Jalen Brunson hit rarified air in late September, becoming only the fifth NBA player to host "Saturday Night Live," joining Charles Barkley, Bill Russell, LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
It was one of numerous marketing opportunities available for Brunson and his teammates after the Knicks' championship in June.
While the off-court attention has soared, former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni doesn't think it is going to affect the group's performance this season.
"They're pros," D'Antoni said in an exclusive interview. "You've just got to get used to the attention and the pressure that comes with it, and you have to perform. But most players adapt to that."
D'Antoni said the challenge will be with all the other formidable foes throughout the league, from the Thunder and Spurs in the West to the revamped outfits in the East.
D'Antoni said "it's definitely a good sign" the Knicks were able to bring back nearly their entire core of championship players, but said another title will be an uphill battle.
"It's hard to repeat," said D'Antoni, who coached the Knicks from 2008 through 2012. "There's no guarantee of anything. You need some luck along the way. They are going to be good, and it would make the NBA interesting, because they haven't had a repeat champion for 10 years or so. We'll see. It's a nice goal for them to try to reach."
Like last year, the Knicks will need to peak when it matters most.
"They hit it good at the right time," D'Antoni said. "They were very good."
D'Antoni was thrilled to see his former team win last year's title, snapping a 53-year drought for one of the NBA's signature franchises.
Beyond his tie to the organization, D'Antoni appreciated the group of players that accomplished the feat.
"It's good for the NBA," D'Antoni said. "They play the right way. Their guys are really classy, intelligent. They did a great service to the NBA, and that benefits us all. I was really happy for them."
D'Antoni: James Harden "Still One of the Best Players in the League"
After his Knicks stint, D'Antoni went to Houston and found great success with James Harden as the focal point of his offense.
Harden won an MVP under D'Antoni's tutelage in 2017-18, leading the Rockets to a 65-17 record.
At 37 years old, Harden is no longer the same MVP-caliber player of his prime, but D'Antoni says his worth shouldn't be discounted.
"Superstars, when they just slip a little bit, people think, 'Oh, well, he's done,'" D'Antoni said. "No, he isn't. James is still one of the best players in the league."
Harden endured criticism for his play in the postseason, in which his scoring and shooting percentage dipped while his turnover rate increased, but D'Antoni expects him to settle into a key role with the Cavaliers this season after being acquired last February.
"He will always figure it out, because the guy is one of the most intelligent players I've coached," D'Antoni said. "Even though he's maybe not as proficient as in his best days, he's still really, really good. I think people lose sight of that."
D'Antoni: Jerry Colangelo "Changed My Life"
D'Antoni recently participated in the Jerry Colangelo Golf Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona, and raved about the man who altered the trajectory of his coaching career.
Colangelo owned the Suns when D'Antoni was promoted to head coach following the firing of Frank Johnson in 2003. D'Antoni coached four full seasons for the Suns from 2004 through 2008 and won 54 games or more in all of them, making the Western Conference Finals twice.
That group, headlined by Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire, played a run-and-gun style that took the NBA by storm.
D'Antoni was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in August.
"(Colangelo) changed my life," D'Antoni said. "When I came to Phoenix and got the opportunity to coach the Suns with the team that we had. Him and Bryan, his son, what they put together, it changed everything. It changed the trajectory of my career. Not only that, he's been a good friend, a mentor. I can't say enough about him."
Colangelo sold the Suns to Robert Sarver in 2004, and they have since been sold to Mat Ishbia.
Ishbia's willingness to pour resources into the team has caught D'Antoni's eye.
"He seems like he wants to win, and that's big," D'Antoni said. "He's not afraid to spend money. He's doing it the right way."
The Suns were better than expected last season, finishing 45-37, and D'Antoni thinks they can be competitive in the West this year.
"They've got a great coach in Jordan Ott," D'Antoni said. "Devin Booker always represents the franchise and himself really well. They have a chance. It's not easy for anybody."
D'Antoni's comments on a Knicks repeat line up with how bettors are pricing the question elsewhere. Traders looking to take a position on New York's title odds can check the Polymarket promo code page for the latest terms before placing a position on the market.
