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The NBA Finals will look a little familiar to New York Knicks fans — in more ways than one.
The championship series between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder got underway on Thursday and its opening stanza was similar to the way the Knicks' season ended: a clutch jumper from Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers pulled off yet another improbable comeback and earned a 111-110 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Metropolitan rooting interest are clearly squared in favor of the Thunder, especially after the way the Pacers denied the Knicks an NBA Finals showing for the 26th consecutive season. Former New York representation, however, is rife on both sides of the floor, giving Knicks plenty to root — or regret — about:
David Akinyooye
An Elmont, NY native (just like former Knicks target Donovan Mitchell), the longtime Oklahoma City assistant Akinyooye began his coaching career as an associate with the Knicks during their famed 54-win campaign in 2012-13. The Adelphi alum has been a part of the Thunder organization since 2015 and has also served as a head coach for the franchise's Summer League group.
Dave Bliss
If the Knicks were to explore the idea of granting an assistant his first head coaching opportunity now that Tom Thibodeau is gone, they could do far worse than Bliss, Mark Daigneault's right hand man on the Oklahoma City bench. Bliss previously worked in the Knicks' player development department and he recently made an ultimately unsuccessful play for the Phoenix Suns' top spot.
Rick Carlisle
Carlisle, who is vying for his third championship ring (and second as a coach after winning with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011), played 26 games with the Knicks during the 1987-88 season. Should the Pacers prevail, Carlisle would become the fourth NBA boss to guide two different franchises to a championship, joining Alex Hannum, Phil Jackson and Pat Riley.
Ousmane Dieng
Dieng never played a game for the Knicks but was originally drafted by New York during the opening round of the 2022 draft before he was traded for conditional selections. The French-born prospect holds a niche spot in Knicks history, as dealing away his first-round rookie's salary helped partly build a budget for Jalen Brunson's arrival.
Isaiah Hartenstein
Hartenstein signed with the Thunder after financial restrictions prevented the Knicks from making a competitive offer. The two-year Knick has lived up to every expectation a three-year, $73 million contract placed upon him, shoring up Oklahoma City's meandering endeavors in the paint and establishing a spot in the starting lineup.
Ajay Mitchell
Like Dieng, Mitchell officially goes down as a Knicks draft pick, chosen with the 38th overall choice in last June's selections. The trade that sent the UC Santa Barbara alum to OKC eventually netted Kevin McCullar in a further swap with Portland.
Obi Toppin
After three rollercoaster seasons, it was clear that the Knicks had no spot for Toppin, a would-be lottery hero from the 2020 draft, leading to a 2023 trade that netted back two second-round picks. Toppin failed to generate any lasting power in the Pacers' starting five but has since gone on to become a reliable depth stars. Indiana awarded his progress with a four-year, $58 million contract last summer.
More must-reads:
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- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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