The National Basketball Players Association may be gearing up for a battle with the New York Knicks in the wake of the Joakim Noah saga.
The head of the NBPA, Michele Roberts posted a tweet Sunday to wish embattled New York Knicks center Joakim Noah a happy birthday. She specifically says, “WE HAVE YOUR BACK. Stay Strong – we’re working it with you!”
Happy Born Day, Joakim! WE HAVE YOUR BACK. Stay Strong – we're working it with you! @TheNBPA ; @JoakimNoah https://t.co/va1fSwyQzU
— Michele Roberts (@MRobertsNBPA) February 25, 2018
NBA Twitter is famous for cryptic tweets and Knicks fans were immediately trying to decipher what the head of the NBPA was trying to say. ESPN’s Ian Begley offers insight into what this tweet could mean going forward. It appears that as of now there is a mutual agreement between Noah and the organization, but it’s been well-documented that Noah wants to play. If he wants to return to the Knicks there isn’t anything the Knicks can do to stop him from showing up.
Message from Michele Roberts, the head of the NBPA, to Joakim Noah on his birthday. If the Knicks & Noah don’t part ways by March 1, it will be interesting to see if/how Roberts & the NBPA respond. The group has said it’s closely monitoring Noah’s situation with the Knicks. https://t.co/UaIMz58Nyv
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 25, 2018
Right now, no one is technically at fault since they have mutually agreed to stay apart. But if Jo wants to return to the team, Knicks can’t force him to stay away. That would violate CBA. I’d expect NBPA to weigh in/investigate what actually happened if Jo’s here after 3/1
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 26, 2018
If the Knicks can’t reach a buyout by March 1st, the situation could become awful sticky. The NBPA would likely want to investigate the incident that led to the mutual agreement for Noah to take a leave. That may not bode well for Jeff Hornacek who hasn’t made any significant public comment on the altercation that took place between him and Noah.
The biggest takeaway from this tweet is that the Knicks hand may be forced when it comes to getting rid of Noah. This saga has dragged on for too long and it’s an embarrassing situation for the organization.
Steve Kerr Praise
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was nearly the head coach in New York when Phil Jackson took over. Despite his forward-thinking decision to head to the Bay Area, Kerr still has kind words for the Knicks organization. Per video from ESPN’s Ian Begley, Kerr had good things to say about Hornacek. Kerr puts the onus on the Knicks success or lack thereof, on the players and injuries.
In addition to Hornacek, Kerr had some kind words for Kristaps Porzingis as well. ESPN’s Begley provides a video where Kerr says of Porzingis, “He’s the future of the Knicks.”
Steve Kerr praises Jeff Hornacek’s approach to coaching, notes injuries have hurt NYK. “If you don’t have talented players (and) if you don’t have healthy players, it’s hard to win.” pic.twitter.com/aFTX68Q1UA
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 26, 2018
GSW’s Steve Kerr wishes Kristaps Porzingis well in his rehab following ACL surgery: “He’s the future of the Knicks…. The better the Knicks are, the better the NBA is.” Adds Kevin Durant: “Hopefully he gets back soon, moves past this and continues to have a great career.” pic.twitter.com/1qwHMqBcm0
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 26, 2018
