What are you gonna do when the New York Knicks fans go wild on you?
It’s a very real possibility for the upcoming NBA season, as the Knicks have one of their most optimistic forecasts in quite some time. The excitement was palpable at last weekend’s Fanatics Fest at the Javits Center, as thousands of Knicks gathered to get a glimpse of some of their modern heroes from the past and present.
ESPN commentator and Knicks fan/critic Stephen A. Smith was among them as he made his rounds at Fanatics Fest. For his efforts, Smith received a gift from WWE, a championship belt emblazoned with the Knicks’ emblem. Initially moved to tears by the gift, Smith then cut a wrestling-style promo that would make Stone Cold and The Rock proud.
“The Knicks are coming!”@stephenasmith got himself a @nyknicks Title Legacy! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/wbe39rdCPW
— WWE (@WWE) August 18, 2024
“It’s a shame that this belt is being given to them instead of earning it,” Smith said. “But I’m not going to be negative because we’re on the right track.”
“We’re knocking on the door. We’re trying to come. We know (Giannis Antetokounmpo) is around. We know (Jayson) Tatum, Brown and them are in Boston. We saw Paul George go to Philly. We don’t care. The Knicks are coming. The Knicks are coming. The Knicks are coming.”
The anticipation for the Knicks’ season may have reached fever pitch at the Javits Center, just blocks from Madison Square Garden. It’s enough to give Smith, who is known for his pessimism about his beloved NBA team, good vibes to start a year that some expect will end with the Knicks’ first title since 1973.
Current Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart participated in a panel focused on the team’s past and present alongside franchise legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier and celebrity superfans Spike Lee and Ben Stiller. Teammates Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle were also on hand to sign autographs at various points throughout the weekend.
Coming off a 50-win season that placed them second in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Knicks only upped the ante by trading for former Nets star Bridges, the fourth Villanova alum to land on a deep roster that also includes fellow Main Line national champions Brunson, DiVincenzo and Hart.
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