He became the symbol of Knicks fan frustration. The announcement just came that the Knicks had selected Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick in the draft. Fans at Barclays Center booed. TV cameras zeroed in on a crying kid who looked like someone just told him, “Oh, by the way Santa Claus is a jewel thief.”
That kid got more air time than many of the drafted players. And now the kid got to meet Porzingis.
“It was funny. My brother, he said he saw him before and he’s coming to our game,” Porzingis said about meeting the kid, whom he identified only as “Jordan,” at Sunday’s game. “So we wanted to make that happen and take the picture with him. People on Twitter would go crazy for sure.”
And there was no anger, frustration, bitterness, resentment or tears this time. At least not from the kid.
“We talked a little bit. He seemed to be a very confident kid. It was a fun meeting,” Porzingis said. “He really acted like my No. 1 fan.”
On an SNY radio podcast that aired Tuesday night, Jordan, 10, was asked what he thinks of Porzingis now: “I love him so much.” The youngster said he originally thought Porzingis was “three or four years away” and personally wanted Emmanuel Mudiay. But meeting Porzingis was “amazing,” the boy said.
Carmelo Anthony is just like the rest of us. He buys PowerBall tickets. And he loses. He laughed when reminded he has a better chance of being hit by an asteroid or being elected president.
“I don’t think I’m going to ever get hit by an asteroid, I don’t think I’m ever going to be president. I might have a better chance to win PowerBall,” said Anthony, who promised to share if he does win.
PowerBall, not the presidency.
Anthony recalled how the Knicks put out the welcome mat for Porzingis long before training camp. Face it, how many other Latvians do you think the Knicks knew?
“We all had to get on board with that and almost embrace that, and embrace him as being one of us right away, being acclimated to the game right away,” Anthony said. “Nineteen years old and never being a part of this game as far as the NBA and this whole world. The culture of our basketball over here is a lot different than it is oversees. That’s something we wanted to help him with to get acclimated.”
Fans early in the season pretty much wanted to make Jose Calderon a human piñata. But the veteran point guard, who currently is in the good graces of the huddled masses, just shrugged it off.
“It’s OK. You have the ups and downs in a season. Like I always say, this is the way I play there are always going to be people who like it, there are always going to be people who don’t,” Calderon said. “I’ll just say I’m going to give everything for the Knicks, give 100 percent every night. Some days will be better than others.”
Porzingis, at 7-foot-3, is seventh in the league in blocks at 1.97 per. The key elements, besides being 7-3?
“Timing. A lot of times even myself, I catch myself being a little too late,” Porzingis said. “A lot of times I could have got more blocks but it’s the awareness on defense where you can go and get that blocked shot. And athleticism, obviously.”
Let’s not overlook being 7-3.