Fans return to Madison Square Garden tonight as the Knicks aim for a second straight win against the Warriors. Is that necessarily a good thing?

Fans will be in attendance tonight at Madison Square Garden. What could go wrong? Oh nothing, nothing at all. I guess COVID-19 is over. It’s eradicated and everything is fine. I mean sure, one in 12 people in New York City is infected and you could factor in the 1:9 ratio coming in from Long Island or the 1:10 coming from New Jersey. But if you’re a real brainiac, you can just pretend it’s like... barely happening. We’ve adapted to the nearly 30,000 deaths in the city. You gotta laugh about it, people.

It’s like bigotry. If you just refuse to acknowledge it, there’s hardly anything to worry about. No, of course not here. We’re better than that here. Us. We’re better than them. Those sick people. Those sick in the head people. That’s not us at all.

The first call I ever made on a cell phone was 911. I was with my friend and we were hanging out in Washington Square Park. Shady spot, hot day, new toy. A lost kid came up to me, circles under his eyes told the untruth that he was a man, shoes squelched in piss. Never looked at me but asked if I could call for help. Pulled up his sleeve to expose hundreds of infected sores and pus filled welts. I never got his name.

Someone once told me that in a sick society, we’re all sick. I helped the needle slide out of his arm and hipped him out of the Seventh Avenue Donuts bathroom. We browned out and dreamt our way to Prospect Park. Anyway. I don’t know what I’m talking about. We’re not addicted to this virus. I barely think about it. Just chippin’.

All told I just want all of you bastards to live so I can die in peace when that time comes. So to quote the late, great, Fergie, “Let’s play some basketball.”