If the Knicks left New York, would anyone notice...or even care?

New York and sports go hand-in-hand. There have been a long line of great sports franchises that have come from the New York region. The rich history of winning sports franchises in New York has made the destination a must-see in all sports. Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden are two of the most well-known sports complexes in the world. While sports in New York have such a strong link in most sports, basketball in New York hasn’t been so affable.

Many people thought LeBron James would sign with the New York Knicks following his reign in Cleveland. People thought the biggest star needed to play on the biggest stage. In baseball, yes, New York is the biggest stage. In football New York is, arguably, the biggest stage. But New York being the biggest stage in basketball is laughable.

In New York alone the Knicks are, at best, the fifth most liked franchise behind both baseball teams and both football teams. Even the New York Rangers in hockey might be more well-liked than the Knicks. The Knicks have won two championships since their inception in 1946 and those were in the early 1970’s. The team was able to bring in one of the best offensive players in Carmelo Anthony and they still can’t win.

When it comes to the NBA fans don’t think of the Knicks first. The history of the league is based around two franchises, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. Following them would be the Chicago Bulls because of Jordan’s legacy and then there are a handful of teams that would come before the Knicks. In the NBA, New York is not an ideal location for anyone. The Knicks franchise has weak ownership, front office and coaching. There is no discipline on the players and they do one thing consistently well, lose.

Ask a New York sports fan the last time the Mets won a championship. They will know it was 1986; they’ll probably be able to tell you the defining moment of the World Series was when Bill Buckner let the ball roll through his legs. Ask that fan when the last time the Jets won a Super Bowl was. While they might not know the season, 1968-69, they should be able to tell you Joe Namath guaranteed victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts. The point is the Mets and Jets usually play second fiddle to the Yankees and Giants and fans can still tell you about their greatest successes.

Besides playing in New York in “the most famous arena in the world,” there isn’t much pull to the Knicks. The Knicks haven’t been truly relevant since the 90’s when Patrick Ewing would go head-to-head with Jordan every year. Now they’re boring. They bring in stars and still lose. They’re not even good enough for opposing team’s fans to hate them because they have no substance. They’re not interesting anymore.

It will take a lot for the Knicks to be truly relevant and fun to watch again. They aren’t going to be able to bring great players so they will have to build a winning franchise with great drafts, smart trades and good personnel decisions. If they keep the status quo they will be in danger of playing second fiddle to the Brooklyn Nets, if they aren’t already.