Jimmy Sez

In part one of this look back at the far too many years between Knicks championships, we saw them go from title contenders in the 90's to the laughingstock of the NBA very quickly. We left off in 2009 when the presence of Donnie Walsh in the front office and Mike D'Antoni on the sideline gave Knicks fans a glimpse of hope after a very dark period. Let's break down year by year how those hopes were systematically dismantled, triggering another extended tailspin for the franchise before a savior finally made his way to Midtown Manhattan. 2009-2010 As expected, the Knicks are still a bad team but David Lee is the first Knick named to an All-Star team since Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell in 2001. In other good news, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari emerge as solid, young building blocks at the forward position that complement each other well. The rest of the roster churns quite a bit for the sole purpose of maximizing cap space. It works, the Knicks enter free agency w...

In my experience as a sports fan, I've learned that long championship droughts rarely end quietly. As a Yankee fan, I have a painful reminder of this. As a Knicks fan, I now know that cheering on your favorite team in the midst of it is the pinnacle of sports fandom. A playoff record win streak, a double-digit comeback in the 4th quarter seemingly every game, impossible last-second plays , overcoming unfair advantages , and an unparalleled celebration to put a bow on it. There's simply nothing like it. But part of what makes it so satisfying is the long, dark, dreary road that was navigated to get there. I wasn't alive for all of the 53 years between Knicks championships. However, I gained a deep appreciation for the Knicks' ineptitude in the time that I was around for. Among the rare near misses, there was a whole lot of frustration when it came to Knickerbocker basketball. I'd say I became a truly aware and articulate fan of the Knicks around 10 years old and ha...