Kevin Durant Comments on NYC and MSG

J

JohnnyFever

Active member
Came across interesting quotes from the other day:

-"I never planned on going to the Knicks. I didn't want to be the savior of the Knicks or New York. I didn't care about being a king of New York."

-"I felt like Brooklyn was everything I'm about. Chill on the low...there's no show when you come to our games. There's no MSG Mecca. All of that sh*t we just gonna hoop."

Hopefully this is just a minority opinion, but MSG is basically the last thing we have to hold onto in terms of recruiting and prestige at least recently. To see guys like KD actively not caring and disliking the mystique is troubling. I think we are in a "me first" era and this is more evidence. NYC area top talent mostly leaving and not caring about putting on for their city, not wanting to be the "savior", etc. What that really says about KD IMO is he wants the easy route with media, wants other stars around him, etc. I feel like this sentiment is more and more true of college hoops too. We need a NYC area rebirth of pride. It takes a very special player to embrace challenge of NYC/our program, compete for minutes, and want that leader role on the team. Hope the mystique and prestige of MSG is still there for out of town kids.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=397927] Hope the mystique and prestige of MSG is still there for out of town kids.[/quote]

Why would it be? In their lifetime, the Knicks have 3 winning seasons and one postseason series win. MSG is a nothing-burger for them.
 
We have seen countless contradictory quotes from current players about the mystique of MSG.

Revisionist History from Durant. Just like he joined the Nets for their culture than stood by and watched Kenny Atkinson get fired. The Nets are a recipe for disaster.
 
[quote="Mike Zaun" post=397927]Came across interesting quotes from the other day:

-"I never planned on going to the Knicks. I didn't want to be the savior of the Knicks or New York. I didn't care about being a king of New York."

-"I felt like Brooklyn was everything I'm about. Chill on the low...there's no show when you come to our games. There's no MSG Mecca. All of that sh*t we just gonna hoop."

Hopefully this is just a minority opinion, but MSG is basically the last thing we have to hold onto in terms of recruiting and prestige at least recently. To see guys like KD actively not caring and disliking the mystique is troubling. I think we are in a "me first" era and this is more evidence. NYC area top talent mostly leaving and not caring about putting on for their city, not wanting to be the "savior", etc. What that really says about KD IMO is he wants the easy route with media, wants other stars around him, etc. I feel like this sentiment is more and more true of college hoops too. We need a NYC area rebirth of pride. It takes a very special player to embrace challenge of NYC/our program, compete for minutes, and want that leader role on the team. Hope the mystique and prestige of MSG is still there for out of town kids.[/quote]

Nobody wants to come and be the savior for the Knicks and this is not new nor a minority opinion. It is evident as no top free agent wants to come and play for them. The last superstar who openly wanted to come and was traded to the Knicks was Carmelo Anthony and he was basically run out of town because he couldn’t lead them to a championship. You don’t think players noticed that? He couldn’t do it because teams need more than one star. Guys know that.

What was your first clue that this is a “me” first world today? Nothing new about that, it’s all about “Instant gratification”.

As far as the Mecca goes, of the real good teams in recent history who played in MSG, none are based in New York. In fact since 1940, the two professional teams that call MSG home, they have won a combined three league championships and the Knicks haven’t done it since 1973. Sure they had some good teams in the 90’s but what about this century?

We have been to the NCAA a total of five times this century, four times less than Iona (yeah I know Iona plays in a weaker conference but still). The kids we are recruiting have never seen a packed MSG filled with rabid fans cheering on us. Heck it’s tough to fill CA. The students don’t come and provide the support that other schools do. Playing in the BE gets you at least one game at MSG every year so you can always get your “Mecca” fix. Add to the fact that NYC nor its surrounding suburbs (NJ not included) is not the prep basketball factory it once was.

These are the challenges. So yeah, there are some kids (along with their parents and handlers) who look at that and don’t want to be the savior and go elsewhere. Then when they commit, they work on others to come. When picking a school and sports program you should be a little selfish as you should be picking the one you feel the most comfortable with and fits you. It would be nice to get just one of those players.
 
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[quote="SJUNC" post=397929]We have seen countless contradictory quotes from current players about the mystique of MSG.

Revisionist History from Durant. Just like he joined the Nets for their culture than stood by and watched Kenny Atkinson get fired. The Nets are a recipe for disaster.[/quote]

Just like Lebron and countless others, Durant had no intention signing with the Knicks. For the Knicks sake, hopefully the new management will draft well and change some free agents minds.
 
I respect KD's comments. He knows himself. Some players thirst the spotlight, pressure, and opportunity to be the next Jeter or Messier. Some don't and the forced marriages usually implode.
 
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Given that this mentality is probably more prevalent than people here think.... We should appreciate CMA, the standard he brings, and any recruit that wants to play here. Its been said before, but people's expectations need to be tweaked a bit. CMA will get his guys to play hard...hell put a good product on the floor... we start there
 
We need MSG to recruit. Years ago we got kids to come via money given through room and board plus MSG. We certainly can't recruit by offering only Carnesecca Arena.
 
Social media allows kids to give themselves the spotlight 24/7. Being a traditional media capital means less and less to each new generation.

The kids who think MSG is magical were probably told it was magical by their parents and grandparents. But it's honestly a dump compared to new arenas.

I guess kids still dream of moving to the big city . . . but that would be NYU more than St. John's anyway.

Our biggest recruitment tool is to win -- or lose in an exciting enough fashion.
 
[quote="L J S A" post=397949]Social media allows kids to give themselves the spotlight 24/7. Being a traditional media capital means less and less to each new generation.

The kids who think MSG is magical were probably told it was magical by their parents and grandparents. But it's honestly a dump compared to new arenas.

I guess kids still dream of moving to the big city . . . but that would be NYU more than St. John's anyway.

Our biggest recruitment tool is to win -- or lose in an exciting enough fashion.[/quote]

I definitely agree msg doesn’t have the allure it used to but come on.... it’s far from a dump.

Some of the renovations they made are great. The chase bridge up top is gorgeous. It’s still a fantastic arena
 
[quote="L J S A" post=397949]Social media allows kids to give themselves the spotlight 24/7. Being a traditional media capital means less and less to each new generation.

The kids who think MSG is magical were probably told it was magical by their parents and grandparents. But it's honestly a dump compared to new arenas.

I guess kids still dream of moving to the big city . . . but that would be NYU more than St. John's anyway.

Our biggest recruitment tool is to win -- or lose in an exciting enough fashion.[/quote]

Dump compared to what? Chase Center? Sure I can give you that one. What other? The last 5 NBA arenas are Chase Center, MIL, DET, SAC, Barclays. None of those next 4 hold a candle to MSG.
 
[quote="Moose" post=397953][quote="L J S A" post=397949]Social media allows kids to give themselves the spotlight 24/7. Being a traditional media capital means less and less to each new generation.

The kids who think MSG is magical were probably told it was magical by their parents and grandparents. But it's honestly a dump compared to new arenas.

I guess kids still dream of moving to the big city . . . but that would be NYU more than St. John's anyway.

Our biggest recruitment tool is to win -- or lose in an exciting enough fashion.[/quote]

Dump compared to what? Chase Center? Sure I can give you that one. What other? The last 5 NBA arenas are Chase Center, MIL, DET, SAC, Barclays. None of those next 4 hold a candle to MSG.[/quote]

I guess I should have been more specific -- I didn't mean just pro arenas, since I'm talking college players not NBA. I just don't think kids are all that impressed by MSG if they've visited big-time schools. I'm willing to bet LJ is a lot more impressed by what Oregon has to offer in terms of facilities than whatever feelings he got from playing at MSG.

I'm not sure how old you are. I'm 49, so MSG will always have a mystique for me. I saw lots of big-time Knick games there. I witnessed pretty good Islander beatdowns of the crappy Rangers there. Hell, even the circus holds a special place in my heart and that's in large part due to the Garden. I just don't think 18-year-old kids give much of a crap about it. Although I suppose locker rooms and training facilities funded by football might affect that perception, not the actual arena.

On a side note, I was in Barclays for the NYPD graduation probably around the time it first opened, and it took me all of five minutes to realize it was the worst arena I've ever been in, regardless of newness.
 
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[quote="L J S A" post=397955][quote="Moose" post=397953][quote="L J S A" post=397949]Social media allows kids to give themselves the spotlight 24/7. Being a traditional media capital means less and less to each new generation.

The kids who think MSG is magical were probably told it was magical by their parents and grandparents. But it's honestly a dump compared to new arenas.

I guess kids still dream of moving to the big city . . . but that would be NYU more than St. John's anyway.

Our biggest recruitment tool is to win -- or lose in an exciting enough fashion.[/quote]

Dump compared to what? Chase Center? Sure I can give you that one. What other? The last 5 NBA arenas are Chase Center, MIL, DET, SAC, Barclays. None of those next 4 hold a candle to MSG.[/quote]

I guess I should have been more specific -- I didn't mean just pro arenas, since I'm talking college players not NBA. I just don't think kids are all that impressed by MSG if they've visited big-time schools. I'm willing to bet LJ is a lot more impressed by what Oregon has to offer in terms of facilities than whatever feelings he got from playing at MSG.

I'm not sure how old you are. I'm 49, so MSG will always have a mystique for me. I saw lots of big-time Knick games there. I witnessed pretty good Islander beatdowns of the crappy Rangers there. Hell, even the circus holds a special place in my heart and that's in large part due to the Garden. I just don't think 18-year-old kids give much of a crap about it. Although I suppose locker rooms and training facilities funded by football might affect that perception, not the actual arena.

On a side note, I was in Barclays for the NYPD graduation probably around the time it first opened, and it took me all of five minutes to realize it was the worst arena I've ever been in, regardless of newness.[/quote]

Sat on floor at Barclays for a concert. Had to walk 3/4 of the way up the arena to use the bathroom...multiple times!! Ridiculous. Never again.
 
[quote="SJUNC" post=397929]We have seen countless contradictory quotes from current players about the mystique of MSG.

Revisionist History from Durant. Just like he joined the Nets for their culture than stood by and watched Kenny Atkinson get fired. The Nets are a recipe for disaster.[/quote]

The Sox had the curse of The Bambino, the Nets have the curse of The Doctor.
 
MSG is still the nicest arena I've been to. Stuff like Wells Fargo (Nova), Prudential Center (Hall), PNC Arena (NC State) and Barclays Center are extremely mediocre in comparison. Those are all pro arenas, too.

That said, MSG is no longer enough. Our facilities aren't good and CA is embarrassing.

There are more positive than negative comments about MSG, such as LeBron's from a couple months back. I'd rather have a mix of good and bad comments than be irrelevant nationally like the vast majority of arenas. All the top tier conferences/teams including the BE, ACC, B1G, Duke, Cuse, UConn, Nova, etc want to play at MSG. It will always be a positive for us.
 
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MSG still matters for recruiting. Every kid mentions it. We had some great atmosphere's as recent as the Mullin years - the comeback victory over Nova during Mullin's last season was a great crowd/atmosphere. I believe after the game Heron called it the most electric atmosphere he's ever played in, and he was on some good Auburn teams.

Is it the sole reason a NBA free agent is going to come to the Knicks? Of course not and that's been proven out repeatedly. The MSG-effect is not going to outweigh the dysfunction that has been the NY Knicks and ownership clearly matters to these guys, and Dolan is Dolan.

As far as CA, I don't think it is as bad as people portray it. Watching a game can be uncomfortable, but that building can get loud and opposing teams are sometimes uncomfortable with the size and people being on top of the court. I've also heard people who root for other programs -- such as Seton Hall -- lament that they wish they had an on-campus option like CA and our practice facilities. Perhaps the Hall's are the worse in the league, but both Lavin and Mullin were able to land highly-rated recruits despite the facilities.
 
I believe the real reason for KD's dis of MSG is spelled DOLAN. Until that POS goes and his daddy sells the teams and the Garden, the Knicks and Rangers will be losers.
 
[quote="Monte" post=397956][quote="L J S A" post=397955][quote="Moose" post=397953][quote="L J S A" post=397949]Social media allows kids to give themselves the spotlight 24/7. Being a traditional media capital means less and less to each new generation.

The kids who think MSG is magical were probably told it was magical by their parents and grandparents. But it's honestly a dump compared to new arenas.

I guess kids still dream of moving to the big city . . . but that would be NYU more than St. John's anyway.

Our biggest recruitment tool is to win -- or lose in an exciting enough fashion.[/quote]

Dump compared to what? Chase Center? Sure I can give you that one. What other? The last 5 NBA arenas are Chase Center, MIL, DET, SAC, Barclays. None of those next 4 hold a candle to MSG.[/quote]

I guess I should have been more specific -- I didn't mean just pro arenas, since I'm talking college players not NBA. I just don't think kids are all that impressed by MSG if they've visited big-time schools. I'm willing to bet LJ is a lot more impressed by what Oregon has to offer in terms of facilities than whatever feelings he got from playing at MSG.

I'm not sure how old you are. I'm 49, so MSG will always have a mystique for me. I saw lots of big-time Knick games there. I witnessed pretty good Islander beatdowns of the crappy Rangers there. Hell, even the circus holds a special place in my heart and that's in large part due to the Garden. I just don't think 18-year-old kids give much of a crap about it. Although I suppose locker rooms and training facilities funded by football might affect that perception, not the actual arena.

On a side note, I was in Barclays for the NYPD graduation probably around the time it first opened, and it took me all of five minutes to realize it was the worst arena I've ever been in, regardless of newness.[/quote]

Sat on floor at Barclays for a concert. Had to walk 3/4 of the way up the arena to use the bathroom...multiple times!! Ridiculous. Never again.[/quote]

The older you get, the more bathroom trips Monte. Just saying.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=398059][quote="Monte" post=397956][quote="L J S A" post=397955][quote="Moose" post=397953][quote="L J S A" post=397949]Social media allows kids to give themselves the spotlight 24/7. Being a traditional media capital means less and less to each new generation.

The kids who think MSG is magical were probably told it was magical by their parents and grandparents. But it's honestly a dump compared to new arenas.

I guess kids still dream of moving to the big city . . . but that would be NYU more than St. John's anyway.

Our biggest recruitment tool is to win -- or lose in an exciting enough fashion.[/quote]

Dump compared to what? Chase Center? Sure I can give you that one. What other? The last 5 NBA arenas are Chase Center, MIL, DET, SAC, Barclays. None of those next 4 hold a candle to MSG.[/quote]

I guess I should have been more specific -- I didn't mean just pro arenas, since I'm talking college players not NBA. I just don't think kids are all that impressed by MSG if they've visited big-time schools. I'm willing to bet LJ is a lot more impressed by what Oregon has to offer in terms of facilities than whatever feelings he got from playing at MSG.

I'm not sure how old you are. I'm 49, so MSG will always have a mystique for me. I saw lots of big-time Knick games there. I witnessed pretty good Islander beatdowns of the crappy Rangers there. Hell, even the circus holds a special place in my heart and that's in large part due to the Garden. I just don't think 18-year-old kids give much of a crap about it. Although I suppose locker rooms and training facilities funded by football might affect that perception, not the actual arena.

On a side note, I was in Barclays for the NYPD graduation probably around the time it first opened, and it took me all of five minutes to realize it was the worst arena I've ever been in, regardless of newness.[/quote]

Sat on floor at Barclays for a concert. Had to walk 3/4 of the way up the arena to use the bathroom...multiple times!! Ridiculous. Never again.[/quote]

The older you get, the more bathroom trips Monte. Just saying.[/quote]

You're preaching to the choir Beast lol
 
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