New York Times NBA reporter Marc Stein is ripping the New York Knicks after Monday’s incident with Spike Lee and the subsequent fallout.
The New York Knicks don’t need the headache that their supposed No. 1 fan is inducing right now. Filmmaker and director Spike Lee—a constant fixture courtside at Madison Square Garden—is setting his sights on his beloved franchise and its owner after a dispute regarding the entrance he used on Monday night.
New York Times NBA reporter Marc Stein took to Twitter to rip the team.
Remember when one of the greatest players on the planet said “the cool thing right now is not the Knicks?” Even if he really believes Spike is the one creating “a false controversy” … how does Dolan not see the damage this does to the Knicks’ brand handling things this way?
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 3, 2020
There’s something to be said for Stein’s point here. The Knicks aren’t doing themselves any favors by responding to Lee in this way.
NBA players see these kinds of things. It’s not a good look for a team that is currently trying to change its image around the league. Donovan Mitchell, who will be in MSG on Wednesday to play the Knicks, responded to the video of Lee explaining the incident.
That’s crazy yo
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) March 3, 2020
The Knicks are not doing themselves any favors by continuing this feud with their most visible fan. Sidestepping the issue may not be easy, but it would be the best way to make this story go away.
On the other hand, Lee’s role in this saga must be questioned as well. Had he not gone on television on Tuesday morning, this entire story would have blown over and the focus would be back on the Knicks beating up on the Houston Rockets. After all, clutch plays by RJ Barrett and Frank Ntilikina gave the Knicks a cathartic win over James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and the Rockets on Monday night.
Instead, the world is debating which entrances Lee can and can’t use.
The team—and by extension Jim Dolan—is not attacking Knicks fans in any way, shape or form. Spike Lee is not a normal Knicks fan. Most fans don’t have the luxury of choosing to bypass the VIP entrance for a more preferred method of entry.
