OH BABY!
27 Sunday Oct 2013
Posted Blog, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks
in27 Sunday Oct 2013
Posted Blog, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks
in06 Friday Sep 2013
Posted Bernard King, Blog, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Spike Lee
inThis weekend in Springfield, Massachusetts, former Ft. Hamilton High graduate Bernard King will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
This honor is long overdue.
When I think of ‘BK’, two things come to mind; intensity and outstanding scorer. The 6’7″ small forward by way of Fort Greene, Brooklyn played the game hard and could score on anyone. The great Larry Bird once said about King, “The best scoring machine I have ever seen.”
King played 14 seasons in the NBA and scored 19,655 points. He was a four-time all-star and led the league in scoring in 1985.
“Bernard King was unstoppable once he got the ball…a tremendous offensive force for many years in the NBA,” said Pat Williams, Senior VP, Orlando Magic.
One of my many memories of King took place on Christmas night in 1984. (Right, I know, your favorite memory of King is from his role in the movie, “Fast Break” with Gabe Kaplan.)
I was a loyal and frequent customer on 33rd and 8th. It started when I was twelve, also on Christmas night when I watched the Knicks play the 76ers. It was Julius Erving’s first time to the Garden as a Sixer. Brooklyn’s own Lloyd Free went off that night for Philly. The Knicks lost, I was miserable for days.
My childhood friend Glenn Thomas and I went to Madison Square Garden on that Tuesday night to see the Knicks take on the New Jersey Nets. We later went over to the Limelight and hung out with Rick James. The announced attendance was 10,581, MSG was half-empty but today, everyone and their little brother says they were in the house; even Spike Lee said he was up in the blue seats. I was a huge Knicks fan as a kid but when they traded my favorite player Michael Ray Richardson in 1982, I soured on them for a while. By the way, Sugar was traded for King.
When people talk about King’s Christmas present to the fans by scoring 60 points and dishing out 5 assists against the Nets, they make a major omission; the Nets won the game 120-114 behind Sugar’s 36 points.
The Knicks record coming in to the game was 12-18 while the Nets were 11-17.; not a marquee matchup by any stretch of the imagination. Probably why there was 9,000 empty seats.
King had 40 points by half-time as the Knicks led by ten. Nets head coach Stan Albeck had to make an adjustment so he tried getting the ball out of King’s hands; it worked. The Knicks small-forward managed just 20 points in the second half. That’s funny, I said ‘he just managed’. George Johnson of the Nets did the best job defensively. “George’s long arms bothered him a little bit in the second half,” the Nets coach said.
The former Tennessee Volunteer shot 19 for 30 from the field that night and 22 for 26 from the free-throw line. Jeff Turner and Kevin McKenna, the Nets small forwards assigned to guard King could probably tell us great stories.
The Nets win started a four game win streak for them where they beat the Knicks again three nights later across the river in Jersey. All King did in that game was drop 39.
A side not to that Christmas night explosion; Bernard’s younger brother Albert was a member of the Nets team but didn’t play due to an injury.
A second side note; this was the same season King got hurt in Kansas City trying to block Reggie Theus’ lay-up.
Final side not, I promise; after King was injured the Knicks lost their last 12 games of the season finishing 24-58. He missed the entire season 85-86 season which was Patrick’s Ewing rookie season. Oh yeah, New York opened the season losing their first eight.
“I’d rather have scored 10 and we had won the game,” King said after the game. “To lose a game that we had control of the whole way is very frustrating.”
Respectfully,
Steve
Hoops135@hotmail.com
28 Sunday Apr 2013
Posted Blog
inTags
Basketball, Cal Ramsey, Holy Name, Madison Square Garden, Marv Albert, New York Knicks, Phil Chenier, Schoolyard
Thanks to James McCarthy for this image…
The best thing about basketball is that you don’t need other people to play.
Just you, a basketball and the hoop.
When I found myself alone in the boys schoolyard at Holy Name I would shoot jump shot after jump shot. I’d shoot from all over the court and chase down the rebound.
The baskets in the schoolyard didn’t have nets on the steel rims so every time I made a jumper from the outside the ball would roll away from the court and I’d have to chase it down. Sometimes I walked after the ball, other times I jogged. The coaches at Holy Name taught us to hustle after our missed shots.
“Follow your shot,” we often heard. I heard it so much I could hear it in my sleep.
The ball went straight through the net less rim.
I was a pretty good outside shooter because I had practiced often.
My form was perfect. Right hand behind the ball, left hand as the guide hand. Knees bent, with a nice high arc.
At Holy Name we had the best coaches you could ask for; they taught us the fundamentals at an early age. It was all about repetitions when it came to shooting the ball.
When I was alone in the yard I would dribble at every single basket attempting to make a layup. The rims in the schoolyard had half-moon shaped backboards connected to a long steel pole coming out of the pavement. This made shooting a bank shot difficult. The banker wasn’t one of my favorite shots so I never used it in a game; I always liked to swish everything even though we didn’t have nets. The pole was planted in the ground right in the middle of the lane. Dribbling around the pole to escape your defender was a strategy many players used to score. It was used as a “pick.”
Sometimes I would make believe I was at Madison Square Garden; 33rd and 8th. Stands packed to the rafters. You could hear them from the blue seats! The game was televised on channel nine with Marv Albert and Cal Ramsey on the call.
Finamore brings the ball up the court, ten seconds remaining on the clock. Phil Chenier picks him up at the circle, guarding him closely. 9, 8,7, 6…Finamore backs in on the left-wing, he peeks up at the clock. 4,3,2…
Finamore spins to the baseline and fires…YEEEEEEESSSSS!
Respectfully,
Red
Hoops135@hotmail.com
03 Saturday Nov 2012
Posted Blog
inTags
Barclays Center, Brooklyn Nets, Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Bloomberg, Miami Heat, New York City Marathon, New York Knicks, Sports Heals, Staten Island
Friday night I watched basketball on television from 7:30 until midnight.
During this time I heard three different announcers say, “Sports Heals.”
No, it doesn’t.
The Brooklyn Nets were supposed to open their season Thursday night at the Barclays Center against the New York Knicks. The game was cancelled due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
Great call!
Last night, the Knicks opened their season at Madison Square Garden. People showed up, they played the game. Knicks fans cheered and were treated to a victory over the Miami Heat. Those fans went home feeling good about their team.
Do you think people in Jersey, Rockaway, Breezy and Staten Island care about a game?
How does sports heal?
The New York City Marathon was scheduled for tomorrow morning. Mayor Bloomberg cancelled it; another great call! But at first he was going to allow it; thanks to the people taking to social media and talk radio, the Mayor realized he better cancel the race.
D-Wade of the Miami Heat tweeted yesterday that there was no way they should have been playing the game last night. He was right. By the way, he donated his pay for last night’s game to rescue help.
Look, I don’t have to write about what people on the East coast are going through; it’s out there. Read the papers, watch the news and talk to the people without power.
People are more important than a sporting event (and I’m a sports junkie). Doesn’t matter if you’re poor, middle class or rich. We’re all human. Improving lives should come first; not a sporting event.
They played a basketball game last night at MSG; it was the first of 81 for New York, the second for the Heat. The lucky fans that had tickets showed up. Stop saying “Sports Heals,” it really doesn’t because I know a lot of Knicks fans who are without water, are powerless and a few even lost their homes.
Throughout this essay I didn’t even mention the young mother from Staten Island that lost her two sons in the storm and found out a day later that they both died.
-Steve
Hoops135@hotmail.com
19 Friday Oct 2012
Posted Blog
inTags
Atlantic Avenue, Basketball, Brooklyn Nets, Flatbush Avenue, Juniors, L&B Spumoni Gardens, NBA, New York Knicks
Ok, so I’m 800 miles away and now Brooklyn has an NBA team!
The New Jersey Nets have moved across the river and will play their home games on Flatbush and Atlantic.
Congratulations!
It’s what Brooklyn needed; a pro basketball team to call their own.
I’m hoping to get back for a game or two.
People have asked me if I will switch teams? I have been a Knicks fan for a long time but to be honest, I’m not really sure.
A blog entry is being composed and I’ll post my thoughts real soon.
Some fans have switched, some have not.
I’m leaning towards sticking with the Knicks but will pull for the Nets. I can do that, right?
I hear the food choices in the arena is top-notch. Spumoni Gardens, Nathan’s Famous and Junior’s. Wonder if they have plans to make Egg Creams?
Good luck Brooklyn!
-Steve
HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM
19 Thursday Jul 2012
Posted Blog
inI was six-years-old when my love affair began with the New York Knicks. That was forty-two years ago. It was also the year they won their first of two NBA championships.
How can a young boy growing up in the schoolyards of Brooklyn not be affected by the way the Knicks played the game?
“The Knicks in 1970 had a team that a college coach could take his team to see and say, ‘now there’s the way the game is supposed to be played,” said the late Pete Newell.
Three years later the Knicks won the championship once again. The core of their organization; Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, Willis Reed, Phil Jackson and Dave Debusschere were together for both titles. The Knicks were a team that played the right way. They hit the open man, they defended and pulled for each other. Red Holzman was the head coach who made it all happen. Red’s assistant coach was team trainer, Danny Whelan. It was a time teams didn’t have “second-row” assistants.
It’s probably the last time you will ever see an NBA championship starting five (1973) all from a non-high major college: Frazier (Southern Illinois), Monroe (Winston-Salem), Bradley (Princeton), Debusschere (U of Detroit), Reed (Grambling).
The Knicks were a team dedicated to one common purpose: Winning a championship!
Over the next few years I watched the Knicks as much as possible on television and listened to them on the radio. Marv Albert doing the play-by-play alongside Cal Ramsay who handled the analysis. I can’t forget the night while watching the Knicks play in Phoenix, Suns guard Ron Lee crashed into the press table and spilled soda all over Cal’s new sport jacket.
On Christmas night in 1976 I attended my first Knicks home game. I sat in the red seats, just a few feet from the court. It was Julius Erving’s first season as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. That night ‘The Doctor’ broke my heart with a couple of big shots down the stretch to beat my team 105-104. Brooklyn’s own Lloyd Free led Philly with 30 points as Bob McAdoo scored 24 for the Knicks.
Two years later the Knicks drafted Micheal Ray Richardson; an unknown, exciting point guard out of the University of Montana. After watching “Sugar” play for the Knicks, he became my favorite player. I loved the way he defended, shared the ball and slashed to the basket. In the schoolyard I would emulate his jump-shot and his over-the-head finger roll.
In 1982, after four seasons that saw the Knicks make the playoffs just once (losing to the Bulls 2-0) Sugar was gone. I was bitter for a year or two but the good thing was they traded him for Bernard King.
Hubie Brown was the new Knicks head coach and he got them to the Eastern Conference semi-finals in his first season.
Scraping up money to attend as many home games as possible was the norm. Reading about them every single morning in the New York Post, New York Daily News and the New York Newsday; I felt like an expert. Picking up Basketball Digest each month also kept me up on not only my team but the entire league.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Pete Vescey of the New York Post providing the best material in and around the league.
We would use our student I.D. at the ticket window in the lobby of the Garden to get half price off an eight dollar ticket only to find ourselves climbing the countless escalators to the roof. We sat in “Blue Heaven.”
If there was a sell-out (19,500) we were screwed. One night I recall the LA Lakers in town and the game was sold out.
I was crushed. I was hoping to see Magic vs Sugar.
But fear not, we found a way to sneak in. I walked around the Garden searching for an open door. The gate to the ramp where the visiting bus would use was up, there was a delivery truck talking to the security guard, I snuck around the other side and ran up the to the game.
The never-ending escalator climb sucked. On our way up to the top, at each level we’d try to schmooze the usher standing at each door but to no avail. The old men in their MSG-issued red blazers knew we were students.
Watching King, the former Fort Hamilton High School scoring machine dominate the opposition either in the post with his sweet turn-around or soaring in from the wing for a slam-dunk. BK had the Garden jumping. Or if they were giving the more talented Boston Celtics with Larry Bird all they could handle only to come up short, we admired the Knicks toughness. Last bit not least, listening to Hubie shout out from the bench, “POWER RIGHT, POWER RIGHT!”
After games we’d wait outside on the street for the players. Chatting them up sometimes close to midnight. I recall one night hanging out with Hubie in front of the parking lot where he kept his car. He had a stat sheet in one hand, a can of diet coke in the other, a black leather bag over his shoulder. He talked to us like we were his coaching staff.
The Garden was electric on Christmas night in 1984 when King scored 60 points against the New Jersey Nets. What people forget is the Nets won the game and Michael Ray, playing for the Nets scored 36 points. I should know, I was there rooting for Sugar as he dropped 24 points in the second half against his former team.
Players like Rory Sparrow and Edmund Sherrod ran the point. I admired Louie Orr battle bigger and stronger forwards on a nightly basis. Watching Billy Cartwright shoot that odd-looking shot and of course there was the late Marvin ‘The Eraser” Webster swatting shots into the third row.
One season I attended 39 of the 41 home games. I was nuts; it cost me my first girlfriend too. I put the Knicks ahead of a wonderful girl.
I watched guys like Larry Demic, Sly Williams, Eddie Lee Wilkins and Ken ‘The Animal” Bannister. Others that came through 33rd and 8th that should always be remembered is Eric Fernsten, Brian Quinnet.
The NBA used to schedule pre-season doubleheader exhibition games at the Garden; 6PM and 8PM. It was there that I saw a glimpse of a future Hall of Fame player in Dennis Rodman. ‘The Worm’ minus the tattoo’s and body piercings was a rookie with the Detroit Pistons in the six o’clock game. There were about 400 people in the stands.
I can’t forget the veterans who were a little past their prime but had a ton of experience on their resume, brought in by the Knicks front office. Guys like Kiki Vandeweghe, Paul Westphal, Mike Newlin, Doc Rivers, Rolando Blackman, Derek Harper, Penny Hardaway and Steve Francis.
This year’s Knicks squad has gone back to that “experience” philosophy by bringing in Jason Kidd (39), Kurt Thomas (39) and Marcus Camby (38).
Hubie lasted four seasons in New York; early in his fifth year he was fired after going 4-12. Bob Hill took over.
The following season Rick Pitno took over after Hill went 20-46. Hubie’s former assistant made the playoffs in both of his years at the Garden.
Then it was Stu Jackson and John MacLeod running the show with players like Trent Tucker, Rod Strickland, Mark Jackson, Gerald Wilkins and Johnny Newman.
Pat Riley came on board in 1991. Riley brought a different brand of basketball than the one he used to be successful in LA. Instead of the fast-breaking, up-tempo style, Riley came in with the “tough-guy” approach. The Knicks had guys like Charles Oakley, Xavier McDaniel, Anthony Mason and Greg Anthony to provide the muscle.
Riley coached the Knicks for four seasons reaching the finals in 1994. Assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy took over. JVG was a grinder, one of the hardest working guys in the profession. Hard work paid off.
Five years later the Knicks made it to the finals against the San Antonio Spurs (the strike season). New York’s regular season record was 27-23. Once again they came up short going down four games to one.
Coaches like Lenny Wilkins, Don Nelson, Herb Williams, Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas all ran the ship at one time or another. Since Holzmann stepped down in 1982, the Knicks have had 16 head coaches.
Mike D’Antoni arrived in 2008 and tried to clean up the mess. His uptempo style that was called “.07 seconds or less” in Phoenix was met with mixed emotions. Some said that the style was only good for the regular season and would not work in the playoffs. He was gone after three and half years, making the playoffs just once.
I will give credit to D’Antoni for giving Jeremy Lin a chance of a lifetime last year. Lin brought excitement to the Garden.
The Knicks picked up Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire; two very good players to build the Knicks into contenders. Last year, Lin came on the scene and lit the Garden up. He was by far the most popular Knicks player.
The former Harvard guard who was cut by three teams, played in the D-League and was sitting at the end of the Knicks bench when D’Antoni called his number.
In 35 games, Lin scored 14 PPG and dished out 6.2 assists per game. But Lin wound up getting hurt and missed the last part of the season, including the playoffs.
Now, in the summer of 2012, the Houston Rockets (a team that cut him last year) has signed him; the Knicks refused to match the offer.
When I think back to the Knicks of the early 70’s, Lin is the one player who would fit in rather nicely with them.
The past twelve years the Knicks have been difficult to watch. They are still trying to win their first play-off series in that period. From 2001 to 2010 they made the post-season just once! Going out in the first round the past two years, it’s been difficult to watch.
Like Phil Jackson recently said on HBO’s, Real Sports; “the pieces do not fit.”
How much can a Knicks fan take?
Knicks fans deserve much better.
-Steve
HOOPS135@HOTMAIL.COM
12 Monday Dec 2011
Posted Blog
inTags
Holy Name, Jo-Jo White, Julius Erving, Los Angeles Lakers, Madison Square Garden, New York Knicks, Oscar Robertson, Philadelphia 76ers, Pro-Keds, Schoolyard
The NBA lock-out is over.
The abbreviated season starts December 25.
As a kid, my first experience with the NBA was a commercial filmed in the boys schoolyard at Holy Name and a commercial filmed in Bishop Ford’s gym. Not to mention the Los Angeles Lakers once held a practice at Ford.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Christmas night in 1976 when I attended the Knicks-76ers game at MSG. I had amazing seats. My mother’s friend Jerry worked at the Garden and at the age of 12, it was probably one of the best Christmas presents ever!
I’m hoping that some of the neighborhood historians can shed some light on the dates/years that these events took place (commercials and Lakers practice)
Oscar Robertson in the boys schoolyard with his Jordache sneakers commercial and Jo-Jo White at Ford with his Pro-Keds commercial.
Last but not least, I would love to hear about the Lakers at Ford.
There have been so many stories as to what actually happened?
Someone once said the Lakers stopped off at Henry’s Deli on Prospect Avenue.
I’m going to have to place a call to Ray Nash and get the story.
Respectfully,
Steve
Hoops135@hotmail.com
23 Monday May 2011
Posted Blog
inTags
Brooklyn Nets, CBA, D-League, Holy Name, Hotel, Ironworkers, Jay Street, LIRR, Modells, NBA, New York, New York Knicks, Train, Vanderbilt Yards
My recent road trip back to the old neighborhood brought back so many memories, like it always does. We try to make it back twice a year.
Many things raced through my mind as I made my way through the streets I once roamed daily.
To show you how much I love to walk, I took the train from my midtown hotel to Flatbush and Atlantic avenues; and walked all the way to 9th avenue and Windsor Place!
“We always knew you were crazy, Red.” Admit it, that’s what you’re thinking.
But wait, there’s a logical reason why I walked. You know I’m a big hoops fan so I had to see for myself, the construction of the New Jersey Nets future home.
Thinking back, I couldn’t recall ever being down in that area before, on foot that is.
Boy has it changed.
I’m not even sure what they call the area to be honest. All I know is that the LIRR is there and that tall building with the clock can be seen for miles and miles. Plus, it has to be the busiest and biggest intersection in the city. There were cars coming from every direction. I can’t forget the friendly traffic cop standing in the middle of traffic looking like a 3rd base coach with his hand signals.
Shuffling through the streets I first stopped in Modell’s directly across the street from Vanderbilt Yards to pick up a New York Knicks long sleeve T-shirt.
“You looking forward to the Nets coming to Brooklyn?” I asked the male sales clerk.
“Hells yeah!” he said.
I always received the best bargains and the cordial customer service at Mo’s. Gotta Go to Mo’s!
Standing in front of one of my favorite stores from back in the day (remember going down to Modells on Jay Street? They had mug shots of all the people they caught stealing things on display for all to see) I glanced across the street at the ton of iron that had been set and took a deep breath.
A professional basketball team in Brooklyn, New York… wow! Not a CBA team, not a USBL team, not even a D-League team. An NBA team!
With it being a Saturday afternoon, I thought to myself maybe the ironworkers are putting in some extra time to get the building up but it was quiet, not a hardhat to be seen.
Walking past the site, I just couldn’t believe the image that stood before me. I thought of all the passionate Knicks fans from Holy Name and would they adopt the Nets when they made their move from across the river? But the Knicks are on the way up with their recent acquisition of 2 superstars. How much losing can a person take, right?
One friend who I talked to about the new building, who happens to be a long-time Knicks fan said he can’t wait for the Nets to move in. “I am switching teams.” he said.
WOW!
Come to think of it, why was there such an uproar from local residents about the Nets moving to Brooklyn?
The greatest borough in the world will now have their own pro basketball team to cheer for in the NBA.
-Steve
hoops135@hotmail.com
16 Thursday Dec 2010
Posted Blog
inTags
For anyone who knows me, they know I love basketball.
For anyone who really knows me, they know that I love the New York Knicks. (But for the past few years, I have been down on them)
Last night I was in my glory. The Knicks finally played a meaningful regular season game.
Even though they came out on the short end of the stick against the Boston Celtics, it was still a well-played game. Boston beat them 118-116 but one thing is for sure…The Garden was rockin’.
Last night the Knicks made plays.
They defended, shared the ball and played with passion.
Amare Stoudemire has brought some toughness, passion and interest to New York. Sure the Knicks and their fans wanted LeBron James over this past summer but LBJ didn’t want them.
Last night while listening to Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy do the color for ESPN, I had major flashbacks to the Knicks of the 70’s; with Clyde, Earl Monore, Willis and Dollar Bill. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not comparing the two teams, this year’s team is far from being a championship team.
The fans in MSG were chanting, ‘DE-FENSE, DE-FENSE’!
I had chills listening to them…on television. To me, that chant is one of the best in sports. The first time I heard it was when I was 12 years old and I was at the Garden watching the Knicks and 76ers.
During the early 80’s I’d buy an $8 ticket with my student I.D. for four bucks, climbing the many sets of escalators all the way up to the ‘blues’; once the refs tossed the ball up, we began our trek down as close as we could get to the court.
We always mapped out the strategy. Keeping one eye on the usher, one on an open seat.
One night I sat so close to the Knicks bench that I could hear Hubie Brown, the head coach screaming at Trent Tucker.
“TRENT, YA GOTTA PLAY SOME DEFENSE!”
Hanging outside on 33rd and 8th waiting for the players to sitting in the orange seats on Christmas night with GT watching Bernard King drop 60 on the New Jersey Nets!
GO NEW YORK, GO NEW YORK, GO!
I’m not sure when and where my love affair began with the men in blue and orange but I will say, they cost me my first true love affair. I was dating a wonderful girl when I was 14 years old. Her name was Maureen. She was beautiful.
Click here for a blog entry I composed about her back in May.
From the ages of 14 to 17 I paid more attention to the Knicks than I did to Maureen. I was too blind to realize how big of a mistake I was making.
I knew more about the players than I did about the girl who loved me.
My idol was Michael Ray Richardson. ‘Sugar’ was a great point guard. I tried to emulate his style. To this day Magic Johnson has said Sugar gave him fits.
The Knicks are 16-10 and in second place in the Atlantic, they have been playing well, but it’s still early. They haven’t sniffed .500 in ten years. There’s no telling what will happen but for now, I enjoy watching them and reading about possibly acquiring Carmelo Anthony. And if they do get ‘Melo’, watch out!
-Steve
Hoops135@hotmail.com
30 Thursday Oct 2008
Posted Blog
inTags
Basketball, Bernard King, Bill Bradley, Blue Seats, Christmas, Defense, Earl Monroe, Hit the Open Man, Hubie Brown, Jackson Community College, Jerry Lucas, Miami Heat, Mike D'Antoni, NBA, New York Knicks, Phil Jackson, Red Holzman, Sports, Stephon Marbury, Trent Tucker, Walt Frazier
With the start of the 2008-09 NBA season, I can’t help but think about my beloved New York Knicks. It has been ugly as of late – coaching changes, player turmoil, media bashing and in-house friction. They have suffered through 7 straight losing seasons!
It’s been so bad, I actually stopped wearing my Knicks hat!
The team I grew up rooting for has a new coach and a new look. Their offense will be fast-paced, up-tempo led by head coach Mike D’Antoni.
When you think about the Knicks, names like Frazier, Monroe, Bradley, Reed, Lucas, and even Phil Jackson come to mind. Their head coach back in the day Red Holzman had a slogan/mantra, ‘Hit the open man‘ it’s a theory I subscribe to with my players at Jackson Community College.
Last night the Knicks opened with a victory over the Miami Heat 120-115.
They were flying up and down the court and playing team basketball.
Stephon Marbury, the Coney Island product didn’t play – the fans were chanting, ‘We want Steph, we want Steph’.
Now hold on, these were the same fans who last season were booing him.
What gives?
I recall buying a cheap ticket with our student I.D. for four bucks, climbing the endless sets of escalators up to the ‘blues’; once the refs tossed it up, we began our trek sneaking down as close as we could get to the court. One night I sat so close to the Knicks bench that I could hear Hubie Brown screaming at Trent Tucker.
“TRENT, YA GOTTA PLAY SOME DEFENSE!”
Hanging outside on 33rd and 8th waiting for the players to sitting in the orange seats on Christmas night with GT watching Bernard King drop 60 on the New Jersey Nets!
GO NEW YORK, GO NEW YORK, GO!
-SF
Hoops135@hotmail.com