Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images
Knicks fans never forget, especially when it comes to Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis tried to get on Knicks’ fans good side by admitting how much he missed Madison Square Garden, but his most recent return to Manhattan was still greeted with a round of boos from about all in attendance. Yes, it’s only around 10 percent capacity, but Porzingis was surely still able to hear the displeasure of New York basketball fans.
“I miss the city. I miss this place. A lot of great memories. Every time I come back, it’s special. A lot of people here still recognize me and show me love and support. It’s always good to come back,” Porzingis said earlier this week.
Madison Square Garden doesn’t miss you back.
Mavericks need more from Kristaps Porzingis
Sitting at seventh place in the Western Conference while sporting a 25-21 record, the Mavericks have improved greatly from their rough start to the 2020-21 campaign. Yet, the team was still willing to take trade calls on Porzingis as recently as a few months back. So, can Dallas really count on Kristaps as a reliable sidekick to Luka Doncic?
That being said, the Knicks displeasure has nothing to do with the fact they didn’t want him on the roster. In fact, it was to the contrary. Back in 2019, Porzingis was deemed the face of the franchise despite injury concerns. Porzingis wasn’t happy with the direction of the franchise in 2019, and was eventually traded away for a package that included DeAndre Jordan, Dennis Smith, Jr., Wesley Matthews and two first-round picks. It also gave New York some much-needed cap space, which they’ve since used to sign the likes of Julius Randle.
So, it’s not all bad for New York.