new York Knick’s Long Hot Summer

Well, the NBA draft has come and gone and again….my Knicks have surprised me with the only pick they had this year.  Not knocking the european player, or the link he has with our new coach, but #1 he’s not been scouted as much as the other picks who were of equal or greater draft value, #2 we are in restructuring mode. We need real help. I just don’t know if this kid is that impact, team-changing player the Knicks need.

We’ve already got plenty of young talent on our bench that we’re using… wrongly.  I mean Wilson Chandler, Randolph Morris, and this is just from last year. Agreed, Marty Collins needs to wake up a lil bit and play ball, but that may not be entirely his fault. Reynaldo Balkman needs to spend some gym time shooting mid range and practicing to finish at the rim because with all his energy and great defensive play, his liability at the offensive end gives the other team reason to play off him and use that man as an extra defender on our more offensive threats.

We as Knicks have one great liability as a whole however and its not a 20/10 player, it’s not lack of leadership on the court, it’s us. Our biggest issue facing the New York Knicks is how we treat and look at our team, and how our team lost the meaning of being a Knick.

Would we ever have booed a Patrick Ewing-led Knick squad? Hell no. As a matter-of-fact, when the Knicks were led by head coach Hubie Brown and they had players like Rory Sparrow, Trent Tucker and Bill Cartwright at the center we were a “bottom-tier” squad and no boos.

Today’s Knick fans have forgotten “the dunk” the “four-point play” and all of the spirit of Madison Square Garden. In turn, the Knick players have forgotten heart. They have forgotten that before the 90s seasons, we hadn’t seen true success in the playoffs since 1973. Knick players are playing for a paycheck and nothing more.

Stephon Marbury is no leader. I don’t care if his contract is up next year or in 10 years. He’s been a Knick since 2000. His being from New York should have spoken volumes to that true Knick tenacity but alas, our hopes of continuing in the traditions of Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy have been dashed. We’ve had 5 coaches in 7 years. We’ve traded away Antonio McDaniels & Nazr Mohammed (who have since gotten rings), We have dead weight on our roster that is almost impossible to move. We are “still” waiting for Eddy Curry to decide to be a beast in this league but his work-ethic (or lack thereof) keeps us wishing this big 7 foot ‘tough guy” would just trade away…

Our team has given us nothing to support, and so we have no support left. We’re still New Yorkers, and still Knick fans as I’ll always be. But it has becoming increasingly hard to watch a lazy, no heart having squad wear the same uniform as Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Patrick Ewing, Dave Deboucher, Bill Bradley, Mark Jackson, Bernard King, Rod Strickland, Larry Johnson, Anthony Mason, Marcus Camby, John Starks, Latrell Sprewell, Charles Oakley…

So I hope this draft pick helps. But Knicks… you need more than draft picks, “elite” players or blockbuster trades. You simply need to watch game films from the 70s, 80s and 90s… understand what it means to BE a Knick before you dive into the uniform.

We love you, why don’t you love us back?

That’s right I’m a fan, ya’ll… if you agree let me know, if you think we need more, let me know, if you can put these words in front of a Knick so they know how the fans feel, do it, and let us know what they say.  Some how, some way, we need to get to these players and let them know “why” we disapprove, not just that we do. Booing doesn’t work. What will?

Are We There Yet?

Last night, Senator Barack H. Obama won the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States of America. This is the first time in Black American History that one of our brothers have been *this* close to leading the country.

In thinking of this great achievement and milestone, it begs me to wonder. I wonder if (whether he wins or loses the race) we as a people will continue to cut each other from the knees, will we continue to let pettiness keep us short-sighted or will we as a community become one again.

Back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, our younger generation galvanized itself as a community. We had leaders, both political and religious. Societies were created (Nation of Islam, Nation of Gods and Earths, Black Panther Party, The National Black Caucus, The NAACP etc) in which we as a people could feel some sort of comfort in knowing WE HAD A VOICE, AND WE WERE GOING TO HAVE OUR SAY.

Since the 70s however, our culture as Black Americans was whitewashed (for lack of a better term). Somewhere along our way, we changed our focus from setting up our culture and our societies within the American infrastructure to melding with the infrastructure all together. Thus attaining a sense of equality unheard of just a decade or so prior.

So, if we successfully assimilated into the American system, why has it taken so long to be recognized that we have the ability to make some of the most important decisions ever?

That being said, we also lost a lot of ourselves and who we were in this country because of the conforming issue. The things that made Black beautiful are the very things our culture is missing right now.

So I ask you, Are we ready to reclaim who we were and our Black American culture? Are we ready for Black to be beautiful again? IS this the second renaissance? Or will we continue to assimilate so much that we lose our Black culture all together?

Are we there yet? Or are we still in a fight?