Chris Russo Knicks NBA Cup Screengrab via ESPN
By Matt Yoder on

The New York Knicks won their first trophy 1973 on Tuesday night as they lifted the NBA Cup, defeating the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 124-113 in Las Vegas. But while the players certainly seemed happy about the accomplishment (and sharing in the prize money), Chris Russo was not impressed.

At 66 years young, Russo has always been one to speak out for the stars of yesteryear and the perspective of the old-timer. So if there was someone, anyone, in the sports world that would be against the idea of the NBA Cup just from his genetic wiring, it would be the Mad Dog. After all, it’s not a trophy that Bob Cousy and George Mikan played for.

And true to form, his weekly appearance on First Take brought with it an incredible rant against the tournament and the Knicks for celebrating their victory on Wednesday.

“Somewhere, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed and Red Holzman are saying, ‘really?'” Russo asked. “‘We’re going to celebrate this stupid thing? This inauthentic creation to jazz up the regular season, which means absolutely nothing in the big picture.'”

“We’re going to celebrate this with hats and banners? A challenge cup? This is like the World Baseball Classic, which I’ve always killed by the way. I did with Ohtani and Trout, so I’m consistent. This is stupid. This is not authentic. You are not going to convince a Knick fan, I’m surprised at Steve, who goes back to ’69-’70. Who goes back to Carl Braun for crying out loud. Who goes back to Sweetwater Clifton. And you’re going to sit there and tell me this is something significant? A fabricated event? When Wembanyama played 20 minutes? I mean are we going to do this now? I mean you must be kidding me,” Russo ranted.

Russo almost lost his voice at the end of the tirade, going through more ancient Knicks history before then turning his ire to Stephen A. Smith for celebrating the Knicks victory over the Spurs in the NBA Cup final.

For the record, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Knicks won’t be raising a banner to the rafters of Madison Square Garden for winning the NBA Cup. That’s in spite of the Lakers and Bucks doing so for being the first two teams to win the tournament.

It shouldn’t be lost on anybody that the most prominent and loudest voices sharing their disdain for the NBA Cup are also some of the oldest in Chris Russo and Charles Barkley. Although Barkley didn’t cite basketball stars from the Nixon Administration, he still called the tournament “embarrassing.”

They may not like it, but the NBA Cup is here to stay. The players care, fans are getting more invested, and if you remove the hyperbole, everyone else is realistic about what it means. The NBA Cup in no way compares to winning the NBA Finals, but it is a trophy and it’s worth celebrating. And really, what’s the harm in that?

About Matt Yoder

View all posts by Matt Yoder