With the Knicks back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, my neighbor Jason has been doing his best to represent. The other day he showed up on my porch wearing the shirt shown above, featuring a logo I’d never seen before.
Let’s take a closer look at that logo:
I have to say, I love it. The bright eyes, the pug nose, the cartoon hands, the stick legs paired with the big sneakers — chef’s kiss! I asked Jason if he thought the little fella was whistling or huffing/puffing. He said he interpreted it as whistling because it reminded him of the Harlem Globetrotters’ whistled theme song, “Sweet Georgia Brown.”
Obviously, this is not an official Knicks logo. Jason said he got the shirt a few weeks ago from TeePublic, which has bazillions of unauthorized Knicks designs (although this particular one no longer seems to be available). Official or not, I think it would be so cool if the Knicks actually used this logo.
Speaking of the Knicks, here’s something I’ve been thinking about: In most cities, a team can be a unifying force that the entire populace can rally around. Think about the Eagles in Philly, or the Bulls in Chicago, or the Red Sox in Boston. But New York, paradoxically, is such a big sports city that it’s difficult to unify the citizenry. Like, Mets fans tend to hate the Yankees and vicey-versey, and ditto for the Jets and Giants, so those teams tend to be more polarizing than unifying. The Rangers are better in this regard, but hockey just isn’t popular enough with our city’s broad demographic to fully command everyone’s hearts, minds, and attention.
But the Knicks — they are true New York unifiers. I say that as someone who doesn’t even care that much about the NBA. I’ve lived in NYC for nearly 39 years, and it has long been apparent to me that the city is a more vibrant, interesting place when the Knicks are good. There’s an energy on the street, a sense of positivity and excitement. It’s like we’re all on board for the same fun ride. (Obviously, the Nets play here too, and I’m happy to have them, but they’ve never really outgrown little-brother status or emerged from the Knicks’ shadow, and the two teams’ fan bases don’t seem overly antagonistic, maybe because the teams have never been good at the same time, so the Nets’ presence doesn’t keep the city from rallying around the Knicks.)
So when the Knicks are on a postseason roll, like they are now, it feels really fun — fun in a way that people in other cities are probably used to, but that we don’t often get to experience here in New York. Even their team song, whose title I used for the headline of this post, is more about the city than the team. I haven’t watched a single NBA game this year, but I’ll definitely be watching when the Finals tip off next week. Hell, I’d even buy a shirt like Jason’s if it were still available. Go New York, Go New York, Go!