I live and breathe New York Knicks basketball.
When I was a kid everyone else was playing with Ninja Turtles and collecting comic books, I was collecting basketball cards and trying to plead my case to become the Knicks general manager.
New York was the team everyone loved to hate. When the NBA got a bad rap for being too thugged out, it was because of the Knicks.
No player could come to the basket without getting clobbered. Michael Jordan got hit so hard Chicago fans were begging for assault charges against the Knicks. But you know what, Jordan took his licks and kept on coming.
And I hated him for it, because he ALWAYS beat the Knicks. Remember when he dropped 55 during his third game back from retirement? Who was that against? Oh yeah, New York.
During his first three NBA title runs, Jordan beat the Knicks in the Eastern Conference First Round(1990-91) Eastern Conference Semifinals (1991-92) and the Eastern Conference Finals (1992-93).
The last one especially burns because of this play.
Hold on a second, I have to vomit.
Just watching that makes me want to stab Charles Smtih. He was 6’10 and if he dunked the ball, New York would have had a 3-2 series advantage and could have finally dropped the Bulls. Of course that didn’t happen and he is my most hated Knick ever.
Following that season, Jordan retired, clearing the way for New York to finally capture the title.
Here it is, why 1994 was the worst year of my life.
Everything was falling into place. New York had a diesel squad and after four years of negotiating, I finally convinced my mom to not send me to Catholic school, but instead to public school.
That meant I could wear Knicks gear to school everyday, which of course I did.
I’d get in trouble because when the Knicks were on the west coast, I would sneak some TV in because I couldn’t sleep if I didn’t know they won. Since this was before the internet and SportsCenter wasn’t on 24 hours a day, I would have to wait two days to see if they won.
New York dominated the regular season finishing 57-25 and my boy Patrick Ewing averaged 24.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.
The Knicks opened the playoffs against the New Jersey Nets, easily defeating them 3-1 to advance against the Jordan-less Chicago Bulls.
Scottie Pippen and Toni Kukoc gave the Knicks everything they could handle, forcing the series to a seventh game which New York ultimately won.
During a rough Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, New York needed a put back dunk from Patrick Ewing (24 points 22 rebounds in game 7) to advance to their first NBA Finals since 1973.
Facing the Houston Rockets and Hakeem Olajuwon, the Knicks lost the first two games in Houston before returning to New York for the next three.
The Knicks won the next two games but game 5 is what really grinds my gears. New York was at home in a tight game with the Rockets when all of the sudden butt hole O.J. Simpson pops on the screen driving his stupid Ford Bronco in Los Angeles and there is a lame split screen with the game and I can’t hear what’s going on because this guy is driving 45 mph down the highway.
If that music was on, I wouldn’t be so bitter to this day.
Ewing set a finals record with 8 blocks that game, but no one saw it because of O.J. Thanks douche bag, next time you want to get on national TV, do it in July when only regular season baseball is on.
Thanks for murdering the Knicks season. Apparently murdering people isn’t the only thing you get away with. Dreams must be on your hit list too, asshole.
Of course the Knicks win that game, one of only four Finals wins in my lifetime, and that douche bag took away one of them from me.
Up 3-2 and the series shifting to Houston, New York had a chance to win. Trailing by two as the final seconds approached, John Starks (36 points in game 6) launches a potential series winning shot, but all of the sudden Olajuwon flies across the court and just tips the ball enough so it doesn’t drop.
Game 7, New York completely melts down. Starks turns in the legendary 2-for-18 shooting performance and the Knicks go down in flames.
Right after the Knicks lost, I cried. I saw the newspaper talking about the Rockets win, I cried. Turned on SportsCenter, I cried.
Hey, I was 10 years old and never had my heartbroken, give me a break here.
Since I was in summer camp, I would usually spend most of my day playing basketball. I was the kid counselors hated because even if it was 115 degrees outside and everyone else was in the pool, I went to the basketball court.
Not for a week. Didn’t dribble a ball, take one jumper, nothing. I was a grieving widow. Honestly, if you added every other tear I’ve shed in my entire life, it wouldn’t equal how much I cried the week after the Knicks lost. It was bad.
I’m bitter because they were so close. I don’t want a championship more than the one I want for the Knicks. I’ve begged, prayed and pleaded for a championship and it didn’t come.
Some blame Ewing for choking. Some blame Starks for his horrible game 7 or coach Pat Riley for not pulling him out of the game. I blame O.J. There’s no way his karma didn’t destroy the Knicks season. I refuse to believe anything else.
I have to go, my eyes are starting to water up again.
-4 to go- (Click here to see why we are keeping count.)
