Okay folks, let’s go back in time. Way back, to 2012-13. Remember that season? Man, what a ride for us Knicks fans. Felt different, you know? Had this buzz. So yeah, I decided to dig deep, really relive that whole crazy year. Not just stats, but the feeling.
Digging Out The Old Stuff
First things first, I had to gather evidence. Went down to the basement, rummaged through dusty boxes labeled “Basketball Stuff (Do Not Chuck!)”. Found ’em! Felt like uncovering treasure. The tickets stubs – opening night, that crazy win streak in spring, a playoff game. Faded, but there. Old newspapers, the Post blaring “LIN-SANITY!” even though that was kinda before… but the energy carried over? Found this ugly-but-beloved orange T-shirt with STAT’s face, brand new, tags still on – guess I never wore it after… well, yeah. And stacks of DVR recordings on old tapes. Figured, gotta actually watch them properly.
Setting the Scene Again
Cleared a space. Didn’t need the fancy setup for this. Just me, the big screen, the remote, and some pizza. Made it feel like 2013 again. Put on some pre-game show recordings first. Remember Walt Clyde talkin’? Always gave you hope, even when things got nuts. Started at the beginning: Opening Night against Miami. That Melo step-back over LeBron to win it? Chills all over again! Jumped off the couch yelling just like before.
Reliving the Highs… Wow!
The good times felt SO good re-watching:
- That insane 13-game win streak felt electric through the screen. JR Smith playing out of his mind. Prigioni diving everywhere. Novakaine splashing threes.
- Melo chasing that scoring title – I totally forgot how clutch he was that last stretch. Scored like 30 every night!
- Beating Boston 3 times? Yeah baby! Every single win felt like a playoff clincher. Old-school blood feud.
- Finishing second in the East? Didn’t see that coming after years of… less than stellar finishes.
Watching Jason Kidd run the point? Seeing that calm? That was gold. Made you believe in smart basketball.
The Ugly Truth Too – The Crunch
But gotta be real. Stuff started creaking:
- Amar’e Stoudemire punching that fire extinguisher case? Yikes. Just hearing the commentators go silent, then awkward… bad juju, man.
- Seeing Tyson Chandler limping? You knew it was trouble. Team lost all its paint presence without him locking it down.
- Playoff time rolls around against Indiana… Oof. Even knowing what was coming, watching it unfold hurt. The offense just seized up. Brick after brick. Hibbert looking like a giant wall.
- Remember Game 6? At home? Crushing silence by the end. Melo looking drained. Felt like the air got sucked outta the Garden. That final buzzer hit hard.
Why I Did This
Wanted to see if it felt as special now as it did then. And honestly? It kinda does, flaws and all. That year had guts. Had personality. Fell short, yeah, obviously. But it wasn’t boring. It was hopeful after so much blah. That win streak? Pure magic. Melo scoring champ? Awesome.
But the ending? Yeah, still a gut punch. Shows you how fine the line is between feeling on top of the world and reality hitting hard.
Reliving it? Totally worth the dusty basement trip. Makes you appreciate the wild times, even the ones that sting.
