Leon Rose took many risks to build this Knicks championship team his confidence never wavered
SAN ANTONIO — None of the moves were clear slam dunks.Every one of Knicks president Leon Rose’s biggest decisions brought plenty of skepticism.And each one only increased the pressure on him to be right.He was, as the Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years, defeating the Spurs on Saturday night to win the Finals in five games.Going all out — clearing $30 million in cap space — to sign Jalen Brunson as his envisioned cornerstone to build around had plenty of critics.
Most thought he was a nice player, but did not see him as a face of the franchise worthy of how aggressively they pursued him.Trading RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley — two homegrown, burgeoning stars who enjoyed success with the team — for OG Anunoby split the fanbase.Anunoby at the time was seen as a strong 3-and-D piece but had never been an All-Star and was injury-prone.Sending five first-round picks to the crosstown Nets for Mikal Bridges became one of the most controversial moves in local history.
That kind of haul should be reserved for a Giannis Antetokounmpo-level superstar, most argued, not a third or fourth option.Were they overpaying to bring in a Villanova buddy?Even the Karl-Anthony Towns trade was contentious.
Julius Randle, though he had his detractors, had been at the center of the team’s rise out of the gutter into a playoff team.Donte DiVincenzo was a fan favorite and part of the original ’Nova Knicks trio.
Towns had plenty of pedigree but carried a reputation — one that Brunson said was “unfair” — of being soft and not necessarily a winner.His previous co-star, Jimmy Butler, thought little of him.And, lastly, firing Tom Thibodeau — after reaching the conference finals last year — and hiring Mike Brown brought all sorts of second-guessing, right up until they reached this year’s Finals.But Rose never wavered in his belief.
He never speaks publicly, but rather operated behind-the-scenes to put together a group whose parts fit together perf...