Beck: Knicks Feeling Nets' Heat

Howard Beck uses the occasion of the Knicks' reveal of their "new" uniforms to ask whether "New York’s original NBA team" is feeling the hot breath of Mikhail Prokhorov.

Would the Knicks’ owners be spending $850 million to renovate Madison Square Garden if the Nets weren’t building a $450 million arena just six miles away? Would the Knicks be trumpeting orange waistbands if black Brooklyn caps weren’t flying off the shelves? Is it all coincidence? Perhaps.

Beck concludes, "Ignoring the Nets is no longer an option. There are suites to fill and jerseys to sell and fan loyalties at stake. The Knicks actually have to try now."

• Knicks Play Up Their 'New' Uniforms - Howard Beck - New York Times