Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Cities is unapologetically New York

It was like a wrestling promo interrupted.

Friday night time, following New York’s 116-94 thumping of the Milwaukee Bucks, Knicks star Jalen Brunson had his again to his locker and a herd of reporters in his face. The guard was speaking about every thing New York did proper when, between solutions, music hit abruptly from the doorway — a tune by the late MF Doom, an underground British-American rapper raised in New York. Reporters’ necks naturally turned and in got here Karl-Anthony Cities, the four-time All-Star huge man who was traded to the Knicks final month.

From Cities’ telephone boomed a sequence of New York rap staples, like “Whoa” by the late Black Rob, after which he had a aspect dialog about Yonkers native Jadakiss, a favourite of Cities’ who was in attendance for the Knicks’ victory.

Cities is from close by Edison, N.J., which is lower than an hour drive from Manhattan on an excellent visitors day, and since returning to the town on the largest stage in his career, every thing about him has been unapologetically New York. He has loudly embraced the town, and his roots — from the music he chooses to share publicly, to his wardrobe, which frequently options classic fashionable or classic Knicks gear, to his Dominican heritage and obsession with the Yankees. Following Knicks video games, whether or not at residence or on the highway, Cities was within the locker room, glued in entrance of a tv and watching New York’s most well-known baseball staff within the World Sequence.

Enjoying so near residence holds particular attraction.

“My mother’s household … the Dominicans are very excited,” mentioned Cities, who’s half Dominican. “My dad, my mother, immigrating over right here from the Dominican Republic, Madison Sq. Backyard, to her, was the Mecca. And to our household, it’s all the time been the Mecca. To have the ability to play in a spot that was so revered by her. Clearly, it strikes a unique emotion.”

Since he’s arrived, the New York-centric nicknames “The Large Bodega” and “Bodega KAT” have been tossed round as potential various monickers to his typical “KAT,” and he’s superb with both. “I’ll let the folks determine,” Cities mentioned.

“I don’t suppose he actually likes being known as, ‘Meow,’” Knicks swingman Josh Hart mentioned when requested if he’s realized something about Cities over the past month. “I realized that. I haven’t known as him that shortly.”

Cities is embracing his roots off the ground and, in flip, it’s allowed him to embrace them on the courtroom. There’s each emotion and showmanship following many buckets. There’s nothing extra New York than that. He tries to dunk on opponents. Exhausting. And he’s succeeded a number of occasions. He’s one of many league’s greatest rebounders by means of the early a part of the season and, per NBA.com, no participant has been higher at getting rebounds in visitors. Nobody ought to query his toughness.

Many gamers would come into a brand new state of affairs and be timid to begin. Many gamers becoming a member of an already profitable staff would attempt to conform to attempt to slot in. But, Cities has come to New York and stood out. He’s been probably the greatest offensive gamers in basketball, averaging 24.3 factors on 53/56/90 taking pictures splits. He’s nonetheless probably the greatest huge males ever to shoot a basketball.

Cities, in New York, has been, nicely, Cities.

“The blokes on this locker room have welcomed me with open arms and made me really feel snug,” Cities mentioned. “They need me to play my recreation. Clearly, there are going to be occasions after we’re going to have to search out the cohesiveness as a result of we’re nonetheless not used to play with one another, however I believe, you recognize, each single day we’re getting higher and each single day we’re engaged on ourselves and as a staff.

“My teammates have been a key half within the transition and the teaching workers has performed an incredible job, but it surely’s the fellows on this locker room, with the jerseys, who’ve made it very straightforward for (my recreation) to translate.”

A type of teammates is Brunson, who Cities solely ever refers to as “Cap,” which is brief for “Captain.” The 2 are within the early levels of forming a partnership that, with extra time, ought to current of one of many deadliest pick-and-roll/pop combos in hoops. The 2 are nonetheless trying to find consistency, that excellent stability, the one the place each get to do what makes them particular whereas becoming a member of forces and creating one thing unstoppable. That’ll include time.

“We are able to nonetheless get lots higher,” Brunson mentioned.

In getting traded to the Knicks, Cities reunited together with his previous coach Tom Thibodeau, who coached the large man in Minnesota and helped him attain heights hadn’t but beforehand achieved as a participant. The rockiness of their relationship again then has been well-documented, however when the chance to affix forces offered itself simply earlier than the beginning of the common season, each males have been keen to provide it one other go. In any case, each are dedicated to successful, and Cities was nicely conscious that his first style of success as knowledgeable, each individually and in a staff capability, got here underneath Thibodeau’s watch. Thibodeau, in the meantime, is greater than conscious of the particular dynamic that Cities can convey to a basketball staff offensively.

Thibodeau has as observe report of maximizing his facilities. Isaiah Hartenstein earned himself a hefty contract with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder this summer time due to how he carried out underneath Thibodeau in New York final season. Thibodeau additionally has helped flip Mitchell Robinson into one of many extra feared rim protectors in basketball. Thibodeau’s success with huge males may be traced all the way in which again to Taj Gibson in Chicago.

In the course of the second go-round with Thibodeau, Cities might very nicely have the most effective season of his profession. Offensively, the coach has put Cities in positions to get downhill, be a hub on the high of the important thing and empowered him to unleash his deadly 3-point shot with much more regularity. The Knicks are a greater staff when Cities shoots extra. Previous to this weekend, New York is 3-1 in video games the place Cities shoots at the very least 5 3s in a recreation.

“We’re fourth in offensive ranking, we’re high 5 in field-goal share, we’re No. 1 in 3-point share and free-throw share, however we want extra,” Thibodeau mentioned. “We have to get the amount up.”

Cities can do this, and with every passing recreation, he has been.

The 28-year-old huge man has adjusted nicely to life in New York, even when the private whirlwind of getting traded simply earlier than coaching camp from Minnesota, the one place he’s known as residence as an grownup, took some time to decelerate, even when he’s nonetheless on the lookout for a bodily residence.

In New York, Cities is embracing who he’s, as each a participant and individual, and what’s necessary to him. A part of that embrace is acknowledging these round him whereas nonetheless carrying what makes him particular. That is New York in any case, the place everybody looks like a person however issues can’t get performed with out everybody working in unison.

The Knicks can be higher due to how Cities is approaching this chance. It’ll simply take time, as all nice issues are likely to do.

(Prime photograph: Evan Bernstein/Getty Pictures)