The No. 1 Knicks hater says when the Knicks are bad, the NBA brand hurts.
Reggie Miller has been an NBA on TNT commentator since 2005 and his entire legend as an NBA great was built on his classic playoff battles with the New York Knicks back in the 90s.
Reggie Miller Career Highlights
Watch highlights from the legendary career of five-time All-Star and Hall of Fame guard Reggie Miller.
There’s no love lost between Miller and the Knicks, but from a professional standpoint, Miller admits that when the Knicks (who haven’t been able to recapture the glory days of the 90s) are bad the NBA suffers.
“This league needs the Knicks to be in the playoffs and competing at a high level because that helps the brand of basketball in the NBA, said Miller, who addressed The Shadow League and other national media on a conference call to announce Candace Parker as Turner Sports’ newest addition as an NBA & NCAA Commentator on Wednesday.”
Miller lists Boston, Philly, Indiana, and Toronto as his Top Eastern Conference squads entering the 2018-19 season. TNT kicks off its 35th year of coverage on Oct. 16th with the Philly Sixers vs. Boston Celtics at 8 pm and then the defending champion Golden State Warriors meet the new-look OKC Thunder with Paul George and Russell Westbrook at 10:30 pm.
With Kristaps Porzingis set to return from injury by 2019 and the free agency rumor mill lighting the Twittersphere ablaze with possibilities of the Knicks landing two max-money studs, Miller predicts that this year will be the final step back before the Knicks start to move up the ladder of respectability and relevance again.
Reggie Miller: “The rebuild process has begun in New York and this is a year where optimism and hope are headed in the right direction. Them hiring David Fizdale who is a great young basketball mind in this game was the first move. I thought he got a raw deal in Memphis and I think he learned a lot under Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra in Miami… I think President Steve Mills and the way he’s approaching his plan with the Knicks…they are finally starting to do things the right way in developing talent, drafting, holding onto potential free agents. If you are a Knicks fan, the optimism and hope are there that this year and with Fizdale, you will start to turn the tide and play good basketball. That may not equate to a lot of wins, but it will be a better brand of basketball.”
Knicks fans have had their share of ineptitude over the past decade.
Al Iannazzone on Twitter
Knicks are consistent…..consistently bad. They’ve lost at least 50 for 4 straight years. Kyle O’Quinn’s teams have lost at least 50 all 6 years he’s been in the league. “You try, you try, you try…things don’t go your way.” https://t.co/jDtDAJiz7x
Worth noting is the fact that the Knicks have the only All-Black President/GM/Coach combination in NBA history, which just adds to the cultural significance and need for a successful rebuild. While Miller sang the praises of Fizdale, fellow TNT analyst Chris Webber, who was also on the conference call, lauded General Manager Scott Perry’s hiring as the key to a bright future for the Knicks.
Chris Webber: “Scott Perry, I’ve known most my life and he’s always been trustworthy in basketball and he’ll communicate the positives of being in New York to players and be able to attract players to New York. I’m looking forward to a resurgence and the Porzingis injury is unfortunate…but you can still breed a new culture while putting together a team.”
