Anyone that knows me also knows that I have patiently awaited July 8th, 2010 since Donnie Walsh was named President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks. My allegiance to the Knicks goes back to the 90's when Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls ruled the NBA. Every basketball fan that I knew loved MJ and rightfully so, but I did not.
I don't know if it was his background at North Carolina or the fact that he could do no wrong in the media's eyes, but I just grew tired of Air Jordan. Every year you could pencil in the Bulls in Finals, but every year you could also bet that New York, led by Patrick Ewing and John Starks, would be a "tough out". Matter of fact, the Knicks were the only team that challenged Chicago and every year I watched hoping it would be the year the Knicks did the impossible and bounced the Bulls out of the playoffs.
Of course we know the story and we know that even though there were several close calls with the Knicks, the Bulls always prevailed. The Knicks were always competitive, gritty and tough; and those years made me fall in love with Madison Square Garden and the Knicks and I've never quit cheering for them. Fast forward nearly twenty years later and the Knicks have been anything but competitive or gritty. Yet, for the first time in a long time, there is hope. Hope that this storied franchise is about to begin a new era. This journey started two years ago when Donnie Walsh begin repairing years of mismanagement by clearing cap space for the LeBron sweepstakes and the talented 2010 free agent pool.
Unless you've been under a rock this week, you know that King James will announce tomorrow night where he'll sign to play. The New York Knicks are not front runners, matter of fact, many believe them to be a long shot. Still, I have something I haven't had in a long time and that is hope. With Donnie Walsh calling the shots in Gotham, I am not likely to lose that any time soon.
So, no matter if LeBron chooses to go to Chicago or Miami, or even if he stays in Cleveland, I am excited about Knicks Basketball again, and that's saying something.
I don't know if it was his background at North Carolina or the fact that he could do no wrong in the media's eyes, but I just grew tired of Air Jordan. Every year you could pencil in the Bulls in Finals, but every year you could also bet that New York, led by Patrick Ewing and John Starks, would be a "tough out". Matter of fact, the Knicks were the only team that challenged Chicago and every year I watched hoping it would be the year the Knicks did the impossible and bounced the Bulls out of the playoffs.
Of course we know the story and we know that even though there were several close calls with the Knicks, the Bulls always prevailed. The Knicks were always competitive, gritty and tough; and those years made me fall in love with Madison Square Garden and the Knicks and I've never quit cheering for them. Fast forward nearly twenty years later and the Knicks have been anything but competitive or gritty. Yet, for the first time in a long time, there is hope. Hope that this storied franchise is about to begin a new era. This journey started two years ago when Donnie Walsh begin repairing years of mismanagement by clearing cap space for the LeBron sweepstakes and the talented 2010 free agent pool.
Unless you've been under a rock this week, you know that King James will announce tomorrow night where he'll sign to play. The New York Knicks are not front runners, matter of fact, many believe them to be a long shot. Still, I have something I haven't had in a long time and that is hope. With Donnie Walsh calling the shots in Gotham, I am not likely to lose that any time soon.
So, no matter if LeBron chooses to go to Chicago or Miami, or even if he stays in Cleveland, I am excited about Knicks Basketball again, and that's saying something.
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