It explains how the New York Knicks, who were very good during my childhood in the s, became mostly horrible over the next two decades. So much of that has to do with James Dolan inheriting and exerting control over the franchise. The year-old professed a desire to extend that contract and play into his age season, be that in New York or elsewhere:.
As 7-foot-tall people in their late 30s are wont to do, Ewing hurt himself over those last couple seasons in New York. Over the course of some playoff runs, including a shocking trip to the Finals, people whose business is to wonder aloud began to wonder aloud whether the Knicks were better without their star center.
It became a bit of a meme. Even NBA players said it:. So the vibes were poor. The Knicks, Lakers and Sonics discussed a three-team deal, but the Knicks wouldn't pull the trigger, because they felt they weren't getting enough in return. Once the Suns entered the picture, the talks heated up again. Rice, a free agent, received a one-year offer from the Chicago Bulls earlier this week.
But he wavered on signing it, as his agent, David Falk, tried to broker another deal, and the Bulls finally pulled the offer off the table yesterday afternoon.
Rice ended up with the Knicks as part of a sign-and-trade transaction in which he gets a multiyear contract from the Lakers before being shipped immediately to New York. Several other players were to be included in the trade to make it work under league salary-cap guidelines.
New York also gets the Lakers' first-round draft pick in and two second-round picks from Seattle. Phoenix gets the Knicks' No. Stories Schedule Roster Stats. Filed under:. This week in Knicks history: Patrick Ewing gets traded New, comments. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. This still looks weird. Ewing wanted out. But why? Ewing still got traded.
Take it from Chris Broussard, who at the time worked for the New York Times and is the reporter who wrote the story about Ewing being traded: The Knicks realize that this is not a good deal for them, either. More From Posting and Toasting Ep. The Knicks figured: This is Latrell Sprewell 's team now.
So they caved to Ewing, who felt beaten down by the burden of winning a championship and beaten up by the only team he ever knew. The trade was insane because, even at the time, it didn't make sense. All the Knicks had to do was sit tight, deal with a star in his twilight for one season, then watch as those millions melted off the salary cap. Then they could've used the money on someone else, as Orlando did that summer with Tracy McGrady.
Instead, Dave Checketts agreed to take a bag of bad contracts in return, removing the Knicks from free agency and laying the foundation for the worst decade in franchise history. In order to trade Ewing, the Knicks had to take Luc Longley and Glen Rice and other lumps of coal; nobody was giving them expiring contracts or talented players for someone who eventually reminded folks of Willie Mays in his final days with the Mets.
Soon after, Checketts left, in a Garden coup. So did Jeff Van Gundy, escaping before all hell broke loose. Sprewell, the Ewing heir apparent, took a torch to the franchise on his way out, then lit into Garden boss Jim Dolan in a spiteful return.
And just imagine, the Knicks once floated the idea of selling Stephon Marbury as the most beloved star since Ewing. Yeah, that turned out well. How quickly people forgot about the virtues of Ewing. While he didn't deliver the much-desired championship -- and thank Michael Jordan for that -- Ewing deserved to spend his entire career with one team, as superstars of his type often do.
He forced their hand, true enough, but the Knicks controlled the situation. Had they not traded Ewing, he said he would've reported to camp and played hard. Like always. He would've been professional about it. Again, like always. And unlike Sprewell and Marbury. Curiously, the Knicks now are right where they would've been in the summer of blessed with ample salary-cap space and a big city to sell to free agents.
0コメント