NEW YORK — UCLA coach Ben Howland and St. John’s coach Steve Lavin share a lot in common.
Both men followed legendary coach John Wooden in leading the Bruins.
Both currently coach tradition-rich programs that are struggling and have restless fan bases.
Both face very real questions about their immediate futures.
NEW YORK — Kyle Anderson has been answering the question all his life.
No, it’s not, “Which college are you going to play for?’ or “What position will you play at the next level?”
It’s, “What is your ethnic background?” or more directly, “What are you?”
“People do ask me all the time,” the 6-foot-9 Anderson told SNY.tv hours before UCLA lost to St. John’s, 66-63, at Madison Square Garden. “I tell them my mother’s parents have Jamaican and Asian descents.”
ESPN on Saturday apologized for a racist
NEW YORK — Lance Thomas admits there were times last year when he wondered if he would ever make it to the NBA from the D-League.
“I just knew I had to work that much harder to basically show I can play at this level,” the Brooklyn-born Thomas told SNY.tv Friday night at Madison Square Garden before the New Orleans Hornets snapped the Knicks’ seven-game winning streak, 89-85.
“So I did everything in my power. I got stronger, I improved a lot on my offensive game. I even improved more on the defensive end. I just found a way.”
NEW YORK — Emeka Okafor didn’t play a single minute against the Knicks Friday night, but he may have had the best post-game quote of them all.
“Great job @Hornets! Way to “Curb the LINthusiasm!!!” Okafor tweeted after the Hornets stopped the Knicks’ seven-game, Jeremy Lin-inspired winning streak, 89-85 at Madison Square Garden.
Still, there may be a bright side to the loss for the Knicks entering Sunday’s nationally televised game against the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.
Linsanity has hit a speed bump. At least
NEW YORK — Mark Warkentien personally vouched for J.R. Smith and was the key executive in bringing him to the Knicks.
Warkentien is the Knicks Director of Pro Personnel and previously served as the vice president of basketball operations with the Denver Nuggets, where Smith played from 2006-11.
“Mark Warkentien obviously was the general manager in Denver with J.R. and he was instrumental in getting this done and he obviously was very supportive and obviously the key guy to get this done,” Knicks interim GM Glen Grunwald said Friday when the Knicks officially announced the acquisition of Smith, 25, a former teammate of Carmelo Anthony.
