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Presti finished high school, played Division III basketball at Emerson College and dedicated his life to the sport, first as a whiz-kid front-office staffer for the San Antonio Spurs, then as the mastermind general manager behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then one day in 2023, he reread a book called “Values of the Game” by Bill Bradley, the former New York Knicks forward and United States senator. It was about the through lines that exist in sports, the pieces of shared wisdom that shape our lives, the ideals that get passed down. “Leadership,” Bradley wrote, “means getting people to think, believe, see and do what they might not have without you.”
He added that current star point guard and Brooklyn native Jose Alvarado will be one of three Knicks from this year’s championship group attending the new school’s ceremony Oct. 15. He did not divulge the other two Knicks who will be attending but said three players from its 1973 championship team — school namesake Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Bill Bradley — will also be on hand, along with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “It’s going to be like Elvis [Presley], [Bruce] Springsteen and The Beatles together,” Klores quipped of the appearing lineup.
President Donald Trump will be at Madison Square Garden for an NBA Finals game, but Bill Bradley, former U.S. Senator and N.Y. Knicks star, says he won't be the center of attention! The Knicks alum has some advice for the Prez, saying ... "If [Trump] goes to the game, he has to realize he is second fiddle. He's the president of the United States, but at an NBA Final, if he attends, he's second fiddle. He's not first." "We'll see what he does. Quite frankly, I don't give a s*** what he does," Number 24 said.
53 years later, Walt “Clyde” Frazier thinks he's starting to see some parallels between his dominant team and the current-day Knicks, who currently lead the Philadelphia 76ers 1-0 in the second round of the playoffs. "I'm mesmerized by the way the team is playing," Frazier told Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday's episode of "The Tonight Show." "Actually, I'm living vicariously through them. They remind me of my team. My team personified team, you couldn't mention Frazier without (Bill) Bradley, without (Dave) DeBusschere, without (Willis) Reed, without (Dick) Barnett. I see similarities to this team, so they're starting to do that. Their camaraderie, their teamwork, they like each other, it's manifested on the court.
Current and former Knicks greats, plus his broadcast partners, share their congratulations to Clyde Frazier on his 80th birthday Saturday: Bill Bradley “I’m sorry I cannot be at the 80th Birthday Party. It was an honor to be your teammate all those years. You’re a terrific human being. But, I’m going to be there for the 90th for sure.” Jalen Brunson “Happy 80th birthday Clyde! A New York Knicks icon on the court and on the mic, thank you for all you’ve done for this organization and the city.”
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In an email exchange with the Hall of Famer and former U.S. Senator, Bradley shared that his only turnoff when watching the 21st Century NBA is the prominent stature that gambling has seized in the modern game. How much are you watching the Knicks of today … and do you enjoy watching today's NBA? BRADLEY: I see 10 regular-season games and watch the playoffs. I enjoy the talent and coaching. The game is about maximum player and ball movement and it requires unselfishness. Champions know that today just as they did when I played. My only problem today is legal gambling on games. I think it's a mistake. Please expound on your issues with gambling. BRADLEY: I don't think players should be turned into roulette chips; it's a scandal waiting to happen. There will always be gambling around the edges, but to legitimize it as a central part of the sport is counter to the values of the game.
How much are you watching the Knicks of today … and do you enjoy watching today's NBA? BRADLEY: I see 10 regular-season games and watch the playoffs. I enjoy the talent and coaching. The game is about maximum player and ball movement and it requires unselfishness. Champions know that today just as they did when I played. My only problem today is legal gambling on games. I think it's a mistake. Please expound on your issues with gambling. BRADLEY: I don't think players should be turned into roulette chips; it's a scandal waiting to happen. There will always be gambling around the edges, but to legitimize it as a central part of the sport is counter to the values of the game.
How much are you watching the Knicks of today … and do you enjoy watching today's NBA? BILL BRADLEY: I see 10 regular-season games and watch the playoffs. I enjoy the talent and coaching. The game is about maximum player and ball movement and it requires unselfishness. Champions know that today just as they did when I played. My only problem today is legal gambling on games. I think it's a mistake. Q: Please expound on your issues with gambling. BRADLEY: I don't think players should be turned into roulette chips; it's a scandal waiting to happen.
It's been more than 50 years since the Knicks won their last championship. How many more years do you think it will take? BILL BRADLEY: When a team gels it is part mystery, planning, talent and luck. The Knicks had a great January (14-2); now they just have to equal that in March. Then the real season starts and that's when character will show. Once a Knick, always a Knick.
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Your Knicks teams were and remain beloved. How do you reflect on the two title teams all these years later? BILL BRADLEY: Some of the best years of my life were with an incredible group of human beings — my teammates. We weren't the best players in the league, but we were the best team … and for two years we were the best in the world. It's a bond that lasts forever.
"I wanted to know America, like I once knew the seams of a basketball." HBO Max has revealed an official trailer for a sports biopic documentary called Rolling Along: An American Story, available streaming at the start of February on Max. "A story about all of us." Written & performed by two-time NBA Champion, former U.S. Senator, and lifelong storyteller Bill Bradley.