“The garbage is on the streets, and they got big rats moving around…”- Eddy Curry admits he hated New York before he became a Knick originally appeared on Basketball Network.
There are certain NBA cities that players love to visit. Whether it’s packed arenas filled with die-hard fans or the nightlife (ehm, Miami…) that makes road trips a little more exciting, or, even worth your while even more, some places just hit differently.
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And then, on the flip side of the equation, there are cities you dread going to. Whether it’s the climate, the energy or simply the overall vibe. For Eddy Curry, that city was New York.
“It’s funny, man, being in Chicago, and we were going to play in New York, we would always stay in the Plaza Hotel. And it was always old and creepy for me, the Plaza Hotel always kind of personified what New York was. To me, how I saw it. That rustic beauty on the outside, but then you get in it, it’s just like, still rustic, it’s not really new. The rooms would just creep me out,” the retired big man said about his experience with The Big Apple.
“The garbage is on the streets, and they got big rats moving around… I grew up in Chicago and it made me not like New York,” Curry added.
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Growing up in a different vibe
Curry grew up in Chicago, a city with its own challenges, but the Windy City and the Big Apple are very different beasts. For a 7-footer who had spent his early NBA years in his hometown, the transition to New York was jarring.
The vibrant energy that makes the city so iconic also comes with its downsides — more people, more crime, busier streets, and, as Curry quickly pointed out, garbage… A lot more garbage. It wasn’t the glitz and glamor he had expected. For him, New York wasn’t a dream destination. It was overwhelming.
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Still, Curry managed to make it work. The big man credited his family for making those years bearable. Having his wife and child by his side brought a sense of normalcy to a situation he otherwise found chaotic. For a player who didn’t care much for the hustle and bustle of New York, that support system meant everything.
New York became home for Curry
Despite his feelings about the city, Curry eventually found himself playing for the Knicks, spending five seasons in New York. His tenure was up and down, to say the least.
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It started off great, as the big man averaged as high as 19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in his second year as the Knickerbocker. However, that solid play was overshadowed by injuries and off the court issues, mainly allegations of sexual harassment from a former employee. But no matter what was happening on the court, or off of it, his complicated relationship with the city remained.
It’s ironic that the very place that once creeped him out became the city he called home during his prime NBA years. It wasn’t easy, and Curry never sugarcoated his distaste for the Big Apple, but he did what professionals do. He adjusted.
New York might not have been his favorite NBA stop, but it became an important chapter in his career and his life, whether he would like to admit it or not.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.