Chapter 25 The Superlative New York Knicks

Media Day, also known as Meet the Press Day, was the mandated period when players and coaches were obliged to pose for photographs and respond to interviews conducted by the media.

Team personnel had to endure interviews, let the media capture footage of their training, and address posed inquiries. It was basically a mandated stipulation as well as an initiative enacted by the league to foster good relations with the media.

After arriving at the arena, Jerry exchanged greetings with the players.

The five Summer League players were particularly close to him; Bruce, Stephen, and Chucky all reported their training progress to him. They regarded him as a core support and intended to cling tightly to his guidance.

Patrick, Charles, Johnson, and other veterans merely nodded to acknowledge him. They were highly-paid stars who often didn't take an assistant coach very seriously.

Being an NBA coach meant directing a group of millionaires – it wasn’t easy to earn their respect. Notably, Patrick's salary for the season was 200 times what Jerry made.

Typically, the focus of Media Day was on star players and the head coach, but, as an exception, hordes of journalists from various media outlets converged on Jerry. The incident of prejudice he had faced earlier had catapulted his name into national awareness.

"Jerry, are you confident about excelling as the team's Lead Assistant Coach?" a reporter asked.

"I am." Jerry scoffed internally at the reporter for the pointless question. Who would ever say no?

"Many say that the New York Knicks did well in the Summer League because of player talent, not strategy. What do you think?" another reporter queried.

"Did anyone say that before the Summer League?" Jerry mused. If it weren't for him, those five wouldn't have come together. "Of course, other people's views are their own. My job is to help the team win games, and the record will speak for itself."

A journalist posed another question. "How do you think the New York Knicks will fare in the coming season?"

"I'm not sure. The competition is fierce, but we will unite and strive to conquer our formidable adversaries," Jerry replied.

"A coach from your graduating class commented online that your introversion and nonconformity have led to poor relations between you. Do you have a response?"

Following the discrimination incident, to mitigate its impact, several coaches anonymously claimed Jerry was an outsider.

Jerry smiled. "When I couldn't find work, many ridiculed me. Now that I've secured a good job, they say I don't fit in. I want to say to my classmates, don't be jealous. Even if I were incredibly sociable and treated you well, what difference would it make? Your inability to become NBA coaches is due to a lack of capability, not because I didn’t help you."

The reporters were stunned; this was unmistakably an insult.

He might be unsociable, but no one believed Jerry was introverted. What kind of introverted man would dare to speak like that on Media Day?

Jerry, who had boldly exposed the incident with a camera, certainly didn't mind saying that. Why should he pretend to be cordial with those who kicked him when he was down? Just because he was now successful didn't mean those opportunists would suddenly become enlightened and turn into decent people.

He wasn’t going to go out of his way to make enemies, but there was no need to be polite to those who already were. And he certainly wouldn't preach about truth, kindness, or beauty.

While Jerry spoke highly of the players, including the five he worked with in the Summer League, an assistant coach couldn't afford to be careless with words since player interaction was inevitable.

The New York Knicks announced their preseason roster of seventeen players.

Centers: Patrick Ewing, Ben Wallace, Chris Dudley, Buck Williams.

Power Forwards: Charles Oakley, Mikki Moore, Herb Williams.

Small Forwards: Larry Johnson, Bruce Bowen, Anthony Bowie, Chris Mills.

Shooting Guards: Allan Houston, Stephen Jackson, John Starks.

Point Guards: Chris Childs, Charlie Ward, Chucky Atkins.

The New York Knicks were after nothing less than the championship this season. Even Chris, the newcomer, was slated for the bench, intended as insurance in case Johnson got injured. Jerry was entirely confident that they could stop the Chicago Bulls from defending their title. The squad depth even exceeded that of the Chicago Bulls - indeed, they were the superlative New York Knicks.

One could tell the strength of the core players just by looking at their photograph: Patrick, Charles, Johnson, Allan, and John - a powerful ensemble.

On the 26th, the team held a public training session that fans and media could attend. The arena was packed to the brim.

In addition to viewing the scrimmage, audience members received a commemorative short-sleeved T-shirt featuring the New York Knicks logo. Hunter Johnson, along with his childhood friend and neighbor Jill, came using tickets Jerry had given them.

Before training began, Charles chatted with Ben at side of the court. Jeff curiously asked, "What's going on? Do you two know each other?"

"He attended my training camp in high school, and my recommendation got him into college." Charles shared a humorous anecdote from when they had first met.

Charles had noticed a guy at the training camp who looked menacing and hardly like a good kid. He didn’t seem like a high school student in build either. He decided to invite the young man for a one-on-one session with the intent of teaching him a lesson.

To Charles's surprise, the young man had the audacity to stand up to him. Charles busted the kid's lip, and in turn, his own nose had been bloodied. That gutsy high schooler was Ben.

Later, Charles, recognizing Ben's financial struggles, offered him a job at his car dealership and coached him in basketball. He also recommended and funded Ben to attend and play at his alma mater, Virginia Union University.

Thus, Ben's growth was deeply intertwined with Charles's influence - toughness and steely muscle.

When Jeff learned more about Ben, he grew more appreciative of his potential. He liked players who could defend. "Perform well in the preseason," Jeff encouraged, "and if you can master even eighty percent of his defense, the team will definitely sign a long-term contract with you."

Jeff was still underestimating him. In terms of strength, if they both tested their might, Ben would win hands down. His jumping ability was formidable; all he lacked was experience. Ben was expected to be no less proficient than Charles in protecting the rim.

The players began warming up by jogging with the fitness coach and then shooting baskets while Jeff and Jerry conversed courtside.

"In a while, we're going to mix up the teams. You and Tom lead one side, and we'll have a scrimmage to see what you two can do," Jeff suggested.

Jerry smiled slightly. "I have no objections to the scrimmage, but mixing up the players won't demonstrate what I'm capable of."

"Oh? What do you propose?"

"I'll take the five Summer League players plus two others. I only need Allan as a starter. How about my eight against your nine?"

Jeff furrowed his brows. "You think you can beat me?"

"No," Jerry explained, "my offensive strategy is to initiate from the outside in, so I wanted you to see how effective this method is."

That was the polite explanation. In truth, Jerry wanted to show Jeff how to properly utilize Allan - an asset he was wasting.

Allan's stats for the 1995-96 season with the Pistons made him a secondary leader: 19.7 points per game with 15.2 shots, 3.7 rebounds, 3 assists, and shooting 42.7% from the three-point line.

After joining the New York Knicks, his average shots per game dropped to 12.7, with his scoring decreasing to 14.8 points, his rebounds to 3, assists to 2.2, and his three-point shooting percentage decreasing to 38.5%.

The most accurate shooter on the team was only given 12.7 shooting opportunities per game without any specialized strategy. Under Jeff, Allan had transformed from a "Three-point King" into a "Mid-range King," a sheer waste of resources.

Jerry wanted to show Jeff what it meant to have the perimeter as the core.