seems like it. Did they watch the playoffs this year? A 4-6 guy roster is not going to get it done in this era of the NBA.

[4/5]

Heat got fleeced.

It certainly seems like it. Did they watch the playoffs this year? A 4-6 guy roster is not going to get it done in this era of the NBA.

Nope, this is a team-building strategy of a bygone era.

For the record, I wouldn't necessarily love this haul if I were a Bucks fan but I think they easily won the trade.

[zeb]

Heat definitely got fleeced.

Draft now gets interesting (from pick 5 onwards).

[E.H. Ruddock]

Lamelo to MN

[96583UP]

AJ Dybantsa

but to the tune of

Aye Davanita

[96583UP]

Lamelo to MN

he looks like if Ghaddafi and Prince had a fetal alcohol love child