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00:15Welcome back to another edition of New York Got Game, Dexter Henry here, Knicks getting
00:21ready for Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
00:23I got a special guest with me in studio, the one and only, the great legend, Knicks legend
00:28himself, John Starks.
00:29John, back with me again here in New York Got Game, how you doing, man?
00:32I'm doing great, doing great, getting excited for this game.
00:35Well, I know you are ready for Game 4, I know you're ready, you've been busy, making the
00:39rounds.
00:40Yes.
00:40I gotta start off by asking you about Game 3.
00:43Can we go back to Game 3?
00:44Yes, we can.
00:44Because the whole day was crazy.
00:45Yeah, it was.
00:46The whole day was crazy.
00:47You know better than most what a playoff atmosphere is like.
00:51You have played in big games at the Garden.
00:53Yeah.
00:54Even though the Knicks lost Game 3, right, which was disappointing for everybody, the building
00:59was electric for the fans.
01:01Could you tell us what the energy was like being there for the first Finals game at the
01:06Garden in 27 years?
01:07What was that like?
01:08It was incredible.
01:10The city has just been so good as far as the energy that is here in New York right now.
01:19And I tell people that the players are feeling that.
01:22And I want to tell New York Knicks fans to keep it going.
01:26Don't stop it.
01:27And so, but no, it was electric.
01:29I mean, it was great to see, you know, all the celebrities come out.
01:35And, you know, I have former players that played for the Knicks calling me.
01:41I'm like, man, we can't get everybody in.
01:43We haven't.
01:43You can't everybody?
01:43Yeah, everybody can't get in.
01:45Everybody can't get in.
01:46But it's been great.
01:47It's been great.
01:48No, it's good.
01:48Now, one of the things, you know everybody can't.
01:50You just mentioned it.
01:51Some former players that can't get in.
01:53Everybody can't get into the game.
01:54You've been doing some work with AT&T to make sure we get the word out about fans staying connected
02:00with each other.
02:01So could you talk a little bit about that?
02:02Yeah, it's kind of like what we did for March Madness.
02:05You know, we want fans to not miss one moment of this finals, you know, just like March Madness.
02:12We want fans to stay connected when they're at home using AT&T home internet services.
02:20And it's the best in the business right now.
02:23And so if you've got a bad connection, you know where to go.
02:27AT&T, let's flip it.
02:30You don't want anybody not connected.
02:32Not connected.
02:33We need everybody connected because we need that energy coming through the TV.
02:38And speaking of AT&T, today you're going to be somewhere the fans can connect with you, correct?
02:43Yes, yes, yes.
02:44AT&T store in Times Square.
02:47Okay.
02:48So I'll be there from 3 to 4.
02:50Okay, so fans, you're watching this.
02:51Yes.
02:52John will be at the AT&T store in Times Square from 3 to 4 today.
02:55Yeah.
02:56That should be pretty fun.
02:57Yeah.
02:57You get to connect, as John Starr said, with him as well too.
03:00Now, back to the Knicks.
03:02Yeah.
03:02Now we got to talk about the Knicks.
03:04They had won 13 straight playoff games before this loss.
03:08Yeah.
03:09After a loss like that, I guess my question to you as somebody who's played in these games, what's the
03:12biggest challenge mentally, right?
03:14Is it avoiding panic or avoiding complacency because you're still up in the series?
03:21Yeah.
03:22They're going to go back and look at the tape and know they didn't play well.
03:25They didn't execute on both ends of the court, offensively, defensively, you know, a lot of, you know, untimely turnovers,
03:32no ball movement.
03:35Nothing like the way they've been playing, you know, since game four in Atlanta and where the ball has been
03:42moving, body's moving, defensively, aggressiveness.
03:47I have to say, you know, San Antonio came in and took it to us.
03:50You know, they was more physical.
03:52They were more on the attack mode and we were just on our heels and we still lost the game
03:58by four.
03:58And so they just have to change that mentality.
04:02When you get up on this young team, they don't know when to quit.
04:06The other teams that we played against, they was, they laid down to us.
04:10This team is not laying down.
04:11And I give them a credit, a lot of credit, Coach Mitch Johnson.
04:15I give him a lot of credit, Wemby as their leader.
04:18Give them a lot of Castle, you know, Dylan Harper, all these guys, they young and they hungry.
04:23And so when you get them down this time, you got to keep beating them down, keep beating them down,
04:28beat them into submission.
04:30Because they're not going to quit.
04:31And that's a credit to them as players.
04:34So I like that because you gave the players credit.
04:37You know, I was doing a live show during the game and a lot of fans were on the officiating.
04:41A lot of fans were on Wemby.
04:43Wemby has become public enemy number one.
04:45You played against some public enemies number one that came into the Garden.
04:49What do you make of Wemby?
04:50You looking at him as the villain right now?
04:52Do you think he's getting a preferential whistle?
04:53What do you think about Wemby?
04:54He's getting all of that.
04:58Now, how do you deal with that?
04:59Because you have battles with Reggie Miller.
05:01Yes.
05:01And you know how Reggie Miller was.
05:03You know how Reggie was.
05:04But how do you deal with somebody who's that public enemy number one coming into the Garden?
05:08Yeah, you just stay focused first and foremost.
05:11Don't get into all of what Wemby is doing.
05:15They did the same thing against San Antonio.
05:17I mean, against Oklahoma City and, you know, what we call where you're trying to punk somebody.
05:23Right.
05:23And they basically did that against Oklahoma City.
05:28But he has to understand he's dealing with grown men.
05:31And grown men can get crazy attitudes.
05:33So I'm pretty sure these guys are going to come back with a crazy attitude tonight.
05:38And they're going to come into the Garden ready to go out here and play a full 48-minute ball
05:43game.
05:44They played 24 and didn't play the way I thought they were capable of playing in the second half
05:50and really, like, stand on top of these young fellas.
05:55Yeah.
05:56So when we think â I think when you look at this season, right, we've seen each other a lot
05:59at the Garden.
06:00And you look at this Knicks team, I think one word you think about with them is resiliency.
06:03Yes.
06:04They've been so resilient.
06:06So do you look at this team as, okay, now they took a loss in the finals.
06:11Does this feel different now?
06:12Or do you think they can tap into the resiliency that got them here and that can help them win
06:17game four?
06:18I think you're right.
06:18They're just going to tap into what they've been doing all year long.
06:22You know what I mean?
06:22You know you're going to have some tough losses in the playoffs.
06:25Obviously, that was a tough loss.
06:26Yeah.
06:27And they always bounce back with a great performance.
06:31And I expect this is going to be a great performance night.
06:34This is going to be one of those games to remember if you're a Knicks fan saying,
06:39man, I was here in game four when this team did something so special that I can't even believe it.
06:45And so I feel like, you know, everybody's going to come back and do their part and play very well
06:51tonight as a team.
06:52I like that confidence.
06:53Knicks fans are going to like that confidence too.
06:55Carthy Towns, huge part of this team.
06:58I thought he was the MVP through the first two games.
07:01He had a quiet game is what I'll say in game three.
07:04How important is it that they get him involved early here in game four?
07:08You know, it's very important.
07:09That's what we've been doing.
07:10You know, since the run started back again, Atlanta, the ball has been kind of going through Carl
07:16and letting him make those decisions.
07:18And so we got to kind of get back to that.
07:21There's going to be at times where, you know, guys have to take over the game.
07:25But for the most part, you know, we just got to concentrate on what made us successful,
07:31what made us win 13 straight games and just get back to that.
07:35And I think that whole vibe was off, to be honest with you.
07:39At the Garden, the whole what's going on with the president.
07:42Did you feel that?
07:44Did you feel that?
07:44Yeah, I did feel that.
07:46From just coming in and then sitting at the university?
07:49Yeah, yeah.
07:50It was just something about the vibe in there.
07:52It just wasn't right all day long.
07:55And I'm just, I'm trying to blow it off, you know, being a former player.
08:00I'm like, okay, all right, just blow this up, blow that up.
08:02But something just wasn't right.
08:04Yeah.
08:05I'm curious.
08:06I just want to ask you this as a follow-up because it's a former player, right?
08:09Routine matters.
08:10We know this.
08:11Routine matters a lot.
08:12So just so people could understand, just the coming in, you know,
08:15going through security players had to do it too.
08:17All the staff on the Knicks had to do it too.
08:19Do you think that could have thrown the players a little off
08:21and that's why we saw some sloppiness earlier?
08:23Yeah, it could have been.
08:25You know what I mean?
08:25I think it just.
08:28It threw you off.
08:29It threw me off.
08:30You know what I mean?
08:31It definitely threw me off.
08:32I'm like, no, this is not right.
08:36Something is not right.
08:37And they kind of played like that.
08:39You know what I mean?
08:40Yeah, you saw it early.
08:41Obviously, they came back in the second quarter and got the lead.
08:45And this was like kind of dead at the beginning of the third quarter,
08:49which is unusual for them because they normally come out
08:51and they blast teams in the third quarter.
08:54But this time it just, I don't know, something just was off, bro.
08:58I just, I was like feeling like, man, come on now.
09:01No, please not right now.
09:02I take it from you, too, as somebody who played and then sat
09:05and you read it there in game three.
09:07Yeah, we got to get back to the good vibes.
09:09Yes, yes.
09:10We got to get back to the good vibes.
09:11A couple more for you, John.
09:13Jalen Brunson, he struggled shooting the ball in this series.
09:16Yeah.
09:17How do you think he can be more effective to get this Knicks offense
09:22going to the way they need it going, where they're moving the ball again?
09:25There's a lot of cutting.
09:26How can JB, the cap, be more effective in game three?
09:29Yeah, I think push the ball a little bit more.
09:31You know what I mean?
09:32Yeah, you got to play with more pace because Wimby, you know,
09:35he's not going to be on the court all day.
09:37Right.
09:37You know what I mean?
09:38So you have to make him run.
09:39And like I said, we are the team that had the most rest.
09:44And so use that foot to your advantage.
09:46You know what I mean?
09:47So I don't care who Wimby is guarding.
09:50If he's guarding whoever, just run and make him run.
09:54You know what I mean?
09:55And so you have to, you know, use those type of, you know,
09:59things to your advantage.
10:01And I think if you get in open court, you're going to get more shots
10:05because then you're in the drive and kick mode and what have you.
10:09And once he gets down there, gets set, obviously he makes it difficult.
10:12And so, but Jalen's going to be fine.
10:15You know, he's one person I do not worry about on this team
10:19because he's been doing it his whole life.
10:22And so I know we're good there.
10:25All right.
10:25So John knows that the captain is going to figure things out.
10:29A couple more for you.
10:30When we look back in the series, a lot of people always say game four
10:33is a swing game, right?
10:34It's a game that could change.
10:35If this team wins game four, they will win the series.
10:38Yeah.
10:39You talked about making Wemby work, and I do think that's a key.
10:43What else do you think the Knicks absolutely have to do
10:45if they want to regain complete control of this series here in game four?
10:49Just defensively get aggressive, you know, on the defensive end of the court.
10:52Right now, you know, the Castles and Dylan Harpers
10:56and all those young guys are trying to be bullies.
11:00You know, the same thing when they played against Oklahoma City,
11:03and Oklahoma City kind of wilted towards their aggressiveness.
11:09Knicks is not like that.
11:10And once you come at them, they're going to go at you.
11:13And they just have to be able to absorb those physical play
11:19that they're trying to get you into.
11:22But that's a credit to their coach, you know what I mean?
11:25He expects for them to go out there and play that way.
11:29But we have to reestablish our dominance.
11:33You know, it's almost like you have to take them out to the woodshed
11:37and give them a good spanking.
11:39They need one of those tonight.
11:41You know what?
11:42I think Knicks fans will be really happy
11:43if they get that kind of blowout spanking that you talk about there.
11:47So let me ask you this, because you said the vibes are all for game three.
11:50We want the vibes to be right tonight for game four.
11:53So I'm going to make you coach starts for a second.
11:55No shade to Mike Brown, we're not doing that.
11:58But if you could go into that locker room tonight,
12:00and you'll be there tonight, and give a message to the guys,
12:03what would you say to them?
12:05What would be the message to the New York Knicks tonight before,
12:07let's call it the biggest game at the Garden in 27 years?
12:11What would be your message?
12:12Yeah, well, I think Coach Brown is going to say the same message,
12:16is we've got to go out and hit first and hit constantly
12:20and keep it going for 48 minutes and don't stop.
12:25We just came out dead in that third quarter for whatever reason.
12:29And I think it's just about having that mindset,
12:32okay, this team is not going to quit.
12:34So in order for them to quit, we have to make them quit.
12:37And that's what our mentality was back in 94.
12:40We're just going to beat you down until you say, I give.
12:43And that's the mentality that they have to have for 48 minutes.
12:47This is a good, young basketball team, coach very well, and they're hungry,
12:52and they're going to come at you.
12:53So you have to be able to come at them and don't stop, you know,
12:57hitting them and keep hitting them and keep hitting them and keep hitting them.
13:02Yeah, like you said, right to the camera.
13:04One last thing.
13:06And it's funny, the last time I had you in the studio and we talked,
13:08I might have asked you this, but I can't remember.
13:10But now that the Knicks, because the Knicks are in the finals,
13:12the last time we talked, they were not this close.
13:15Yes.
13:16I know how much as a player you wanted this.
13:18We talked about 94.
13:20Yeah.
13:20Have you thought about what it would mean to you if you see this team do it?
13:25Because every time I talk to you, I see so much joy in your face about it.
13:27I could see it.
13:28Yeah.
13:28But how much would it mean to you if the Knicks are able to get this done this year?
13:31It would mean a lot, you know, because I've been here since the start of this run
13:36that we then had over the last two years
13:38and the tough losses against Indiana in the last two years,
13:42one in the semifinals, one in the conference finals.
13:45And it's been very rewarding to see them grow as a team, you know.
13:52It's very rewarding to see Jalen Brunson grow as a leader.
13:56You know, everybody's doing their part.
14:00You know, Josh Hart, you can't say enough about him.
14:03You know, he's our Charles Oakley of the team.
14:06He does all the dirty work and, you know, just amazing.
14:10And, you know, McHale bouncing back after the struggles that he had.
14:14You know, OG just being OG, you know, very consistent in what he does.
14:19So everybody's doing the bench has been tremendous
14:22and the excitement that they're showing out there.
14:26And so it's just, you know, amazing that we're here now.
14:31You know, now the city of New York and the fans all around this country,
14:38especially here in New York, get a chance to celebrate a championship,
14:44but we've got to get it done at the end of the day.
14:46You know what I mean?
14:47Everybody wants it, but you have to go out there and get it done.
14:52So this would be one of the proudest moments for me as a former player
14:56and all the rest of the players that you see sitting down there
14:59to watch this young team go out and perform
15:02and win a championship for the city of New York.
15:05Yeah, I know it would mean a lot to you.
15:06I love seeing you at the games.
15:08I love seeing you enjoy the games, go crazy with the rest of the players.
15:11I know it's great.
15:12Job's not done.
15:13Two more wins.
15:14Two more wins is what the Knicks need.
15:15We'll see if they can get it done in game four tonight.
15:17You can catch John Starks.
15:18He'll be at the AT&T store in Times Square, 3 to 4 p.m.
15:23He's going to be there.
15:24So if you want to connect with him, you can do that too,
15:26and then you know where John Starks is going to be tonight.
15:28He's going to be at the Garden bringing good vibes, John.
15:30Good vibes.
15:31Good vibes tonight.
15:32There you go.
15:33For my guy, John Starks, Knicks legend,
15:35joining me here on New York Got Game, I'm Dexter Henry.
15:37We'll catch you next time.
15:41And thanks for watching New York Got Game.
15:44Boop shakalaka.
15:48Boop shakalaka.
15:49Boop shakalaka.
15:50Boop shakalaka.
15:50Boop shakalaka.
15:50Boop shakalaka.
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