New York Knicks continue to hurt their credibility in sports
The New York Knicks have found many different ways to disappoint their fans and provide comedic relief for the rest of the sports world.
The beginning of the 2019 NBA free agency period will forever be associated with the New York Knicks. The only issue is it will be connected with the many failures of the franchise over the past two decades still struggling to return to any prominence in the league since it was magical Finals run in 1999.
The years of trading away legends such as Patrick Ewing for lesser talent and poorly scouted potential young players has added to the misery of a once proud fanbase. Players far past their prime were rewarded healthy contracts based on their cache names such as Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis, Penny Hardaway, and Antonio McDyess all flamed out in a Knicks uniform or were hardly memorable. Drafting rookies that never lived up to their promise are names like Channing Frye, Mike Sweetney and barring a significant improvement this season Frank Ntilikina has become a draft day tradition of criticism and disappointment.
The ineptitude in regards to balancing fan expectations, realistic goals, and positive values are blurred beyond all recognition. The team is often the topic of many jokes on all forms of media ranging from social to mainstream each sharing the same opinion of no confidence in the franchise moving forward. The amount of viral videos, memes and “hot takes” that emerge from a team that has had less than five total playoff appearances in 15 years is alarming for those that barely follow the National Basketball Association.
https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1145725565594460161
New York not securing a top tier talent as everyone expected them to do is one thing, but to see two of the prime targets go 20 minutes away to Brooklyn is insulting. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving signing with the Brooklyn Nets for less money is another reminder of how far the once mighty franchise has fallen amongst the world’s perception. The culture created by owner James Dolan has built a negative stigma that continues to scare away potential big name free agents every season.
The tough part about last night wasn’t just the failure to secure top names; it was the way the team handled the process. A report surfaced from the Knicks brass that they avoided offering Durant the max due to fears of his injury recovery caused a stir around the league and made the team look incompetent. It didn’t get any better when team president Steve Mills felt compelled to release a statement explaining the team’s new strategy.
"“While we understand that some Knicks fans could be disappointed with tonight’s news, we continue to be upbeat and confident in our plans to rebuild the Knicks to compete for championships in the future, through the draft, targeted free agents and continuing to build around our core of young players,”."
Next. Brooklyn Nets: Kyrie Irving is officially a member of the team. dark
There isn’t much of a silver lining to all this but maybe more false optimism that the Knicks did draft, R.J. Barrett, so they have that positive aspect going for them.