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The old Knick and the sea

By Paul Centopani

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 17: Lance Thomas #42 of the New York Knicks talks to the crowd during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on October 17, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 17: Lance Thomas #42 of the New York Knicks talks to the crowd during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on October 17, 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Knicks are painting a big-picture masterpiece. Sure, their record doesn’t inspire confidence and they won’t be making the playoffs, but they have young talent, a renewed culture and a stabilizing veteran presence.

For so many years, this franchise felt lost at sea. Finally, the New York Knickerbockers have a competent front office with Scott Perry running the show. To borrow a business buzzword, they’re displaying synergy.

First-year head coach David Fizdale earned the respect of the players by showing he cares. He’s brought in past Knick legends to give them pride and understanding of the team’s historical fabric. He’s also earned the respect of the fans by speaking his mind without the generic, canned answers most coaches use.

The Knicks have a youthful exuberance through an assemblage of nice young pieces, the majority of which were unearthed gems. They’ve also taken low-risk, high-reward propositions on former lottery picks who haven’t panned out in other places. A high pick in the coming draft should also do wonders for their talent stock.

With youth comes hope, and hope can set you free. But the Knicks will need the fledgling youngsters to mature into stars. They also need stable veterans to show them the way.

Lance Thomas is one of the lone old-hats providing a rudder on this precocious and precarious New York team. He’s the longest-tenured Knick, making it through the roster turbulence of the past four years. Survival is nothing new for Thomas, whose hard work has kept him in the league since 2011.

I got to speak with Thomas at a sneaker drive in December. Aside from the disorientation of talking to someone a foot taller than you, he gave insight to the state of the team and how he instills his veteran savvy.

“I practice what I preach. I lead by example. Every day I work really hard. The guys know that. I don’t command someone’s respect because I’ve been in the NBA longer than them. I just go about my day the way I usually do with my workload and people gravitate towards that, it’s the craziest thing,” said Thomas.

They need his leadership to sustain a stable environment and develop good habits. New York ties Chicago as the youngest team in the NBA, and Thomas — along with Courtney Lee — represent the only Knicks over 27-years old, let alone 30. Even while they’re losing most games, you can see a foundation being laid.

“We have more of a definitive focus. We know that if things are gonna change it’s gonna start with us. We wanna be that core group that actually turns the culture of New York basketball around. Every night we’re out there, we’re playing with a chip on our shoulder. It may not be winning night-in and night-out, but we’re giving it all we got,” he explained.

The shift came with this season’s coaching change. Coach Fizdale helped usher in a tougher mindset.

“He’s definitely brought confidence in our guys. We have a ‘you keep what you kill’ system. He’s not just giving out minutes to people who are undeserving of them. If someone is outworking someone and is consistent, coach has no problem sending that person down and playing the person who’s been working. I love that about him. Especially if we’re going to change the culture. You wanna have guys competitive in practice and going at each other. When we practice it’s like we don’t even know each other. You’re starting to see the comradery we built when we compete against someone else,” Thomas delved on.

The career windows for athletes are fleeting propositions as they constantly face professional mortality. Having interests outside of the game can not only be healthy, but necessary.

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In the past year, Thomas started a clothing line for fishing called Slang Magic. Even though he hails from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, he got into fishing as a rookie in New Orleans. Fishing’s a big part of the culture there and Thomas threw himself into it. Now, it’s a passion and his way to disconnect.

“It’s my happy place. I just love being out there and I get peace of mind. It’s also competitive since I do it against some of the best in the Gulf Coast,” Thomas said.

As the Knicks embark on their journey to respectability, it’s good to know they have a captain with sea legs.

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