New York once felt like the bright center of the basketball universe. A new documentary suggests it no longer is. zakcheneyrice writes
God Shammgod. Photo: Chad Gittens/SHOWTIME & Boardroom New York’s status as the “Mecca” of basketball can be summed up in three monuments — all located off of the B train between midtown Manhattan and downtown Brooklyn. On the north end is Madison Square Garden, home to the Knicks, who haven’t been to an NBA Finals since 1999 and may be the most chronically mismanaged NBA franchise of the last 20 years. On the south end is Barclays Center, where the Nets relocated from New Jersey in 2012.
This environment bred a type of playmaker marked by toughness, skill, and showmanship. The pressure-cooker atmosphere of New York streetball meant foul calls were a no-no, so players had to get comfortable with being roughed up. The city’s tight quarters made tight ball-handling a must, and the sheer number of competitors drove players to stand out, giving youngsters a chance to build reputations that doubled as salvation. “Those are the guys we protected,” says rapper Fat Joe in the film.
So what knocked New York off of its axis and hurled it into orbit with the rest of us? There’s no single clear answer — the film doesn’t entertain the question — but the Knicks’ troubles are an obvious candidate.
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