LAS VEGAS – After watching Leon Rose negotiate mega-contracts for all his friends, Dwyane Wade isn’t surprised the former agent succeeds as Knicks president.
“Not at all. Do you see how much money he helps people get?” Wade, the Hall of Fame player, said. “He’s been fantastic there. It feels like New York, what they’re building there, it has a New York feel to it. So that feels good for them. … They’ve done a fantastic job of finding the DNA that fans want to root for. And I think that’s the most important thing for certain markets.”
Rose represented all of the “Banana Boat Friends” – Wade, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James – before leaving Creative Artists Agency to manage the Knicks.
In his six seasons at the top of the front office, Rose helped transform the Knicks from a dysfunctional laughing stock to a legitimate NBA Finals contender.
With a win Sunday against the Spurs, the Knicks would win the NBA Cup and the franchise’s first title — of any kind — since 1973.
Yet Rose is camera shy and does not speak publicly about his success or anything else.
“Leon is behind the scenes,” said Wade. “I don’t think people even know what Leon looks like.”
Mikal Bridges has a favorite player, but he would choose someone else to be his teammate.
“Tracy McGrady. One of my favorite players ever. Just his talent,” Bridges said. “For me personally though, I don’t think I could get the ball [if McGrady was my teammate]. So someone like [Rajon] Rondo.”
OG Anunoby reiterated that winning the NBA Cup would be “pretty cool,” but didn’t want to lose sight of the most important privilege.
“The one in June is our main goal,” Anunoby said.
So much for knowing Knicks history.
Of the three current players asked about New York’s starting lineup for the 1999 Finals – Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns – only Brunson was named one.
The lineup for that series against the Spurs was Charlie Ward, Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson and Marcus Camby.
Brunson, whose father was a reserve on the team, correctly named four, but missed Ward.
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