New York Knicks fans (and New York Rangers fans, for that matter) have been incredibly spoiled throughout the years in one department: broadcasting.
Now, we can add another name to the mix: Jamal Crawford, a man who spent parts of five seasons in New York (2004-05 to 2008-09), averaging 17.6 points and 4.4 assists per game.
Crawford, 44, made his MSG Networks debut on Wednesday night in Phoenix when the Knicks beat up the Suns. Better yet, Knicks fans seemingly responded positively to the former Knick.
Of course, Crawford wouldn’t be outdone by the fans, as he also reacted strongly. Only he tipped his cap to his broadcasting partner on this night:
Loving the hometown voices is nothing new in Knickerbockers’ land.
First, Marv Albert’s close Knicks ties allowed fans to hear his young voice when Willis Reed heroically made his way out onto the court in Game 7. Then, Mike Breen and Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier were bumped up from the radio and into the TV booth when Jeff Van Gundy was still leading the bench.
(Sure, Breen was bumped back down to WFAN upon Marv’s return, but the current dynastic duo has been entrenched since 2004.)
In any event, MSG Networks’ talent has blessed not only the Knicks fanbase throughout the years but it’s also represented the voice of an entire nation. Albert was NBC’s top play-by-play man for the NBA on NBC in the early and mid-1990s, whereas Breen is currently that buy for ESPN/ABC.
Locally, whether it’s Breen, Frazier, Kenny Albert, Wally Szczerbiak, or Alan Hahn, Knicks fans feel good about the broadcast nearly every game. Better yet, they can add one more name to the list: a man who played for nine different NBA organizations yet undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the Big Apple.