Jordan Clarkson was attending a Carlos Alcaraz match at Wimbledon when his agent, Wealthy Paul, known as with an vital query.
“The place you wanna go?” Paul requested.
“I stated, ‘I wanna come to New York,'” Clarkson recalled Saturday evening.
Paul then reached out to the Knicks to relay Clarkson's curiosity.
“All of it occurred in two minutes,” Clarkson stated. “Then I used to be a Knick.”
Clarkson, 33, revealed this change Saturday evening throughout a dwell taping of “The Roommates” podcast hosted by his new teammates, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
The interview, which occurred in entrance of a whole lot of rain-soaked Knicks followers at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, represented Clarkson's first public feedback since becoming a member of the Knicks in July on a minimal contract.
So why did he decide New York after negotiating a buyout from the Jazz?
“The sector [MSG], truthfully,” Clarkson stated. “Feeling the power from the followers. Figuring out they're going to let you've gotten it when you're enjoying like s–t. However while you're enjoying nice, it's all love. On the finish of the day, I simply wish to really feel the power. Get to play with y'all [Brunson and Hart].
After the Central Park crowd chanted Clarkson's identify, Hart poked enjoyable on the lack of variety in Salt Lake Metropolis.
“The Backyard's going to be nice vibes,” Hart stated. “It's going to be totally different from Utah. … We obtained extra taste to our crowd brother, don't fear about it.”
Later within the interview, Brunson stated he mentioned teaming up with Clarkson effectively earlier than it occurred.
“I'm not going to say when,” the Knicks captain stated, “however me and Jordan talked about this some time in the past.”
With 11 years logged within the NBA, Clarkson is now the oldest and most skilled participant within the Knicks rotation.
He's anticipated to come back off the bench as a microwave scorer, a job that earned him Sixth Man of the 12 months honors in 2021 with the Jazz.
This model of Clarkson is a bit of slower and considerably unknown after he performed solely 36 video games final season for the tanking Jazz.
However he appears content material with falling in line.
“Y'all been doing nice issues over right here,” Clarkson stated of the Knicks, who've NBA Finals aspirations after advancing final season to the convention finals. “I simply wish to are available in right here and improve what y'all obtained occurring.”
Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele had been the Knicks' high free agent signings, however their greatest offseason strikes — firing Tom Thibodeau and hiring MIke Brown — weren't talked about throughout Saturday's two-hour dwell present.
The company had been Clarkson, Jamal Crawford, Eli Manning and Ben Stiller.
Hart touched on the Kawhi Leonard scandal by teasing Brunson, whose team-friendly extension was referenced by reporter Pablo Torre as a possible goal of his subsequent investigation.
Torre uncovered proof and paperwork suggesting Leonard and his workforce, the Clippers, circumvented the wage cap by serving to him land a $28 million no-show endorsement deal.
“We're wanting into you subsequent, alright?” Hart joked to Brunson. “We're wanting into you, brother. Me and Pablo.”
Crawford, the second visitor after Manning on Saturday's dwell present, revealed he received't return to MSG Networks subsequent season to broadcast Knicks video games after becoming a member of NBC as an analyst.
Crawford served as an alternative to Clyde Frazier on MSG for seven video games final season.
Frazier, 80, is planning to return however has in the reduction of his schedule in recent times.
NBC, which is again as a tv accomplice with the NBA, has additionally employed Carmelo Anthony, Reggie Miller, Grant Hill, Vince Carter and, most noteworthy, Michael Jordan as a “particular contributor.”
