I remember one time Jordan started getting in the face of Starks and pointing his finger close to Starks' face, and Starks just slapped his hand away. That made MJ REALLY mad, but he didn't get his hand in Starks face anymore. Remember Anthony Mason, who certainly didn't look like he could handle the ball, bringing it up the court and doing a dang good job several times. Remember Ewing hit a three at the end of a game when we needed it. We were physical and played tough D with Ewing, Oak and Mason -- we were disliked by our opponents who said or implied we were a dirty team.

See, it wouldn't be cool now to be a Miami Heat fan. It was I think probably more fun to be a Knick fan at that time than a Bulls fan. It's fun when your team cares and plays hard and has heart. The problem these days is that nobody hates our guts (for the right reasons). A championship would be great, but it has to be earned the right way for it to be special (not like what Miami did).

Who on this team has a third of the intensity of Starks? Remember him pounding his chest? Remember him getting into defensive position and touching both hands on the floor as the opposing guard started coming up the floor? Don't you want to be hated again by the likes of Reggie Miller and all of Chicago?

New NBA doesn't play that way anymore. This is a league where opponents hold hands and sing Kumbaya.

They don't hate us. They laugh at us.

Its an interesting point and one that has some validity I think. I mean that Bobcat team had lost 16 straight road games and yet put up 17pts more at MSG than they had been averaging in that time. Dismal defensive performance when you consider that stat and especially on the back of the dire 1st quarter on Sunday night (when we gave up 40). Its a serious concern in terms of preparation when we should have been very aggressive, focused and realizing it was a game we had to win. The same applies on Friday against a very average Bobcat team. Lose that and we risk a disastrous start to the season given the upcoming schedule. Teams will relish coming into NY and the garden if we play with the soft physicality and attitude we have shown so far and when they are allowed to dominate the boards. We need to get nastier and tougher, not in an ill disciplined way but showing a much improved attitude. If the current roster won't do it and the coach can't get it out of them they should all be replaced ASAP.

markvmc wrote:I think I might hate us.

Fortunately for you, there's others in here who would hold hands with you and sing that song as well.

The era of Starks head butting and "Drive the Lane At Risk to Your Own Life" is over. This is a league dominated by LeQ Le Flop And SkinnyDurant.

This is the era where 300lb pro football players can be tweeted and texted out of their livelihood.

Or does anyone in here not realize that "bullying" is a curse word now? Mase, Oak, Ewing and the XMan on D were classic bullies. And that was seen as a good thing. Then.

Welcome to the New World. We're softer and friendlier and poli C now.

Meanwhile, the stage is set Sunday for the season to be turned around by .... The Return of Junior! Remember the Alamo!