The New York Knicks will usher in the new NBA season 6,000 miles from home.
The Association’s preseason officially begins Thursday, with last year’s Eastern Conference finalists facing the Philadelphia 76ers at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
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The Knicks will open the new NBA season with an Abu Dhabi gameCredit: Getty
Fans will get a fresh look at a Knicks team that came so close to ending their NBA Finals drought in 2024-25, before eventually falling to the Indiana Pacers in a bad-blooded series.
Experienced head coach Mike Brown has ushered in a new era, while most of the core roster has returned alongside Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, who have been added for depth as New York look to make another playoff run.
For such a storied franchise, the Knicks boast just two NBA championships, which were won way back in 1970 and 1973.
But if things had worked out different a few years after that second title, they could have perhaps won a lot more.
How the Knicks missed out on NBA legend
That’s because they could have drafted one of the greatest players of all-time: Larry Bird.
Of course, ‘Larry Legend’ forged an unforgettable career with the Boston Celtics, an Eastern Conference rival to the Knicks.
Bird won three championships of his own in green, and was named Finals MVP on two occasions.
Following a 13-year career with the Celtics, his No. 33 jersey was retired by the team.
But, incredibly, Boston wasn’t Bird’s preferred draft destination.
Way back in 1978, he made it clear he wanted to land in New York.
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Bird dominated in a star-studded era for the Celtics, but could have been a Knick
While accepting the award for the College Player of the Year at a ceremony in NYC, he flat out said he would love to play for either the Knicks or the Nets.
Bird named two reasons for wanting to play in New York
“Because of the media, and television,” he said at the time.
“There’s more people. I think I belong in New York.”
Coming out of Indiana State in ’78, Bird was viewed as one of the top prospects in the draft.
The Knicks had traded for the fourth overall pick the day before the event, while the Celtics had the sixth pick.
New York would pass on Bird and draft Micheal Ray Richardson at four.
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Bird collected a long list of hardware during his 13-year career, while NY struggledCredit: GETTY
Meanwhile, Boston happily took Bird with pick No. 6.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Bird downed Knicks in iconic playoffs series
The Celtics and Knicks have clashed in plenty of iconic playoff games over the years, and one of those saw ‘Larry Legend’ play at his best.
In 1984, Bird had one of the best performances of his career in a series against NY, out-dueling Bernard King on the other side.
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Bird had one of the best performances of his career in Game 7 against the Knicks in 84Credit: Getty
The Celtics icon averaged 30.4 points and 10.6 rebounds, while King averaged 29.1 points.
Bird saved his best for last in Game 7 of the series in front of the home crowd.
He led the Celtics to a 121-104 victory, putting up a triple-double, with 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Bird and the Celtics would go on to defeat Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in an instant Finals classic, in seven games.
NBA’s Greatest
It was his second title in four years.
But if things had gone differently in 1978, he could have been winning rings with the Knicks instead.
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