KnicksTape

I complain a lot on this so I wanted to take some time to go through non-Knicks that I’m a big fan of. Im sitting at a bar, eating a burger, listening to Foo Fighters, and wanted to spread a little positivity.

Wemby – I’m probably in the top percentile of Wemby fans. I think he’s the most valuable player in the league when you factor in age/salary, and I legitimately think he could be top 10 all time. Best defensive player in the league, and probably a year or two from averaging 30-15-7-5. Sheesh.

Jokic – He’s probably my favorite non-Knicks. So fun to watch, and his attitude is endearing in a way Jimmy Butler’s isn’t. Jimmy’s whole “I won’t go to my HoF induction”? Give me a break. If everyone didn’t get into the basketball HoF, he’d be lucky to even sniff it. No one likes attention more than that guy. He’s that dude who really wants everyone to know that he doesn’t care what people think. Back to Jokic. I think he’s firmly planted himself as tied with Durant for the best players since the Kobe/Shaq/Duncan era. LeBron, then Steph, then Durant is as the generally accepted order (although same may say Durant is #2 on talent), but I really think if he gets another MVP and championship he might start competing with Steph. It also helps that he cooks the entire NBA while looking like me.

Giannis – While he’s a direct competitor for the Knicks, I’ve always liked to watch him. So unique and has a pretty cool story. Also, his humor is so millennial in a weirdly endearing way. Closer to dad humor than your classic millennial cringe. Finally – it has to be said – by all accounts he’s a loyal family man but is so shamelessly horny that it’s hilarious. Publicly commenting on your wife’s instagram picture to “come to bed” with eggplant emojis is HoF-level dastardly.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs– You thought we were staying with basketball? Nope. This might be my hottest take. People HATE the Chiefs and for some reason I just don’t. I find myself rooting for them more often than not. Selfishly, it’s probably because they’re 3-0 (maybe 4-0 soon) against my least favorite teams in the NFL: the 49ers and Eagles. But at a higher level, I do think it’s cool to see actual greatness – especially when it doesn’t come at the expense of your team (like Lebron/Knicks). And maybe as a fan of the most hated team in North America, I can sympathize with the idea of everyone wanting you to lose. Whatever the reason, I’m a fan.

The various UVA role players in the NBA – When Tony Bennett retired, he mentioned that one of his proudest accomplishments is that he had the most non-lottery picks in the NBA (I’m not sure of the veracity of this exactly, but it’s probably at least right in spirit). When you draft a UVA player, two things are true: 1) he will not be a star and 2) he will massively outperform his draft position. Off the top of my head: Joe Harris (best 3pt shooter in the league for a couple of years), Ty Jerome (solid role player on a 1 seed), Jay Huff (second coming of Kareem), Deandre Hunter (5th year leap), Diakite (champion), Trey Murphy (will be a high-end 3 and D starter for a championship team), and Malcom Brogdon (6MOTY, and probably would have been a borderline all star every year if not for injuries). The point is not that these are HoFs, it’s that everyone (besides Hunter) were like 2nd round picks or UFAs. I just think it’s cool a college consistently produces notable players drafted late.