Earlier this week, renowned NBA insider/analyst Bill Simmons revealed that the Knicks were among LeBron’s top choices in the summer of 2010. According to Simmons’ own words, the race for LeBron was “theirs to lose.”
So why did the fail so epically?
In that same segment, the one in which took a delve into James’ 2010 decision, The Ringer’s Simmons revealed it was a “disastrous” first meeting that ruined their chances.
“From everyone that I’ve talked to in the know since then, it’s clear that the Knicks were the first choice. And I’m sorry Knicks fans, earmuffs. But it was basically the Knicks’ to lose, and they just couldn’t stay out of their own way. And the stories are legendary,” he said on his podcast.
“They had the legendary meeting. Donnie Walsh was in the wheelchair, and [Knicks owner James] Dolan was Dolan. And it was just a complete – they didn’t have anything prepared. And it just couldn’t have gone worse, by all accounts. It was a disaster. I think at that point, combined with the decade the Knicks just had, I think those guys were just like ‘f–k’ it.”
Between their lackluster presentation and Dolan’s rather toxic behavior (he was apparently handing out copies of his CD during free-agent meetings that summer), it seems the Knicks never really had a chance.
They just can’t get out of their own way, and the franchise has suffered greatly for it.
Decades of failure have ruined their reputation and they’ve been among the league’s worst teams. The hope is that, one day, they finally wake up and start turning things around. Because, as anyone in the league will tell you, the NBA is better when the Knicks are good.
But it’s up to them to get it together.
