New York Knicks Tried To Recruit LeBron James With Ten-Minute Video Featuring “The Sopranos”
Knicks get exposed after LeBron James recruitment video gets leaked.
On a recent episode of ‘Pablo Torre Finds Out,’ a segment of the Knicks’ pitch to LeBron James in 2010 was finally leaked for the world to see — and it’s starting to make sense why he never bothered to join.
The clip, which was the start of a 10-minute recruiting video, features James Gandolfini in his role as Tony Soprano from “The Sopranos.” He goes on to describe his quest to find a place for LeBron to live before he and his wife, portrayed by Edie Falco, eventually settle on Madison Square Garden, home of the Knicks and a place described as “classy, expensive, and loud.”
The rest of the video follows a similar theme, with various actors and celebrities lining up to make their pitch. The list of names includes Donald Trump, Spike Lee, Chris Rock, Walt Frazier, Alec Baldwin, and others.
Of course, we know now that LeBron would sign with the Miami Heat that summer in a multi-year deal. At the time, many were surprised that the Knicks weren’t given more consideration from James, especially since they were rumored to be his preferred destination. But if their recruitment video is anything to go by, then it’s no wonder why he didn’t give them a secondnd thought.
For James, all that matters to him is winning and at that point, before he won his first championship, his top priority was finding a situation where he could achieve playoff success. The Knicks were not in a state where they could make that kind of promise and it would be years before they’d land another star.
No Stars Have Come To The Knicks
As one of the biggest market cities in the NBA and the world, the New York Knicks have always been among the most valuable teams in the league. With a home in the legendary Madison Square Garden, the franchise has clout, notoriety, and one of the largest fanbases in basketball.
Even so, they’ve been shockingly lacking in stars since the departure of Carmelo Anthony years ago. Due to mismanagement and a track record of losing, the Knicks have become a laughingstock of the league in recent years and stars wouldn’t even give them a meeting in free agency.
That period, characterized by historic losing, was rock-bottom for the Knicks and fans were beginning to wonder if there was any hope of escape. It wasn’t until years later that the cycle would be broken.
With the arrival of Julius Randle, the Knicks began to develop their veteran core and it wasn’t long before they were in a position to sign their starting point guard, Jalen Brunson.
Today, the Knicks are not just surviving in the East, they’re thriving thanks to a strong frontcourt with Randle, Anunoby, and Robinson mixed with the star-level play of Jalen Brunson at the point. So while the Knicks certainly still have superstar ambitions, the rush to find a star is no longer necessary when Jalen Brunson has been as good as he’s been all season long.