Macri’s Missives: The evolution of NBA fandom
Macri’s Missives is a weekly column published on The Strickland where Jonathan Macri has a candid email exchange with a guest. Think of it like a written podcast. This week, Macri is joined by former Knicks SI contributor and Knicks Film School intern Kris Pursiainen to talk about the evolution of NBA fandom and the upcoming draft.
On Tue, Oct 20, 2020 at 8:58 AM Jonathan Macri wrote:
Well hello there Kris, and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule of pounding Natty Lights and gorging yourself on Sicilian slices at Pugsley’s to join me for this week's column.
I have to say, knowing that you're a college freshman at Fordham, 19 years after the beginning of my own four-year Bronx pilgrimage, is a trip. Here we are, two Knicks fans, both constantly churning out content, oftentimes together, and yet we're separated by nearly a generation.
Your age doesn't really come to mind that much anymore, mostly because you're much better at what you do than most people far older, but for the purposes of this piece, I thought it would be fun to compare our journeys as both fans and people who kinda sorta cover the team (and maybe get into a little basketball while we're at it).
So first things first: give me the lowdown on what it was like to fall in love with this franchise for you. I was 10, and it was the 1993-94 team that did it. As this was pre-internet, my fandom consisted merely of watching games, checking the box score in the morning paper, and hearing what Mike and the Mad Dog had to say on the radio the next day. The only people I talked to about the Knicks were my dad and stepdad, as my friends at school really weren't into hoops all that much. But that didn't stop the Knicks from consuming my life. I was doomed.
I imagine your experience was a little bit different?
On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 5:18 AM Kris Pursiainen wrote:
Jon!
It's always great to talk to you, as I'm always learning new things from or about you. For example, the last time we spoke on the phone, I was fortunate enough to learn of your expertise in fish habitat rehabilitation. So much fun!
For a plethora of reasons, I won't comment on the extent to which your speculative comments regarding my pastimes are accurate, but yes! The Bronx! I've loved being here so far, and it should not go unmentioned that you certainly had an influence on my decision to come here in the first place. You admitted when I asked for your advice that you were biased, but we seem to think similarly about, well, things, which I believe is what made your pitch as effective as I'm hoping one orchestrated by Leon Rose will be when he's in a room with a free agent. I'm certainly excited for when we can once again safely attend games, as my relatively close proximity to The Garden makes using the little money I have left on watching the Knicks exceptionally tempting.
Speaking of — I should probably get to talking about that basketball team we (allegedly) like to watch. My experience, in terms of actually becoming a Knicks fan, was indeed a little bit different. I started watching in the 2012 season, around when Linsanity was going on. I was watching more Thunder games than Knicks games at the time because I loved Kevin Durant, but I decided to be a fully devoted Knicks fan in the 2013 season when my orthodontist — long story — told me that I had to pick a local team so that I could go see them play often. Even though Durant was my favorite player, Carmelo Anthony was a close second, and he made choosing the Knicks over the Nets easy.
Seeing as how my first season as a true fan was the 2013 trip to the second round, and they've made as many playoffs as I have since then… would it be fair to say that I am the victim of the largest scale bait-and-switch that has ever been pulled off?
On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 1:29 PM Jonathan Macri wrote:
A few things...
- Anyone who is a parent can sympathize with my having turned my back for one — one — second, only to see poor Flipper end up flapping around on my kitchen floor (somehow he survived the trauma).
- You are many things, but a young man who is able to withstand the 3 a.m. siren song of a fresh slice from Pugsley’s after a long night of, umm... "studying," is not one of them.
- Yup, you got duped.
I'd actually argue there was no more tempting a time to become a Knicks fan than Linsanity. Yes, the ‘90s had sustained success, and it was a beautiful experience to be a part of, but there was also a MASSIVE amount of pain, such that it tested your mettle early and often. I honestly don't know if I'd be wired the same way if I came into the team in ‘91 or ‘95 or ‘98. ‘93-’94 was my first big year, and they took it to the literal furthest point you could without winning, which was not only long enough to hook me, but to make me believe "Oh, we just missed. Obviously we will come through next year." I wish I was kidding.
Linsanity was such a mindfuck, because for two-and-a-half weeks, the Knicks were the literal biggest thing in sports and it was SUCH an amazing, feel-good story. Then, when they let Lin walk, before you even had a chance to be disappointed, they'd assembled this super fun, competitive team that was kind of the best show in basketball for a while. So yeah, they baited you, and good.
Last thing before we get to your draft takes (which I know you want to get out)… how do you think coming up as a fan in the social media/internet/whatever age we're in has made your experience different from mine? I know you're at least a little introspective about this shit, even as a half-drunk frosh with dried pizza cheese stuck to the ass of his sweatpants.
On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 6:35 PM Kris Pursiainen wrote:
Ridiculously good slices. Just a couple days ago, I was talking to the owner's dad (who I'm now realizing was probably the owner when you went here — no, that's not a "you're old" joke, one of those is probably coming later) and got the full origin story of the J-Rossi Power Burger — which I did indeed order, at your recommendation.
All I have to add to the Linsanity topic is that there is currently, somewhere in an unopened moving box, a book on Lin's run in my basement back home — I got it for Christmas in 2012. I'm gonna say that again — there is a book about a two-week run by Jeremy fucking Lin.
Your "last thing" reminded me of the time I jokingly tweeted this out…
...and it got taken completely seriously. The world is crazy! We have more “access” to NBA players than ever before, because we can open our phones and see what they had for breakfast, or where they're spending their offseason, or maybe even a video of them dunking! The constant ability to see what these guys are up to — or what they want people to think they're up to (see, introspective-ness!) — helps make being a fan nowadays pretty cool. I think one of the greatest parts of coming up as a fan nowadays has more to do with the coverage side of things, as opposed to the player side. It's easier now to self-publish your stuff than it ever has been before, and that's pretty darn great for us not only as content creators, but as consumers! I don't have to go to ESPN to listen to what their widely-followed analysts have to say about something because I probably follow someone on Twitter who, despite having a relatively small following, made some sort of content about it that's simply better. We can go on Twitter, YouTube, or anywhere else, whenever we want, and consume the exact content we want to!
Speaking of consuming things whenever and wherever we want, my mom used to tell me when I was younger about what it was like to go to school "back then.” I've heard countless times how lucky I am to be able to look things up online, as she had to walk to the library to get the books she needed (which were allegedly hard to, like, find on the shelves in the library in the first place? Did life just, like, suck until... recently? What the hell?). I followed this train of thought in the first place because I decided to, in response to your numerous allegations regarding my sobriety, come up with real questions I have for you about being a basketball fan "back then" that serve to make you feel both incredibly angry and old. How did people used to get quick facts/information about players? How were player highlights watched or shared? Did you guys have tapes that you would trade around like cards? I'm of course referring to the era of basketball you grew up watching, you know, when guys like Russell and Chamb-
On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 9:18 PM Jonathan Macri wrote:
Hardy har.
One quick thing on the media stuff before I let you know how GREAT it was in the old days: yes, everyone being able to put out content is great, but we've also lost a lot of the access that actually matters (and, I'd argue, a good bit of journalistic integrity) in the process. Now please remove yourself from my lawn.
As for finding shit out, there were these things called newspapers back then that were great. The fact that information wasn't at my fingertips actually made me pine over the box score page for waaaaaay longer than I probably should have, because I wanted to internalize as much of it as I could, and kind of form a mental database about what players were doing. It sounds dorky, but there was something very rewarding about it. Plus, trading cards were a thing, and it was the best and easiest way to get guys' career stats. Add up all the hours you've spent watching Netflix, YouTube, IGTV, TikTok and whatever other nonsense you engage in, and I guarantee I've spent more time looking at the backs of basketball cards. And yes, I'm damn proud of this fact.
Anyway, on to the present. You've studied the draft a ton, and I know you have some strong feelings on it, so before we finish up, give me your optimal (realistic) outcome for draft night, your worst (realistic) outcome, and how you think draft night will actually go for the Knicks (and feel free to sneak in any other thoughts or opinions on the draft generally).
On Wed, Oct 21, 2020 at 10:14 PM Kris Pursiainen wrote:
Cool! I would project my primary pastime, if I grew up in the days of greats like Mikan and Cousy the way you did, to be somewhat similar — and I would be damn proud of that fact, too!
As far as the draft goes, these are tough questions to answer. If the Knicks are able to move up for relatively cheap and draft LaMelo Ball, it's gonna be tough to not have me on board. However, for the sake of (at least intended) brevity, I'll say that my optimal outcome involves staying put at eight and having Killian Hayes fall right into the Knicks’ lap. After securing the draft's second-best prospect with the eighth pick, Walt Perrin tells Leon to give his old buddies from back in Utah a call and ask them about taking on Ed Davis as the sweetener in a deal involving a swap of the 27th and 38th selections for the 23rd, with which the Knicks select TCU's Desmond Bane. Going into next season with a young core of Killian, Frank, RJ, Knox, Bane, and Mitch would have me feeling pretty swell.
My worst realistic outcome would be taking either Obi Toppin (if he's there) or Cole Anthony at No. 8, someone like Jaden McDaniels at 27, and using the 38th pick on a center that can't shoot or pass. Do I even need to get into that?
In terms of how draft night will actually go, I think they stay active as far as a LaMelo move-up goes, but don't end up striking a deal. They like some trade-back options, especially because of how much Tyrese Maxey propaganda Kenny Payne and World Wide Wes spread around the building, but they like Devin Vassell more and stay at eight to take him. I still can't see them having three rookies as part of next year's rotation, which is why I think they might actually look into a trade-up like the one I mentioned above. If they can use the later two picks to move up and grab a guard like Grant Riller to pair with Vassell, I think they consider it. I'd be pretty happy with that outcome (Vassell, Riller) as well. You think that sounds about right? Maybe?
The only thing I want to say about this draft is that from what I know about next year's class right now, there are 5-8 guys who would go above any of this year's prospects if they were members of the same class. I think this is worth considering not just when thinking about how much you'd offer to trade up, and whether or not you'd dip into next year's supply of picks to do so, but when thinking about what kind of team you want to put out on the floor next year.
On Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 8:25 AM Jonathan Macri wrote:
Interesting. I’m sure I’ve said a few times that Hayes falling to No. 8 would also be my optimal outcome, but more and more I think I'd rather another team overpay to trade up to No. 8. I haven’t talked about him much, but Onyeka Okongwu is the guy I keep coming back to. We know he’s going to be damn good, and whether the playmaking or shooting eventually comes in full force, he can be someone’s starting center for a long time.
Unless you think the Pistons take him at No. 7, he’ll be there, and I bet someone talks themselves into him. I could see Sacramento, Boston and Minnesota all being interested, not to mention Washington right below us, but I'm not sure there's a deal there. In the end, I do think they wind up trading down. I think their interest in both Kira Lewis Jr. and Maxey is real.
Last thing: regarding next year's draft, yes, that is 100% their priority, but they also already have four picks that are likely to be in the top 40. Just like we have doubts about them rostering three rookies this year, I doubt they roster four next year, and you can only package so many picks in one draft in an attempt to move up. So I guess what I'm saying is that I think at some point they'll look to consolidate some of their assets — maybe use the Dallas picks and one of the seconds to get a better first next year, or maybe use one or a few of their picks either this year or next — to try and get a young player who they think could become a good trade asset in his own right (shameless plug for Thursday's KFS Newsletter, where I explored this in more detail).
Anyway, that's all I got. Any final thoughts/digs/old man jokes from you?
On Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 6:40 PM Kris Pursiainen wrote:
A trade-back for Maxey is most certainly up there on my "this is how I want things to go" list. I agree that you have to cash in your chips at some point; trading up in next year's draft (whether it be at the top or a move up from where Dallas' pick lands) would be a great way of going about that.
I've got nothing else either, besides wishing you luck on all the upcoming reporting having to do with the draft! Something tells me we'll be in touch before then, though.
Oh, one last thing: don't forget to send Flipper my best regards. Knicks Twitter is wishing him a speedy recovery.
