During his time playing for the Knicks, John Starks was known for his boundless energy.
But these playoffs wore him down.
“As a player, I know I have some control over the game, but as a fan, I don’t,” the retired guard said as the Knicks lead the series 2-1 in the second round of the Eastern Conference. Ta. conference playoffs.
“It’s very, very tiring. I feel what the fans are going through…because it’s a do-or-die situation. Just hanging on to every bucket, every loose ball, every steal, every foul. I just have to do a lot of cardio to keep up with what’s going on.”
‘X’ fans joked that Starks, 58, should suit up as the team faces injuries.
The Knicks will face the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 on Sunday.
“Yeah, I’ve got some. . . . Obviously I’ve gotten all the front row seats, so I feel like I want to pop out there, and, you know, you get that “I start sweating because I was in the moment,” said the former All-Star, who currently works as an alumni and fan development advisor for the Knicks.
starks, His exacting style made him a fan favorite during his time at Madison Square Garden from 1990 to 1998.sees his team included in this season’s squad.
“Yeah, that’s how we played. I feel the same kind of energy that they played with, because we weren’t an explosive offensive team,” he said. .
He said the atmosphere of the garden also reminds him of his glory days.
“It reminds me of when we were hyped in the ’90s and the arena was going wild for every game,” he said. “There’s no other place like it in the NBA. When the crowd gets excited, it feels like the whole arena is shaking.
“I was asking some people, “Do you guys feel that way through television?” And they said, “Oh, no question.” ”
The team’s star-studded alumni energize the world’s largest arena, and current Knicks star Jalen Brunson gave a shoutout to them all. At a press conference this week.
“It’s not just one game, they’ve been in a lot of games. They’re not just sitting around drinking and eating popcorn. They’re up and screaming,” he said.
Starks believes former players can be important sixth men: “With the extra support from guys like me and Larry Johnson. [Latrell] Sprewell and [Marcus] Canby.And you know, Stefon. [Marbury]Melo [Carmelo Anthony]Tim Thomas, Bernard King, Amare [Stoudemire] — I could go on and on.
“And everyone is really into their play and the play behind them.”
The Oklahoma native, who now lives in Stamford, Conn., traveled to Philadelphia during Game 1 of the playoffs and said he should have been ejected from Game 3 after the 76ers’ Joel Embiid tried to trip Mitchell Robinson. Told.
“During the regular season, he probably would have been gone, but this is the playoffs. The league wants star players on the floor because it produces good basketball,” he explained.
Starks has no playoff predictions. His characteristic is that he doesn’t make predictions because he doesn’t play.
For the remaining games against the Knicks, Starks will be wearing his now signature “little brown cap” that he wore throughout the winning streak.
“That’s my lucky hat,” he said. “I have to put that on.”
