Scenes from a jubilant night at Knicks watch party as excited fans watch team keep season alive
Every single one of these springtime playoff joy rides had ended prematurely and/or unceremoniously since 1973, when Clyde Frazier and Captain Willis Reed became two-time NBA champions and reminded the ones lucky enough to experience it why basketball is The City Game.
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But on this night inside Central Park, a night when the city's basketball back was against the wall, it did not end in despair. It did not end with Knicks fans crying in their beer.
It ended in jubilation and plans for one more Watch Party on Saturday night, and maybe one more after that, at least.
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NBA views Thunder-Nuggets as rivals with 4 2025-26 regular season games on national TV
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Yahoo
43 minutes ago
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Courtesy of @FranchiseSengun on X, here's a roundup of what Sengun had to say regarding the above topics and more. Sengun on Areas of Offseason Focus As you know, I sort of lost my touch this season. I focused on this a lot, my shots and finishing. Of course, my conditioning, as well. This helped me a lot last season in my defense and ability to play longer minutes. And finally, my shooting. Sengun on 'Double Big' Lineups When Ime Udoka introduced the double big lineup, it made my job a lot easier. Having to constantly be physical with the opposing center on defense, and then switching to offense, became very tiring. [With the double big] my performance increased, and I had more energy on both ends. Sengun on Relationship with Fred VanVleet Fred has been an incredible leader since he first joined the team. He does a lot you don't see on the court. Controlling and leading the team is not easy, and he also does this when he's not playing. 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Sengun on 2025 Playoffs The Warriors were probably the one team that would have gave us the most trouble, and we drew them. They're a very experienced team, and they fouled a lot. In the playoffs, they don't call it. But they were the ones crying all series about fouls not being called. When it comes to us, we're not really allowed to complain. It's more of an internal thing. Ime Udoka doesn't allow it. He loses his mind if we complain. Sengun on Playing Against Draymond Green Never in my life has something like this scared me. If anything, it makes me angry. Sengun on Amen Thompson Amen is an incredible athlete. There is seriously nothing else like this Amen is very hardworking. As you know, in the NBA there is other things like 'fit' [clothing] culture. Amen is strictly basketball. He works hard in practice, takes his recovery seriously He makes the most of his God-given athleticism. 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Sengun on All-Star Honors It was great being with the other stars, to get to know them. It was upsetting not to be selected for All-NBA. This was one of my goals. But these sort of things motivate me. So this season, my goal will be to be All-NBA and become a champion. Even if I don't become All-NBA, as long as the team is successful [that is what matters]. Sengun on Winning a Title in Houston The complete interview can be viewed below (Turkish with English subtitles). More: Ime Udoka, Fred VanVleet traveled to Turkey to work with Rockets star Alperen Sengun This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Interview: Alperen Sengun on his offseason and the 2025-26 Rockets
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
John Stockton admits he is not watching the NBA anymore because it's way too soft: "Fans want you to go out there and do what they can't do, not go out there, shake hands and hug"
John Stockton admits he is not watching the NBA anymore because it's way too soft: "Fans want you to go out there and do what they can't do, not go out there, shake hands and hug" originally appeared on Basketball Network. The NBA has undergone a radical transformation from its earlier iterations. Gone are the days when brawls were almost a regular fixture, especially in the rugged '80s and '90s. Today's game is a positionless spectacle where nearly everyone, from the smallest guard to the tallest big man, is encouraged to fire away from deep in the name of analytics and offensive efficiency. The bruising battles in the paint have been replaced by pace-and-space and load management. All of that has made a number of players from past eras distance themselves from the game they once lived and breathed. And for one of the greatest floor generals the league has ever seen, the changes have been enough to kill nearly all interest in tuning in. Stockton is disconnected from the modern NBA One of the most respected legends of the past, and arguably one of the best pure point guards to ever lace them up, John Stockton admits he simply doesn't have the time, or the desire, to watch much of today's NBA. Sure, life after basketball is different. Stockton is a father, a grandfather, and a man with responsibilities far beyond the hardwood. But the Hall of Famer says it's more than just a busy schedule keeping him away. The product itself, in his eyes, doesn't excite him like it used to. "I'm not watching a bunch of it. Life's busy…" Stockton said and went on to explain why the Association has lost most of its aura. "Things that I see, I do think it's soft, where you have guys that can take, like, twenty days off. What do they call it, load management? Can you imagine your dad coming, 'I'mma take a few weeks work off.' You know? Well, who is going to feed us then? These guys do it, and they are supposed to be examples and the league allows it," Stock pointed out. For a player who built his career on durability — Stockton famously missed just 22 games in 19 seasons — seeing stars routinely sit out without injury is a tough pill to swallow. And he doubts this trend will stop anytime soft, too friendly Stockton doubled down on his view of the modern product. For him, the game's heart isn't just about skill, it's about combat, about rivalry and about giving the fans a battle they can't get anywhere else. "The load management, the salaries are off the charts, the style of play is… these kids are talented, man, they can make shots. Because they can make shots everybody thinks they should be taking them. There is less strategy, there is less physicality… I think people are looking for gladiators out there, they want you to go to war. They want you to go out there and do what they can't do, not go out there, shake hands and hug each other," the Utah Jazz icon added. It's a familiar theme from legends of past eras: today's players are too soft, the competition too friendly and true rivalries are few and far between. While the league is still filled with undoubtedly skilled, talented and athletic marvels, Stockton believes it's missing the edge that once defined it. Whether that competitive spirit can ever return in an era of billion-dollar TV deals and multimillion-dollar superstars remains to be seen. But for players like Stockton and many others who thrived in that old-school do-or-die environment, the NBA he sees today feels more like an exhibition than a war. And for him, that's reason enough to keep the channel on something other than story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
