LISTEN: Boomer Rips Knicks In Epic Rant, Calls Out Entire Organization
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Boomer is not happy with the Knicks.
Not happy at all.
In a back-and-forth with Craig during Jerry Recco's Monday morning update, in which audio clips of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis discussing the current state of the team following its brutal loss to the lowly Nets on Sunday were played, Esiason ripped into Phil Jackson's crew something fierce.
"I think Brandon Jennings basically said it all. (The Knicks are) a team that doesn't play together, that doesn't like each other, and a team that does not care," Esiason said. "And it is often said, in the NBA, you are only as good as your superstar wants you to be. And if your superstar doesn't buy into what you are selling, whether in this case there are really two superstars, Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony, if they don't get along, they don't play well together, and they don't commit to whatever the Knicks are trying to teach them, then forget it. You don't have a chance."
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Boomer and Craig discussed how the Knicks (26-41) are lacking anything resembling a winning culture, including criticizing their insistence to continue instituting the triangle offense. Boomer then teed-off on Anthony and Jackson.
"Why don't you ask Mike D'Antoni, ask Mike Woodson, ask Derek Fisher and ask Jeff Hornacek what are the reoccurring problems with this basketball team. If they had stones, if they really had the balls to say it, they'd say our superstar doesn't listen to us. He does whatever he wants. He doesn't play defense. And he doesn't inspire anybody on the floor of the team," Esiason said. "And when you give him a no-trade clause and a guaranteed contract, this is like the old days of the NBA. This is the Stephon Marburys, the Steve Francis and Allen Iversons of the world, this is what is playing here and you are being led by this distant, kind of mercurial, weirdo of a president. And you expect culture and functionality and some sort of pride in that building? Are you crazy? Are you out of your mind? It has got all of the reasons why it should fail and we all see it."
Esiason went on to say he is by no means a basketball expert, but as a fan he is disgusted by what he has seen from the Knicks over the last three seasons. He didn't mince words as the rant continued.
"I'm like every other fan out there. I can see and I can tell when there is dysfunction," Esiason said.
He compared the 1996 Jets to the situation that has been unfolding for years with the Knicks.
"When Bill Parcells basically whined his way out of New England — "I gotta shop the for the groceries" and all that crap — what he saw was an unbelievable opportunity to take over a morbid franchise and add the most important ingredient to that franchise, discipline. And then accountability coming right after that," Esiason said, referring to Parcells taking over the Jets following their brutal 1-15 season. "The NBA allows, because of the way the structure is, the salaries, the building of the superstar brand, the individuality that is promoted at the AAU level, by the skanks and skunks that are the people that latch on to these kids … because they know these kids in a lot of ways sometimes don't have the proper guidance within their life to help them make decisions, is permeated right here on the basketball court at the highest level in the basketball mecca of the world, Madison Square Garden. And it is an absolute disgrace. You know it. I know it. And everybody else who watches this crap knows it.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Esiason continued. "You have to get rid of all these people. Who is the Pat Riley of today that can come here or the Bill Parcells of today that can come in here and wipe this crap this away, so at least you have some semblance of a culture and pride that is associated with the brand that you are selling as the Knicks? It is a joke, an absolute joke."
To hear the complete interview, please click on the audio link above.
