Knicks Legend Makes Huge Prediction for Current Team

The New York Knicks are hoping to win the franchise's first title in over 50 years.
Feb 10, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; MSG Network announcer and former New York Knicks great Walt Frazier on the court before game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; MSG Network announcer and former New York Knicks great Walt Frazier on the court before game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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It's been 51 years since the New York Knicks were NBA champions led by the dazzling Walt Frazier.

Frazier has seen much of the Knicks' good, bad and ugly as a broadcaster in the years since his playing days came to an end in 1979, but he believes the present-day Knicks may be as good as any team since the year in which New York won its last championship.

"I see the vibes," Frazier said via New York Post writer Zach Braziller. "I see a lot of similarities with [our] championship teams, starting with the coach. [Tom Thibodeau] is a lot like Red Holzman. He holds the guys accountable, and they're defensive-oriented, and the players actually like each other.

"I think this is going to be our year. Obviously, health is going to play a big factor into it. But if the Knicks can stay healthy, I think we can get back to our former grandeur.”

Those are strong words from Frazier, but there's reason to believe that he knows what he's talking about. The Knicks made the NBA Finals twice in the 1990's but fell short each time. Since 2000, the Knicks haven't even made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but last season they were just one win away.

Had it not been for injuries all around the roster, the Knicks might have been in the Eastern Conference Finals facing off against the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics.

Health will remain a big hurdle for the Knicks, but other than that, there isn't much in their way. The Knicks know that if they can control their own destiny, they can go as far as they want to go, and that's a great position to be in going into the season.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.