Can’t believe my eyes, fam. The New York Knicks gathered for the first time after an endless summer of nothing, answering all sorts of questions at Media Day before the squad gets training camp going this week and plays their first preseason game in Abu Dhabi in less than ten days! Here’s everything we heard […]
Can’t believe my eyes, fam.
The New York Knicks gathered for the first time after an endless summer of nothing, answering all sorts of questions at Media Day before the squad gets training camp going this week and plays their first preseason game in Abu Dhabi in less than ten days!
Here’s everything we heard from Mike Brown and his pupils on Tuesday.
Mike Brown
On playing time philosophy and his plan for the new Knicks rotation:
“I try to play as many guys as I can, man.”
On the Knicks’ roster construction and training camp competition:
“We feel like the group Leon [Rose] and his staff have put together is talented and deep. So you have to be methodical when it comes to declaring, ‘Hey, these guys are going to start.’ That will materialize throughout camp.”
On naming the starting lineup:
“It’s too early to lock in a starting lineup. We’ll let camp play out.”
On using Jalen Brunson off the ball:
utilizing Jalen Brunson off the ball:
“The biggest thing I want to do for him is get easy shots. One of the easiest shots is a spray three.
“I’m a big proponent of touching the paint and spraying that basketball for a catch-and-shoot three.”
On his expectations for the 2025-26 Knicks season:
“First thing, I don’t know if anyone has higher expectations than me. I love being in a position where you feel expectations.”
On how the starting lineup will look and who will make it:
“It will materialize throughout camp. I think it’s too early to go in and say hey, this is what’s going to happen. The roster, Leon did a fantastic job putting together a talented, deep roster, and so you have to be methodical with your approach when it comes to declaring, okay, these guys are going to start.”
On Mikal Bridges:
“His momma raised him right.”
Jalen Brunson
On Tom Thibodeau’s firing:
“It’s sad to see a man I’ve known for a long time part ways with this organization. He’s meant a lot to me. I’ve expressed that to him publicly and personally. He’s meant a lot to my career up to this point.”
On recovering from last season’s conference finals loss:
“It took me a while. Obviously, you think about it. It’s always good to have short-term memory to focus on what’s going on ahead and figure out how you can be better. You can learn from the things in the past. But it’s definitely not something easy to just get over.”
On his ankle injury and his health entering training camp:
“No setbacks. I feel great.”
Mikal Bridges
On taking less money to sign with the Knicks:
“I think if I came in here and preached how much I want to win then tried to take every dollar and make it difficult for the organization, I would be a fraud, and that’s not who I am.
“I love it here. I love the fans, the culture, the staff, the front office, and the teammates. That’s probably the biggest thing. Last year was tough throughout the season. The playoffs helped a little bit. But I can appreciate the fans and everybody.
“A lot of people thought I might be upset because they were getting on me a little too hard. But I think I was more mad at myself in the situation, because everything they want is what I want. It’s not like a, ‘Why y’all getting on me?’
“Some things can be a little too crazy, but that’s just life how it is. We all want the same goal.”
On last season’s conference finals loss:
“Getting that close and losing, no, it was not fun at all.
“Use that for fuel, take it day by day. Can’t get to June without going through all these other months.”
On Mike Brown’s offense:
“I played against those Sacramento teams and how fast they were –– it was not fun guarding those guys.
“We all know how to hoop, we all love each other, so just go out there, try to make the right read, and win games.”
On Tom Thibodeau’s firing:
“Anybody losing their job – I’m a human first, always – so I feel for somebody going through that. I always appreciated Thibs here, a great guy and everything. Always felt for him.”
On what was the best thing that happened to him this offseason:
“Spent a lot of time with my dog.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On his reaction to being traded from the Timberwolves to the Knicks:
“Obviously, it stung. I called that place home for nine years. I’ve built my life there, I’ve had so many memories there. So, it’s kind of like that first breakup. It was tough.”
On his preference for the starting lineup:
“My preference is winning. That’s the only preference I got.”
On supposingly having a “knee procedure” during the summer:
“No, I did not have a knee–where are you hearing this? Who did that, Centel?”
On the vibes ahead of the upcoming season:
“It’s gonna be a fun year, man. We’ve got a great team. Everyone’s coming back feeling good about themselves.”
Josh Hart
On playing through finger injury:
“I don’t want to go into too much detail, but obviously I got a procedure on it then kind of re-aggravated it somewhat recently. So I’ll probably just rock out with a splint this season and try to fix it again next summer.
“I don’t think about it too much. If I can’t play how I play, I’ll figure out a different path. But right now the full expectation is to go out and hoop. Then, end of the year — now I actually know what’s wrong instead of last year, realizing it’s worse than I thought. That said, I’ll be good.”
On Tom Thibodeau:
“I love Thibs and will always love Thibs. He put me in the position to be successful and get paid.”
On Mike Brown:
“Very excited about his addition.”
On the idea of not starting:
“If I don’t start, I’ll probably ask for a trade.”
On what he envisions as his role this season:
“I had the best year of my career last year, but that’s in the past. I think I’m a starter in the league. I think I deserve to be a starter in the league.
“But at the end of the day, it’s about what’s best for the team. Last year, I talked about sacrifice the whole time and being a good steward of my gifts and those kind of things.
“It would be extremely selfish for me to go out there and demand to start. Whatever Mike [Brown] wants to do, or doesn’t want to do, I’m cool with.”
On New York basketball:
“With all due respect to other places I’ve played, New York is the Mecca.
“People really wear their heart on their sleeves. They come to show love That energy is what makes you feel that difference. Everything’s better in New York.”
Category: General Sports
