00:00We heard about Mitch yesterday.
00:03Do you know when it happened and how you guys are approaching him between now and then?
00:13I don't obviously know much about the details.
00:17Obviously I know that he had surgery and all that.
00:22For me it's the same thing.
00:24I don't want to know, just let me know if he can play and when he can play.
00:31Just like we normally would, we're getting everybody else ready to go.
00:35Do you plan for both scenarios?
00:37How does that work from a coach's point of view?
00:40For me, I'm always going with who's available today.
00:45He didn't practice today, so we're getting whoever we need ready to go.
00:52Did it happen in game?
00:54In the game?
00:55Did the Mitch injury happen in game?
00:57In game four?
00:59Yeah.
01:00No.
01:01Yeah.
01:02So was it in basketball activities or not in basketball?
01:05It was not at practice yesterday.
01:07Yeah.
01:09It was not at practice?
01:10It was not at practice yesterday and it wasn't in the game.
01:13Where was it?
01:16Yeah.
01:17We're not going to get specific science.
01:19Yeah.
01:23Anyway.
01:24Oh, Cat was just in here, you know, obviously for him playing in the conference finals the
01:28last few years, so he's played at a high level in this league for over a decade.
01:32For him to finally reach this stage, what's that like for you to see, Coach?
01:37It's awesome.
01:38Because Cat, you know, everybody looks at Cat as a scorer.
01:43Oh, he can score.
01:43He doesn't do this.
01:44He doesn't do that, but he can score.
01:46You know, to make it, especially as an all-star slash leader slash one of the guys this far,
01:58you have to bring more to the table.
02:00And it's great because he can be able to display to the entire world that he's more
02:07than just a talented scorer.
02:12Question.
02:13Mike, how in tune are you with, I guess, the plight of Knicks fans over the years in
02:17terms of teams that they've supported that haven't been good and how, I guess, excited
02:22they are to support a team that's actually living up to what they expect for the city?
02:27You know, not like if I was a New Yorker, you know, because, you know, I've been on my own
02:35journey and you kind of watch it as a fan from the outside looking in.
02:39But, you know, I know that they've supported some teams in the past.
02:44That's your phone?
02:45I don't know.
02:49No, no, you do it.
02:50It just says general.
02:51Yeah.
02:51Yeah.
02:52They hide in their, they hide in their, uh...
02:55That's crazy.
02:57No, that's the voice recorder.
02:58That's good.
02:59Oh, the general's the voice recorder.
03:02Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:02Oh, okay.
03:03It could be, but, well, because it says the speaker's on.
03:06Yeah, it's recording.
03:07Oh, because, because, I got it.
03:09You're good, you're good.
03:09I was just, you know, my core.
03:13Hey, let everybody else know it, whoever it is.
03:18So, you know, I've been on my own journey, and so, you know, I'm not as, you know, as
03:25in tune as, you know, probably a lot of you guys are, or people that are from New York,
03:30but all I know is they've been absolutely fantastic throughout this, but not just this
03:38run, but throughout the entire year.
03:41Mike, you played this game at a high level before you became a coach.
03:45I've never asked this question before, but how hard is it?
03:47Not really.
03:48How hard is it?
03:48That was terrible.
03:50There's one.
03:51Okay.
03:52Yeah, I was on the team.
03:5399% of high school players came for the first one.
03:56I respect that.
03:56Okay.
03:57But, how hard is it to play basketball with a broken pinky finger?
04:02I mean, it varies.
04:05It's just different strokes for different folks.
04:08You know what I'm saying?
04:09Like, it may be one way for me, but a different way for him, or a different way for him.
04:14So, it's different.
04:16It's, that's hard to kind of generalize for the entire population.
04:24Hello.
04:25The country's record has been, like, absolutely insane.
04:27And it really kicked off during the Atlanta series.
04:29How have you guys just been able to, like, sustain that throughout the music field?
04:34It's, it's really the guys, you know.
04:38Our coach and staff, too, has been fantastic trying to keep our guys connected.
04:42But, you know, it starts with Jalen, and it trickles down.
04:47Everybody else understands that, you know, if you sacrifice, it's gonna help bring the group together.
04:55If you believe in your teammate, it's gonna help bring the group together.
04:59If you go out and you compete, it's gonna help bring the group together.
05:03You know, and all those things are happening while everybody's keeping it real with each other.
05:09You know, and everybody's accepting it.
05:11If somebody has a concern or a problem, they'll go look their teammate in the eye and say,
05:15Hey, this is what I need, or this is what's going on, or can you help me here?
05:19And when you have all those things, like I said, going on, it helps with the connectivity of the group.
05:27The surgery for Mitchell, you know, was it Tuesday, Wednesday, or yesterday?
05:32When was it?
05:33Well, I don't know.
05:39Mike, you talk all the time about just worrying about things you can control.
05:43And obviously, you've done a great job of that.
05:45You said for your last little weeks, and also one year.
05:47Do you have to almost remind yourself of that?
05:49When something like this happens?
05:51When obviously, there's something you could do about somebody getting picked up.
05:56And you have to kind of, obviously, in your mind, still focus on that.
06:00You know, I feel like, knock on wood, I feel like I'm pretty good.
06:07Rick Carlisle used to always say, never get too high, never get too low.
06:10You know, to stay even-keeled.
06:12And I feel like I'm pretty good at that.
06:17You know, we all have had curveballs come at you that are bigger than this in life.
06:22And trying to even do it when you have those curveballs helps you prepare for something that is really a
06:30kid's game.
06:31And so that's what I try to do, no matter what it is.
06:35And that's why, again, no offense to you guys, but I don't read it.
06:40I try like hell to not read and or watch anything that's printed, social media, any of that.
06:46And whether it's good or bad, because, you know, I'm human and I can do this and do that.
06:51And that's why I don't.
06:53I also, if somebody does get hurt, please, I ask that our performance people know this.
06:58Don't tell them.
06:59Go tell Leon.
07:00You guys talk about it.
07:01Hash it out.
07:02And when somebody is ready to go, let me know.
07:06Because I'll get screwed up if I don't.
07:09So, you know, it's just been something of mine that, you know, I've tried to carry my whole life, but,
07:15you know, got reinforced when I worked for Rick.
07:19And I really try to do it now as a head coach, especially with this team in New York City.
07:26All right.
07:26We'll do a couple more.
07:27With some of the runs that you guys have been able to go on, just lasting a long time, the
07:33stretches that you've been able to go on,
07:34what do you think makes a good momentum for the team?
07:38You know, all the things that I talked about, you know, starting with the sacrifice, the connectivity, the competitive spirit,
07:46the belief in each other, the process, and everybody trying to hold each other accountable.
07:51Because when you go on those runs, sometimes the guy's not on the floor.
07:56Like, I can't remember what game it was, but Josh didn't play at the end of the game.
08:00And he was freaking great.
08:03You know, he was great.
08:06And he sacrificed who he was for the betterment of the team.
08:10Landry wasn't playing.
08:11He sacrificed.
08:11You know, there may be times when you're open during those runs and somebody misses you.
08:17And you can't get pissed because if you get pissed, now your emotions and your energy are in some place
08:23else
08:24or focused on something else as opposed to what you need to do defensively, you know, and all that other
08:30stuff.
08:30All those things come into play.
08:34Obviously, you have to have a talented roster as well.
08:37But all those things come into play at the highest level when you go on runs during the game.
08:41Because anything and everything out of the ordinary can happen.
08:44And you've got to rely on those intangibles to make sure you stay locked in.
08:48Last one.
08:49You mentioned how talented this roster is.
08:52I mean, it feels like the last couple of years people have been saying that the CBA is supposed to
08:55be restrictive
08:55and not allowing teams to build above like super teams or a lot of star power.
08:59Are you surprised or impressed with how Leon in the front office were able to construct the roster that you
09:03have today?
09:04Yeah, I am.
09:05Like, and I've said it before, I'll keep saying it.
09:08Leon has done a freaking, and his staff have done a freaking fantastic, fantastic job.
09:14And, you know, I can even take it a step further.
09:18It doesn't happen if Mr. Dolan wants to keep his hands in his pocket, you know, and not allow Leon
09:25to go do his work.
09:26So there's a lot of, you always talk about alignment within, you know, the coach and the assistant coaches and
09:33the players.
09:34But I think the alignment, it's a vertical alignment and it starts at the top with Mr. Dolan, to Leon,
09:40to his people, to myself, to the coaches, to the players.
09:44Everybody's aligned, whether it's vertically or horizontally.
09:47And that doesn't mean that you're always going to agree and it's hunky-dory.
09:50You need to have disagreements.
09:52You need to have people pushing you.
09:54And we have that here, but there is a vertical alignment of trust that allows us to do our jobs
09:58at the highest level.
10:00And I'm more than appreciative of it.
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