By MARC BERMAN
Ismail Humet is a huge Knicks fan who attends Hofstra University and had high hopes about his club making hay in 2010's free-agent class.
That is, until he had a taped phone conversation with Chris Bosh, who broke into a laughing fit at the notion of signing with the Knicks next summer.
The conversation can be seen on ustream.com. Bosh's reps taped the contest giveaway. It is a recent trend of athletes promoting themselves on their own through ustream.
In the video here, Humet gets a 3 a.m. phone call from Bosh, letting him know his younger brother had won "The Most Dirtiest Sneakers'' contest. During the phone call, Bosh tells Humet he will receive a gift -- a Bosh autographed pair of sneakers in the mail.
Humet replied, "I appreciate that, but you know what's a better gift? Come to the New York Knicks New York Knicks next season."
Bosh and his manager, Hadi Teherany, laughed at the suggestion, laughed the rest of the call, and even laughed after he hung up.
"I've been a diehard Knicks fan following them through the tough times and everyone's talking about 2010,'' Humet told me on the phone today. "But it doesn't seem stars want to come. To hear Bosh laughing it off, I was surprised. I was expecting some kind of response. I didn't say it like it was a joke. After (Grant) Hill and (Jason) Kidd not coming, you wonder.''
Most people in the NBA believe free-agents-to-be LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will end up staying where they are. Bosh and Amare Stoudemire are the likeliest to bolt.
But if you watch Bosh's reaction (at approximately the 11-minute mark), bolting to New York is strictly a laughing matter.
Disparaging, and looking like a trend after Hill/Kidd. Just what we need to lift morale next summer, 'Bron, Wade, and Bosh laughing publicly in our collective faces. There's a slight chance Bosh was just reacting to Humet's presumptuousness. It's not clear.
[Edited by - Moonangie on 07-22-2009 4:36 PM][Edited by - Moonangie on 07-22-2009 4:37 PM]