The New York Knicks haven’t won a championship in more than 40 years. That doesn’t make the franchise unique in a league that features organizations that have never claimed the ultimate glory but, of course, the Knicks have a rich history and, perhaps more importantly, occupy a coveted spot on a very short list of “flagship” franchises in the NBA.
With that as the backdrop, an individual describing himself as an “infuriated New York Knicks fan” elected to put his allegiance up for auction on eBay (full listing here) and that story made waves from coast to coast. For starters, his auction listing is a work of art, from the stated rationale behind his choice to what the winning bid will actually secure from him.
Still, there were many additional questions asked on the internet and Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports caught up with the man, now identified as 33-year-old sales director Evan Perlmutter, on a number of topics. The entire thing is absolutely worth a read but he is “ready to jump full in” with a new team and even stated his working salary and sacrifice behind supporting the Knicks in New York.
I’ve given the Knicks 20 years of pain and more pain, sticking by their side, going to games, buying merchandise, being all-in, 110 percent committed. I even worked at MSG for my first four years after college, in ad sales. I made a salary of $31,500, for four consecutive years, in the heart of NYC! Half of the reason why I did that job was to support my team and be able to catch the games … and this was in the “Fire Isiah” days!
Now, though, that’s over. I’m ready to jump full in to my newly committed team. Can’t wait to see what the new colors are.
For those potentially unfamiliar, it would be very difficult to, um, live on the stated salary in New York and there is a real level of commitment to support a team that was as bad as the Knicks were during that time period. However, the point of no return for Perlmutter apparently centers on the NBA Draft, where Knicks fans have famously been unhappy with the team’s decision for a long period of time.
Many in New York have already fallen in love with former Kentucky forward Kevin Knox, particularly after a strong Summer League performance in Las Vegas. However, Perlmutter is definitely not one of those people, as he had his heartbroken yet again in late June.
The ping-pong balls never fall our way, not since the ’85 [Patrick] Ewing miracle, and those are just the years we actually have a draft pick, which are few and far between. Losing coin-flips and tiebreakers. Oh, and how about who we draft? The list goes on, and you all know the history. Jordan Hill is bad, but following the heartbreak when Steph [Curry] goes one pick before?! It’s like salt on an open wound, constantly, made worse with each 30-footer Steph pulls to send Oracle Arena into a frenzy. I mean, drafting a project from France for the triangle, something no one runs anymore, and then FIRING THE GUY WHO MADE THE PICK A WEEK LATER. How is this possible?!
I went into this draft saying Trae Young or bust, with a few other guys I would have been OK with. Or maybe, for once, we make a power move and trade up for [Marvin] Bagley. (Of course, we should have been picking sixth at worst and not No. 9, but again, that whole “being bad at tanking” thing.) My buddies asked me what would make me happy, if we drafted certain guys, and [Kevin] Knox was not only on my Do Not Draft List, but [passing on him was] certainly a no-brainer when Michael Porter Jr. was there for the taking. That was officially the straw — among almost infinite straws — that broke the camel’s back.
It is easy to identify with the type of fandom that simply can’t get over poor management decisions and the draft is a perfect place to assign that frustration. Obviously, Trae Young wasn’t actually available when the Knicks were on the clock but Michael Porter Jr. was famously up for the taking and New York went in a different direction.
Many people in a variety of cities threaten to renounce their fandom and, very often, that never comes to fruition. Sports have an odd way of pulling fans back into the fold but, for one high-profile Knicks supporter, things will be very different moving forward and, by the end of the day on Friday, Aug. 24, Evan Perlmutter will flip the switch and back a different NBA franchise.
