00:09Welcome to New York Gun Game.
00:15Alright, Dexter Henry here with one of the Knicks' most popular alums, Tim Thomas.
00:20Tim, you're here at Earl Monroe's new Renaissance school.
00:24I saw you here a couple years ago, too.
00:26Now it's open, did the ribbon cutting.
00:28What does it mean to you to see this here open?
00:30It's a special day, special, special day.
00:32I grew up in Jersey, obviously, watching Earl do his thing and being inspired by that.
00:39Just to create a friendship as the years has been going on.
00:45For him to have something like this, which is a legacy thing, it's a special, special thing.
00:51A lot of people obviously would know him for the game of basketball.
00:55But now to recognize him, to have a school, to educate kids is super, super special.
01:01I was talking to John Starks about this.
01:03I get so much joy watching you guys at the game enjoy everything.
01:07That playoff run last year, championship run, I'd say.
01:09That had to be really special.
01:10What did it mean to you as somebody from this New York metro area to see the Knicks finally with
01:14it?
01:16It meant everything.
01:16I mean, it's been so long, right?
01:18And, you know, as former players, you know, putting on that uniform, you know, each and every night playing in
01:25the world's most famous arena, you know, going out there trying to compete, you know, to win a championship.
01:31It just meant everything, especially for me being a Nova guy, being the guy that made it cool to go
01:38to Villanova, you know, seeing Josh and Jalen and McHale learn how to win in college and then translate that
01:46over to the NBA.
01:47It's been special.
01:48It's been a special year.
01:49Well, you know the thing now, everybody's wondering, they want it.
01:52They broke that 53-year drought.
01:54Yeah, yeah.
01:54Now the big question is, can they do it again?
01:57It's hard to repeat.
01:58You know this, but do you think this team has what it takes to go back-to-back?
02:03Yeah, they have a great starting five.
02:05You know, obviously, we have to get our chemistry together as far as, you know, our bench.
02:11But, you know, it's been a long year, you know, for the guys.
02:14So early on, they're going to take some bumps and bruises because they played so long until the year last
02:19year.
02:20But they have a great group, great chemistry.
02:24And, you know, everything has to just fit into the right places at the right time.
02:29You've got to stay away from injuries and all those kind of things.
02:32And, you know, we just want to stay healthy going into the playoffs and give ourselves the best shot, you
02:36know, moving forward.
02:38You've got to stay.
02:39You've got to have a little bit of luck there.
02:40When you look at this team this year, is there a guy you look at you think can level up
02:44for this team
02:45that can take his game to the next level and really can help this next team in the 2026-27
02:49season?
02:51I just think our style of playing and the way we play.
02:55Shout out to Coach Tibbs laying the foundation for us defensively first.
02:59I think that carried a lot of weight for us, you know, moving forward, you know, with this past year.
03:05I just think, again, we don't know bench players.
03:09We know we have a few, but we don't know who else is going to be added on.
03:13And, again, we just want everybody to stay healthy and everybody do their part.
03:17That's what it's going to take.
03:18So, with all that being said, I assume you're going to be there opening night?
03:21Well, I'll see you.
03:22Of course.
03:22Okay.
03:22I always see you at the Garden.
03:24I know you are a regular there.
03:26I figured you're going to be there opening night.
03:27Of course.
03:27It's going to be pretty dope to see the banner go up.
03:30In terms of predictions, are you willing to say that this next team will go back-to-back?
03:34We all want to go back-to-back.
03:37But, I mean, you know, now we have an X on our back, and that makes it ten times tougher.
03:43So, you know, again, we're going to go out each and every night and compete and let the chips fall
03:48where they may.
03:49We have a great group.
03:50We have a great group.
03:51And I just, you know, want our guys to focus on, you know, what's important, which is winning games, playing
03:57ball.
03:58And if we do that, we'll put ourselves in a good position.
04:01One last thing for me, because I know you were there through the whole run.
04:04You enjoyed all those games during the championship run.
04:06What was the favorite moment that you got to witness at the Garden during the run?
04:10And I assume it might be game four if you were there for game four.
04:13But is there something else that stands out for you, or is it just game four?
04:16I mean, it was a lot of basketball things that happened.
04:22I would say the first game against Cleveland being down and then having that spark, I was sitting right next
04:29to the Cleveland bench.
04:30So I kind of seen them a little deflated after that run.
04:33And that momentum just carried us, right?
04:37But definitely game four.
04:38Definitely game four.
04:41We partied for like an hour straight, which typically doesn't happen.
04:46I'm talking about people that were sitting in the lower bowl to courtside.
04:49Nobody was leaving.
04:50And nobody left, even the fans.
04:52It was literally like an hour for about an hour, a party for like an hour straight, basically.
04:58We've never seen anything like that at the Garden.
05:00It was absolutely a special moment.
05:01Tim Thomas, he will be there opening night, so will I.
05:04Tim, always appreciate you, man.
05:05I'll see you opening night, okay?
05:06All right.
05:07Let's go next.
05:09And thanks for watching New York Cup game.
05:12Boom shakalaka.
