By Anthony Beers
The last time the Knicks won the Atlantic Division
Jason Kidd was a sophomore at California, Iman Shumpert was three and Michael
Jordan was playing minor league baseball. That was all in 1994, an entirely
different era of basketball.
Alas, following one of the roughest decades in
Knicks history, the New York Knickerbockers are back as a legitimate contender
to make a run at the NBA finals. The Atlantic Division champs wrapped up their
season clinching the two seed in the Eastern Conference with an impressive
record of 54-28. Carmelo Anthony won the scoring title averaging 28.7 points
per game, and JR Smith winning sixth man of the year is highly imminent. All of
these encouraging statistics have given Knicks fans a Clyde-esque “pep in their
step.”
Naturally it is fitting that the Knicks will begin
their playoff quest against the Boston Celtics. The very team that has
mortified Knicks fans over recent years. Saying it is a rivalry is almost
foolish, because it can’t be a rivalry if one team consistently beats the other.
For years now, that has been the Celtics, a dominant force to be reckoned with
in the East constantly crushing Knicks hopes time and time again.
But for Knicks fans this year, wheels are in motion
for a change. The Knicks defeated Boston three out of four times in the regular
season. The Celtics are a shell of their former selves with Ray Allen gone and Rajon
Rondo out with a torn ACL. The pressure shifts to the aging veterans Paul
Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who as Knicks and honey nut cheerios fans know, will
do anything to get inside the head of opponents.
This series without question will tell a lot. The
Celtics are on the decline and the Knicks are on the rise. Something’s got to
give. The Knicks have shown this season that they are ready to take the torch.
They’ve clinched home court advantage in the opening round and have the
ultimate advantage: Madison Square Garden. The Mecca of basketball will be
livid throughout this series against Boston. Everyone will be waiting for that
stellar moment that brings the world’s most famous arena to its feet.
Recently the Knicks honored past greats at the
garden in remembrance of their last championship in 1973. Legends Walt “Clyde”
Frazier, Bill Bradley, Earl “the Pearl” Monroe, Phil Jackson, and of course the
captain Willis Reed were among the many in attendance on this very special
night. Forty years ago the meaning of “team” was re-defined by these men and
today their numbers hang from the ceiling to remain in Knicks folklore forever.
Knicks fans have been through many roller coasters since then. These positive
and negative moments all worth remembering, but the ultimate goal never reached…
It’s time for this Knicks team to honor the ghosts
of the past and leave it all on the court. The fans of New York deserve it
after all these years, and the Knicks have worked too hard to get to this point
only to lose to the Celtics. It’s time for a change.
The forgotten empire of
Knicks basketball shall rise again…
