Knicks fans are feeling lucky, especially with the team’s chances of making it to the NBA Finals.
Castelli “Steri” Lafrotto, a 34-year-old basketball coach from Manhattan, definitely knows a thing or two about being on a roll.
He made a spectacular half-court shot at a Knicks game back in January, which earned him $1,000 and a new Kia SUV.
Lafrotto remarked, “I believe good fortune is where hard work meets opportunity. If you’re putting in the effort, you’ll be ready when that moment arrives.” He’s optimistic, stating, “The Knicks are set to win Wednesday night, and we’re heading to the finals.”
After defeating the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, the Knicks are now up against the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics, in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Having climbed back from a 20-point deficit in the first two games in Boston, the Knicks now lead the series 3-1, just one win away from their first conference championship since 2000.
As the series moves to Game 6, they will clash again in Boston before returning home for a game on Friday.
Lafrotto recalls watching the semi-finals with a mix of excitement and tension, though he doesn’t feel as jittery as he did during his shot at Madison Square Garden.
“That half-court shot was probably the most nerve-wracking experience ever,” he admitted, adding, “Standing in that tunnel, it felt like, ‘Please, just don’t mess this up.’”
He continued, “When I took those initial shots leading up to it, I could barely feel my hand. It was all muscle memory.”
Despite his own experience of winning, the Knicks had a bit of bad luck when he attended a game earlier this year, which they lost.
Now, he and his wife Ashley watch games at home with their three-year-old son, Cameron, as he notes, “When I made that shot, they lost. It was Julius Randle’s return to the Garden. Since then, they’ve won almost every game.”
When speaking about the Knicks, Lafrotto praised their commitment and resilience, stating, “It’s inspiring to see them hustling and achieving against teams that many consider superior.” He acknowledged that the team plays with intensity and doesn’t back down.
After his half-court win, they replaced their older vehicles, including a 2013 Honda Accord and a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which had started causing issues after 150,000 miles.
“We won one car and joked about whether we could get a second,” he recalled.
When he’s not sinking shots in front of crowds, Lafrotto coaches kids at the Marlene Meyerson JCC on the Upper East Side and serves as the athletics director at Rudolf Steiner School.
