League sources are confirming that the Knicks have agreed to a one-year deal with Point Guard Beno Udrih for the veteran’s minimum. Udrih had been the Knicks top target for the past couple weeks, but the team viewed him as an unlikely acquisition due to the fact that other teams had more money to offer for his services. However, it appears that Udrih has agreed to take less money to come to New York. Udrih will be the 3rd point guard on the depth chart, but should see a solid amount of minutes if the Knicks continue to employ the 2-PG sets they so often turned to last season. Udrih is a veteran who can shoot the ball and pass very well; this seems like a great addition for the Knicks, who now have 1 more roster spot to fill.
Star Euroleague Point Guard flew to New York on Tuesday to meet with the New York Knicks, the NY Post reported. Brown is a talented scorer who uses his athleticism and ball-handling skills to get his shots off. Brown was the best scorer in Europe last season, and would be a welcome addition to a team desperately seeking a 3rd PG to fill out the roster. More to come, stay tuned.
While the NBA schedule will not come out until tomorrow night, league sources have started to leak a few details for hungry NBA fans. We already knew a few things going into today. OKC will visit the Garden on Christmas, the Knicks and Nets will square off on MLK Day, and the Knicks and Heat will do battle the day before the SuperBowl. And now, a league source has leaked the first opponent of the season for the Knicks. On opening night, the Knicks will face off against….
The Bucks?????
League sources are indicating that the Knicks will indeed take on the Bucks to begin the season, most likely at the Garden. The Bucks are rebuilding after having lost their three best players in free agency this summer, so this isn’t exactly what you’d call a prime-time matchup. But hey, at least we are on tap for a pretty easy win to start it off, if we take care of business.
Through all the ups and downs of the first stages of this offseason, one thing is very apparent. The Nets are back, and Knicks should not be happy about it. After finishing second in the East behind the Heat last year and nearly making it to the Eastern Conference finals last season, the Knicks are being dangerously overlooked. CONTINUE READING…
Shumpert’s Slam, Smith’s Jam, and other moments are still in the mix. Two rounds down, two rounds to go. Four Knicks Highlights remain in our tournament. The semifinals are underway! Cast your votes for each of the 4 match ups! Voting ends on Sunday night.
ROUND 3
Division 1
Matchup 1
#1 Knicks crush Heat on opening day after Sandy, Sheed hits first 3.
VERSUS
#2 JR Smith’s ridiculous alley-oop from Pablo Prigioni
Analysis: A night-long beatdown full of emotion, great basketball, and Sheed squares off against a play that took 2 seconds to be completed, but still astounds the viewer six months later.
Division 2
Matchup 2
#1 Iman Shumpert’s putback slam
VERSUS
#3 JR Smith hits 2 buzzer beaters vs Charlotte, Phoenix.
Analysis: Shumpert’s dunk was a more spectacular play on a much bigger stage, but both of JR’s shots delivered wins (albeit against 2 miserable teams) and some awesome salsa dancing. Both moments were phenomenal… which was better?
The decision is yours to make. Which 2 moments will advance to the finals? Cast your votes!
Robert Randolph is the leader of Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and was named as one of the “Greatest 100 Guitarists of All-Time” by Rolling Stone. Randolph is also a celebrity amongst Knicks fans. Randolph is a die-hard Knicks fan himself and has risen to fame in the Knicks community as the “Friday Night Knicks Guy” over the last few years. Every Friday Night on which there is a Knicks game televised on MSG, Randolph performs a game-tailored version of his song “Get There” (video above). While the song and the video are a nice, catchy part of the broadcast, Randolph has come under fire in the past due to allegations of him being a “curse”. Entering last season, the Knicks had had a losing record on Fridays for several years in a row, and every year since Randolph had joined the broadcast. Randolph promised he would do something about the curse, and he delivered; the Knicks went 10-6 on Fridays this past season. Earlier this week, I contacted Randolph asking him if he would be interested in doing an online interview, and he kindly accepted. Here is what he had to say on the team, his career, the curse, and more:
Tommy (New York Knicks Memes): How did you get started in music? What made you decide you wanted to be a musician?
Robert Randolph (Family Band, Friday Night Knicks): I grew up in New Jersey playing music in church and in public schools, that’s where I had a chance to see and get involved in music.
Tommy: Aside from your business relationship with the Knicks, what is your backstory as a Knicks fan?
Randolph: I was born a Knicks fan, my father talked about Clyde Frazier and Willis Reed growing up. But I became a die-hard Knicks fan when Patrick Ewing and Mark Jackson got drafted. Mark Jackson was my favorite player growing up.
Tommy: How did “Friday Night Knicks” get started? Did you contact the Knicks or did they reach out to you?
Randolph: I have many fans that work for MSG, they used to come to a lot of my early shows without me knowing. In 2003, I met an employee named Sammy Steinlight, who had an idea when the Knicks were doing very [badly] in 06, 07 to create some sense of hope for Knicks fans. But apparently everyone started calling me “The Jinx”. [Laugh]
Tommy: What is it like to be a part of the broadcast for the team you rooted for as a child?
Randolph: I love every minute of being part of the Knicks’ MSG family. I still get goose bumps every time I walk in the Garden.
Tommy: What is the strangest thing that has happened to you since you became “The Friday Night Knicks Guy” (aside from me asking you for this interview, of course)?
Randolph: Strangest thing [that] happens is when people who never bought any of my records or haven’t been to any of my live shows know me for just ” Friday Night Knicks.” [Laugh]
Tommy: Do you think the Knicks will be able to play with the toughness they relied on in the late 90’s now that Kenyon Martin, Metta World Peace, Tyson Chandler, JR Smith, and others are all on board?
Randolph: The 90’s Knicks were the toughest team ever. Mason, Starks, Derek Harper, Oakley… even Xman McDaniel was a badass!! But these Knicks are a much more exciting team to watch and everyone is seriously underestimating how good [Andrea Bargnani] is!
Tommy: Focusing back on your career as a successful musician, what advice do you have for the several fans of our page who are trying to break into the industry as singers and rappers?
Randolph: Fans should just follow their passion and be themselves. Too many singers and rappers try to be like some folks they see on TV, and never get a chance to grow into the talents God has given them!
Tommy: How do you feel about the state of the Knicks right now, both short-term and long-term?
Randolph: The state of the Knicks right now is all positive. We’ve added all the necessary pieces. I’m concerned about Tyson Chandler’s offensive inability to score, and Amar’e’s knees are a big concern, but Grunwald has provided insurance for both these scenarios. The Knicks will once again win the Atlantic and [they will] proceed to the Eastern Conference Finals this upcoming season!
Tommy: Would you ever consider featuring Knicks guard & rapper Iman Shumpert on a song, now that our other rapper—Steve Novak— has been traded to the Raptors?
Randolph: I would definitely do a hot song with Iman Shumpert! He is talented and everyone is raving about his skills.
Tommy: And now, the question that Knicks fans have all been waiting for. Before this season, the Knicks had never had a winning record on Fridays since you started the job. Many fans started talking about “The Friday Night Knicks Curse”. However, the Knicks went 10-6 on Fridays this past season. How did you improve your game to make this happen? Is the weight of the Knicks community finally off your shoulders?
Randolph: The reason the Knicks were losing, not only on Friday nights but all the time, was because of the sorry coach we had in [Former Knicks’ and current Lakers’ Coach Mike] D’antoni, he has an ego problem. He damaged the careers of Marbury, Eddy Curry and others, tried to do the same thing to Nate Robinson, who we see rose above all of that. And Pau Gasol now that [D’antoni] is on the Lakers… D’antoni should no longer coach NBA basketball
—— End of Interview —–
Randolph seems to have doubts about the true nature of the curse now that it has seemingly been broken. He also seems optimistic about the team. You can follow Randolph here, and buy his latest album “Lickety Split“, which is in stores now.
New York Knicks Memes 