New York Knicks Are in Nice Shape, and I Feel Strange
I’m used to things not going well: I’m a Knicks fan. Following sports creates preparation for woe. Life lessons justify how much of my precious limited hours I squander watching men chase a ball.
It’s much more fun coping with fear of success. This summer has created an eerie feeling that the franchise is in good shape. Thanking James Dolan for not involving himself is the most praise I’m willing to offer.
There’s money left over for a statue. Jalen Brunson is so good that he wins NBA games in July. My personal all-star handled the pen to sign his team-friendly deal as adeptly as he does a basketball. Relentlessness happens over time as well as in individual game. Foes hoping for a break can’t schedule current or future ones.
Brunson is underpaid. The fact he can afford tots at Melt Shop is irrelevant. It’s not a matter of signing a nine-figure contract but how much more he could’ve gotten. Like how scoring at will means nothing unless it helps a team win, value compared to actual payment is the only relevant aspect.
Inking a deal for 156.5 million means wondering how to get to 157 million. Jalen Dunkin’ Brunson will seek his pocket money from acting in donut commercials instead of from the artificially-limited salary pool that can now be used to pay awesome teammates. Based on his economic impact for the previously oft-driverless Knicks bus, Brunson could be a billionaire and still not be getting paid what he’s worth.
I am willing to be a pro athlete. Desire is all it takes, right? Those who are a little more coordinated always say they want to win, and Maury would find they’re telling the truth. The difference is New York’s point guard shows it. An unfathomably large contract that could have been even more massive shows his interest takes the form of winning, not being able to afford both Netflix and Hulu.
I don’t miss draft picks. Trading for Mikal Bridges is the sort of bold move made by a club serious about pushing their way to the conference’s top. Worthwhile purchases necessarily come at high expense. The only thing more costly is not spending to acquire proven talent. Cheap owners focus on the price instead of making crucial investments.
Re-signing players while trading for welcome additions spurs the uneasy feeling of ease. Are things really working out? I’m trying to relax despite usually thinking pleasantness means doom approaches.
The right employees change cultures. Executive magician Leon Rose is making New York like it’s supposed to be. I’ve always heard how their hometown is the Knicks’ biggest advantage. Now, it’s finally happening.
Volunteering offers a unique perspective. I made the choice to follow the Knicks, which has often showed the downside of free will. I just didn’t endure enough woe from what fate assigned. Looking what teams you back and how each came into your life is a way to take inventory of what’s chosen versus imposed.
I was born into Buffalo fandom as the universe made sure to know it had a sense of humor based in cruelty. I didn’t pick a college based on sports, sort of. Syracuse football can stop reminding me any time. After moving to New York City without an affiliation to an NBA team, I finally got to choose my side, and I went with… the Knicks?! Maybe destiny is better. But the consequences of deciding for myself may finally feature an upside.
The Knickerbockers are so presently promising that fans don’t have to rely on factors other than results to feel entertained. Telling myself it’s fun just to attend has followed the end of nearly every Sabres game I’ve attended for the past decade and a half.
The Knicks have stability in the best sense. The word can be mistakenly presumed to always represent positivity. The Sabres are also stable, and none of their fans appreciate knowing how the season will end.
Appreciating basketball at the game’s most iconic venue in what could intermittently be described as Earth’s greatest city is no longer the greatest appeal. Now, Knicks fans can enjoy games narrated by dual legends Mike Breen and Clyde Frazier without needing them to serve as a distraction.
Tracking Clyde’s poetry should be a fun accompaniment, not a way to avoid focusing on a brutal result. A flagship franchise at one time had the NBA’s worst record in this century. There were times in 2018 when it felt like the Knicks were a mob front that was going to get perpetrators indicted. But they’re at last a legitimate business.
Indulging in nostalgia happens naturally when the present is unfulfilling. A founding league franchise has two titles, which the optimist uses as a reminder of how challenging it is to prevail. Add six finals losses for an overview of just how elusive triumph has been. Relevance outside of location is a welcome relief from merely hoping the inertia of playing in Manhattan will create a winning roster.
Championships don’t have to be a static total, I reminded myself cautiously. Of course, the stacked roster hasn’t won anything yet despite an impressive July roster. Not getting carried away should be the first lesson taught by ruing karma. I’ve been at it for less time than lifer Knicks fans, but I can apply my training as a Buffalo sports enthusiast. Unlike Brunson’s compensation, there’s no discount.
