As we embark on the beginning of our second half. Let me tell you a story about how you can get used to losing:
I’m a middle child. The third of 5 boys and even tho we didn’t all grow up together you can imagine how it was.
I was into sports from a young age along with my older brother Eric. We were separated by 18 months so anything he could do, I thought I could do better. Or wanted to atleast. So I lost a lot growing up. In footraces, in freeze tag and then eventually basketball and video games.
My ultimate goal was to one day be victorious over him. It’s all I wanted, ever. Waking up, I couldn’t imagine going out to play basketball on our neighbor James’ hoop in his driveway and accepting defeat to him. Even tho I always did. But I knew one day I’d eventually win.
That day never came, unfortunately.
To this day, I still don’t think I’ve ever beat him in a game of one-on-one. I’ve accepted that. But it’s hard to accept it from my sports teams.
The Knicks have been losing for as long as I can remember. I’ve watched them lose and lose and lose some more. Eventually, you think all I’d think about is a Knicks championship parade down the Canyon of Heroes. And it has been that.
With every rumor of Kevin Durant possibly coming to play in New York, reminds me of the years we watched Carmelo Anthony Iso his way out of the NBA. Amar’e Stoudamire’s last big playoff moment came punching a fire extinguisher within the halls of American Airlines Arena in Miami.
So to be honest. The last memory of my Knicks even having a chance was when Marcus Camby was playing center against the San Antonio Spurs and future Hall of Famer David Robinson AND Tim Duncan.
So this stretch of losing is currently draining me. I want the Knicks to be playoff good at least. I haven’t seen them raise the Larry O’Brien trophy ever. The only time I’ve seen them win was in a grainy video on YouTube or during Phil Jackson documentaries.
I never beat my brother in one-and-one and thanks to Father Time, I probably never will. I’ve accepted it. But I won’t accept this constant losing. I just want to hibernate until the draft lottery. Hopefully when I wake up, it isn’t ‘Groundhog’s Day’. Then again with my luck and the Knicks recent track record, It probably will.
Least we have a Unicorn on the horizon.
Photo: Jim McIsaac / Newsday
