2 hours ago
17
I didn’t see the Knicks win their second championship in 1973 because I had to go to bed.
That night, the Knicks beat the LA Lakers, but clinching game was on the west coast and it was a school night. I couldn’t watch it. I was 13 and in seventh grade. Back then things were different. Today, 13-year-olds stay up to 5am. But I had to go to bed.
Still, I remember getting the news the next day. I remember seeing the clips of the game, that they’d won the title. I’d started out a Knicks fan because my father was a fan of the team. My mother was high school classmates with Cal Ramsey, who was a Knicks commentator for years and a former member of the team himself.
This 2026 Knicks team, though, is different. And very special to me. I’m a New Yorker and like every other Knick fan, I’ve been waiting 53 years to win another championship.
The NBA started in cities like New York, Philadelphia and Boston. The Knicks were one of the originals, they just didn’t win as much as some of the other ones. They went to the finals in the 1950s and you’d hear stories about that.
But they also had long droughts and drop-off periods. When I was a kid, I was a part of the renaissance. I got to see the Knicks going to the finals and winning. That brought a lot of people to the table.
In the 1970s, the Knicks resembled the United Nations. They had all these different types of ball players. They all got along, the team was selfless and they played well together. My first basketball superhero was Willis Reed – The Captain. And there was Walt Frazier and Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley. Earl the Pearl and Jerry Lucas.
All of this was happening in the melting pot mecca of the word. In New York City. The Knicks represented that. They showed that we could do work and win together.
History matters. It keeps the present from being a mystery. You must pay attention because that gives you perspective. When it comes to the Knicks now, we’re talking about the same city, the same team, the same colors. They’re in the same building on 7th and 34th.
How can we not think about the past? How can you not think about time?
When you talk about Wemby – I remember seeing Lew Alcindor in his first year and they said the same things about him. He’s going to be a tough competitor. But if the Knicks win, it would be the biggest celebration in New York since the Brooklyn Dodgers won the World Series in 1955.
That was a victory that will be remembered forever. This one would be, too.
So far, the Knicks went up 2-0 in San Antonio. I was ready. But then they lost Game 3 at home at the Garden. So, it’s time to bounce back.
For me, a championship this season would be a culmination. Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script. When I look at the Knicks, I see a 10-year climb with the pandemic in the middle. There was 2016-2020. The pandemic. And then 2020-2026. Every year we’ve gained a little bit – adding guys like Jalen Bruson, Josh Hart, KAT. Hollywood always looks for a script like this.
Even if the Knicks do lose – then the story continues. You don’t know what the story is until you arrive at the end. But I think it is time to close this chapter. For the Knicks – the opportunity is right here.
I don’t believe a young veteran team like New York are going to lose to a team who are really green like the San Antonio Spurs. You got guys on the Knicks who look like they’re playing as if the other team is trying to take food away from them.
The Knicks have players who are at the pinnacle, making names for themselves, like Mitch Robinson, Deuce McBride, Landry Shamet. Landry’s probably looking to get his first big paycheck. When you’re 28, 29, you’re fighting for your life. And when you get all those vets on the same page, it’s hard to beat.
The Spurs may be able to match the energy but not the desperation. We’ll see tonight in Game 4.
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Chuck D was talking to Jacob Uitti.
