For lifelong fans of the New York Knicks, the NBA Finals might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the franchise’s first championship since 1973.
But who’s counting?
Oh, yeah, the social-media influencer identified as ForeverNextYear calculated it was 19,698 days through the past weekend.
So the best-of-seven series that opens Wednesday in San Antonio — or is it alien-inhabited Area 51? — might be the Knicks’ B-Rabbit shot, the one final opportunity.
Sports is a reflection — and distraction — of life, and life does not guarantee championship opportunities. The Montreal Expos lived and died without winning one.
For this scribe, the sports addiction can be blamed on Batman. The campy TV show was a diversion from the footage of the Vietnam War reported nightly in our homes. On March 14, 1968, the 120th Batman episode aired … and then it was gone, without a head’s up, like the McRib.
Don’t miss out on what’s happening!
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It’s FREE!
A month after the final Batman episode, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Two months after that, Bobby Kennedy was killed. Vietnam was the top story every night. That 8-year-old became a sports fan to break from real-life woes.
Living in New York at the time, there were multiple choices. I followed the New York Jets because Emerson Boozer had a cool name for a running back. I picked the New York Mets because they played in the National League, where umpires wore chest protectors on the inside of their uniforms, unlike the Kool-Aid-Man-shaped American League umps who wore theirs on the outside. I once thought I saw Knicks forward Dave DeBusschere buying a hot dog from a street vendor. Valid reasons for becoming a fan of the trifecta for nearly the next six decades.
Oh, there were great moments. The Jets, who were not even members of the NFL at the time, won Super Bowl III in 1969. That was 20,990 days ago, according to ForeverNextYear, the longest drought for a Super Bowl champion. The Amazin’ Mets won World Series in 1969 and 1986. And the Knicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals in 1970 and 1973.
But for fans of those three teams, the glory days have been overshadowed by frustration, heartbreak and what-the-heck emotions.
Those franchises moved their stars. The Mets traded pitcher Tom Seaver, who actually was nicknamed “The Franchise,” to the Cincinnati Reds over money issues. Another future Hall of Fame pitcher, Nolan Ryan, was dealt to the California Angels. Jeff Kent, who is part of this year’s HOF class, was sent to the Cleveland Indians. Darryl Strawberry and Ray Knight left as free agents.
The Jets traded away Keyshawn Johnson, John Abraham, Leonard Williams, Hugh Douglas, Jonathan Vilma and Sauce Gardner. Running back John Riggins signed a free-agent deal with Washington.
The Knicks traded legends Patrick Ewing (to Seattle), Walt Frazier (Cleveland) and Latrell Sprewell (Minnesota). Jeremy Lin was told to test the free-agent market. The Knicks declined to match Lin’s offer from Houston, ending the Linsanity era in New York.
The draft? Yikes. In 1966, the Mets used the No. 1 overall pick on Steve Chilcott, a catcher who never made it to the show. Oakland then took Reggie Jackson.
The Knicks were a pick too late to draft Steph Curry in 2009. Then again, they chose Mike Sweetney over David West in 2003, Renaldo Balkman over Rajon Rondo in 2006, Jordan Hill over DeMar DeRozan in 2009, Frank Ntilikina over Donovan Mitchell in 2017, and Kevin Knox ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2018. The Knicks might have given up. They have only one guaranteed first-round pick in the next five drafts.
The Mets, Jets and Knicks had interesting sideshows. Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme impacted the Mets’ finances for years. They also re-negotiated a settlement where they pay retired outfielder Bobby Bonilla $1.19 million every July 1 through 2035, a pay date now known as “Bobby Bonilla Day.”
The Jets and Knicks have had interesting negotiations. On Jan. 4, 2000, Bill Belichick was scheduled to be announced as the Jets’ head coach, succeeding Bill Parcells. Instead, he submitted a letter: “I resign as HC of the NYJ.” He went on to coach the New England Patriots’ dynasty.
In 2010, the Knicks took on and then dumped massive contracts to clear cap space for their pursuit of free agent LeBron James. At the meeting, Knicks president Donnie Walsh showed up in a wheelchair and wearing a neck brace. For James’ meeting with Miami, team president Pat Riley showed up with the championship rings he won with the Lakers and Heat. In a live televised program known as “The Decision,” James announced: “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.”
The Knicks tried Riley’s strategy when they hired Phil Jackson, who won two NBA titles as a Knicks power forward and 11 rings coaching the Lakers and Chicago Bulls. Naturally, he was hired as Knicks’ president, a non-coaching position.
Even when the Knicks reach the postseason, things can get … unusual. In Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern semifinals, Chicago bench warmer Jo Jo English baited Knicks point guard Derek Harper into an altercation. Harper was suspended for the next two games; English for one. Harper was the Knicks’ playmaker. English averaged 3.6 points that season.
In Game 5 of the 1994 Finals, the Knicks defeated Houston to take a 3-2 lead. The thing was, that game was played the same time O.J. Simpson led Los Angeles police on a low-speed car chase after a warrant for his arrest was issued in connection to the murder of his ex-wife. NBC, which televised the game, used a split screen. The NBA commentary was muted while the car chase had live play-by-play.
In 2012, Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire was frustrated with a Game 2 playoff loss, taking it out on a fire extinguisher case. The case won, and Stoudemire missed the rest of the series with the hand injury.
For the three franchises, reaching a title series is statistically difficult. If there were no repeat winners, it would take at least 30 years for each NBA and MLB team to win a championship; 31 years for a Super Bowl.
For Knicks fans, their team reaching the Finals is a big deal. Because after that, it’s back to the real world, maybe for a long time.