NBA Orders Dolan And Prokhorov To Cool Knicks-Nets Tensions
NY Post – Play nice, guys. That essentially was the directive given to owners James Dolan of the Knicks and Mikhail Prokhorov of the Nets this past season during a meeting orchestrated by NBA Commissioner David Stern, who wanted to snuff any lingering tension between the two and prevent a full-blown feud, multiple league sources told The Post. “There was such a meeting and the parties both said it was a very cordial and pleasant one,” said one league official with knowledge of the sit-down, which happened early in the season. The official also confirmed Stern assisted in getting the pair together in an attempt to prevent a wave of spitballs going back and forth over the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. See? It’s not just players like Paul Pierce and Raymond Felton fueling the feud between the two NBA teams sharing the city. It has been going on for a while, but the Nets no longer are the poor stepchild performing in a New Jersey swamp. Another person with direct knowledge of the sit-down called it “cordial and friendly.” Spokespersons both for Prokhorov and for the Knicks said “no comment” regarding the meeting. One source maintained Prokhorov stokes the rivalry fires because he believes the feud “is great for both teams” and insisted it is “not at all personal” against Dolan, the Garden chairman and Cablevision CEO.
Well file this under “gayest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” The last thing we want in sports is a rivalry! Thats bad for business! Maybe we should go to the Garden or the Barclays Center this year and just cheer for everyone. Cheer for every basket made. We’re all Team New York, right! Christ almighty.
Its not like we’re talking about the Cold War here, folks. This is not a nuclear arms race between Russia and the United States. Its a couple basketball teams now in the same city talking shit. Out of every league, the NBA might thrive the most on rivalries. Back in the day thats what drove the whole league. Celtics-Lakers and Knicks-Heat and Bulls-Pistons and Knicks-Pacers the list goes on and on. We need some more of that. Paul Pierce’s old ass showing up in Brooklyn saying he hates the Knicks is good stuff. Ray Felton saying New York belongs to the Knicks and will never be taken over by Brooklyn is tremendous. Now that both teams have the talent to contend its time to take the rivalry to the next level. Throw some fuel on the fire, spice things up a bit. Don’t need to have a goddam sitdown like its the Geneva Convention to make sure everyone plays nice. Lets get it on.