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.
This is the final installment of a three-part series in which we choose entrance music for New York Knicks players. This part took me longer than the first two, but this happens when you’re trying to tie up all the loose ends. I feel a bit like George R.R. Martin in that way, but don’t worry we won’t be performing any blood sacrifices here. Well, maybe I would consider sacrificing Emmanuel Mudiay for the top pick in the lottery. I’m joking! My high priestess is on sabbatical.
Part one and part two if you missed them.
On to the music…
Ron Baker – Kansas – Carry On Wayward Son
I should like Ron Baker. He plays as hard as anyone, he plays pretty decent defense, and he’s not afraid to put himself in harm’s way. I just can’t. Something about the way he plays irks me. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but I think I’m at the point where I don’t need to see him in a Knicks uniform anymore. Nothing personal, Ron.
I’m at the point where I never want to hear the song “Carry On Wayward Son” ever again. Freshman year of high school I took Guitar Class to fulfill my music requirement—Interpretive Dance was full. We played this song at our end of the year concert. Once you hear yourself play this song—poorly—hundreds of times, you’ll never want to hear it again. It’s not a bad song, but I have no desire to hear it ever again. Nothing personal, Kansas.
And the added bonus for this one is that Baker was born and raised in Kansas and played his college basketball at Wichita State.
Emmanuel Mudiay – Alicia Keys – Fallin’
For the record, I am not falling in and out of love with Emmanuel Mudiay’s game. I thought this addition was a good low-risk high-reward move and regardless of his play, I think that still rings true.
This is going to be Mudiay’s entrance music because he is literally always falling on the ground. It’s one of those things that you may not notice until someone points it out to you. But buddy, once someone points it out to you, you can’t help but notice it. Maybe it’s just frequency illusion, but I can’t stop seeing Mudiay tumble to the floor.
Lance Thomas – Chumbawumba – Tubthumping
You could make the case that this song would work for Mudiay due to his penchant for getting knocked down, but this one screams Lance Thomas. Thomas has struggled to find a consistent place in the NBA. He’s played a career-high in games this season—albeit for a bad Knicks team. He was a highly touted prospect out of high school but came into the league with much less hype. He was undrafted out of Duke and has had the classic journeyman career. He’s bounced around the league in his seven-year career, including multiple stops in the D-League (before it was the G-League) and even a stint in China.
It’s easy to forget about these types of guys when the superstars get all of the attention from the media. Thomas wrote a very good piece on The Players’ Tribune about the struggle for a 10-day contract. Thomas discusses getting waived and how he got back on his feet. If that’s not getting knocked down and back up again, I don’t know what is.
Isaiah Hicks – Petey Pablo – Raise Up
Admittedly, I don’t know a whole lot about Isaiah Hicks. I know he’s from North Carolina and he went to UNC. He also had one of the better games of his short career in Charlotte this season. I may have limited knowledge of Hicks’ background, but I have a deep appreciation for the musical genius that is Petey Pablo.
There’s a good chance there’s a better song out there for Hicks, but I don’t think anyone is going to complain about this one. Early 2000s rap was made to be played in stadiums and this one fits Hicks pretty well.
Trey Burke – Madvillain – All Caps
I’ll be honest, I couldn’t let this trilogy pass without mentioning the greatest of all time, MF Doom. Doom teamed up with Madlib to put out one of the greatest albums of all time, regardless of genre. Maybe it’s a reach, but this song is perfect.
This song is about having a chip on your shoulder and I’m pretty sure Trey Burke has a bone to pick with everyone who doubted him. When was the last time you saw him smile?
Doom and Burke had similar paths to the top. Burke was one of the best college players in the country and a lottery pick in the draft, but after struggling in the league, he had to return to the G-League to revitalize his career. Now he’s the starting point guard of the Knicks and his future looks bright.
Doom was part of the group KMD that was ready to take over hip-hop before one of their members was killed in a car accident and the group was put in limbo by their record company. Doom ended up walking the streets of Manhattan and was homeless for a little bit, but he eventually returned to prominence.
Ok, maybe this one is a reach, but this song is way too cold to leave off this list.
*BONUS* Adam Silver – Rick Ross feat. T-Pain – The Boss
The commissioner is the man in charge so what better song to have as his entrance music than “The Boss” by Rick Ross? Maybe he would prefer the Diana Ross track of the same name, but I think this one would resonate better with the NBA’s young fan base.
So I know what you’re asking yourself: why would Adam Silver need entrance music for a hypothetical scenario where NBA players are introduced as if they were professional wrestlers? Well, he wouldn’t use this song to check into a game.
He would use this as his entrance music as he walks up to the podium at the NBA Draft this summer in Chicago. I can see it now. Commissioner Silver struts up to the podium to the soulful autotune of T-Pain’s voice to announce that the Knicks are selecting Luka Doncic with the first overall pick.
Hey, crazier things have happened.
