If the New York Knicks’ players could pick a song as their walk-up music before games what would they choose? Luckily for us, we chose for them.
They say bad things come in threes. Celebrity deaths, Star Wars Prequels, and Lakers championships. This is the second of a three-part series in which we choose entrance music for New York Knicks players.
Part one can be found here.
Kyle O’Quinn – Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins – Get Low
Earlier this season, it was discovered that Kyle O’Quinn had been going to bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs in the New York Area on his days off. I was raised Catholic but, I attended my fair share of bar and bat mitzvahs during middle school. I always thought it was odd that when my friends had their bar mitzvahs they got these awesome parties, but when I made my confirmation all I got was another middle name.
It’s only fitting that O’Quinn’s entrance music is the song that got all the size 7.5 shoes on the dance floor back in the mid-2000s. You were trying to play it cool by the tables, you might have had one too many Shirley Temples, and then you hear the unmistakeable barumdumdum. “Get Low” never fails to get the people going.
I can’t think of a better song for KOQ. It’s a sure-fire way to get the crowd and his team pumped up as he brings the energy off the bench. That’s exactly what “Get Low” is at a bar mitzvah. It’s the perfect song to get you off the bench.
Troy Williams – Chance The Rapper – Prom Night
You may think a song about prom is a weird choice for someone’s entrance music. In this case, it makes perfect sense. Troy Williams has caught on with the Knicks, but he was initially signed to a 10-day contract. “Prom Night” is from “10 Day” which happens to be Chance The Rapper’s debut mixtape. But wait, there’s more.
“10 Day” was released in April of 2012 and Chance had been gaining a steady following of fans by the spring of 2013. Williams graduated high school in 2013 and there’s a good chance that this song played at his prom. If that’s true, and it’s highly likely, then “Prom Night” would make the perfect entrance music for Williams.
But he may not even have attended his prom. A lot of people don’t. I would have gone, but my girlfriend’s parents wouldn’t let her go. She went to a different school so you wouldn’t know her.
Jarrett Jack – Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me)
Unfortunately, Jarrett Jack is probably going to be a name that you hear in a few years and you say to yourself, “Oh yeah he was on the Knicks for a year. I totally forgot about that.” There’s actually even a possibility that you’re saying that to yourself right now.
Jack is in an incredibly tough spot and he’s handling it well. He has been taken out of the rotation completely in favor of the Knicks young triad at the point guard position. You could almost say that Jeff Hornacek has put Jack into a detention of sorts.
When I think of detention, I think of “The Breakfast Club” and this classic song from Simple Minds. I can almost picture Jack with his fist raised high with the backdrop of the Madison Square Garden seats behind him.
“Dear Coach Hornacek,
I accept the fact that I had to sacrifice a whole second half of the season for whatever I did wrong…”
Tim Hardaway Jr. – Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Shimmy Shimmy Ya
Tim Hardaway Jr. has had some ups and downs in his career with the Knicks. His highs have been incredibly high (see 32 point first half) and the lows have been incredibly low (see his brutal shooting stretch after returning from injury.)
Much like THJ, ODB had incredible highs and incredible lows. Sometimes he was putting out better tracks than “Any emcee in any fifty-two states” and other times he’d “Get psycho killer, Norman Bates.”
You know things are going good when THJ transforms into Shimmy Hardaway Jr. Earlier this season, Hardaway hit a ludicrous shot against the Cavaliers and hit the crowd with a little shimmy. It’s only fitting that Hardaway comes out to the timeless “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” from ODB.
Joakim Noah – Fleetwood Mac – Dreams
Fleetwood Mac’s album “Rumors” was written amidst serious relationship problems going on between the members of the band. Christine McVie and John McVie had recently divorced, Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were in an on again off again relationship, and Mick Fleetwood found out that his wife had been cheating on him. The entire album could be used for Joakim Noah’s entrance music, but I think a full-length album might be a little bit too long for NBA fans. I’ll see if I can talk to any of the NBA higher-ups to make an exception for Noah, but for now, we’ll narrow it down to one song.
“Dreams” is probably the track that does the best job of capturing the raw emotions the band was experiencing at that time. The personal problems the band experienced resulted in what has proved to be an enduring album.
Unfortunately, the relationship issues that Joakim Noah and the Knicks are experiencing have yet to result in greatness. That being said, the door is still ajar for Noah to make a return to the team next season. How likely is it? Who knows, but there’s always the possibility of a reunion tour.
The song was tailor-made for Noah. The constant drumbeat and almost hypnotizing bass line mirror the constant stream of news that came from the falling out between Noah and the Knicks. The lyrics were designed to be a shot at guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, but Noah could repurpose them as a slight towards Hornacek.
“Players only love you when they’re playing”
Part three of this trilogy still to come.
