I want to thank uk.com for asking about yesterday's game. My real friends don't really do that so you guys are fantastic - thank you. A member of this board has actually met my dad and he lurks so I feel like he's part of the community too.

I am splitting this off from the other thread because I was pretty angry with The Garden at first but have no anger in me at all now. So I want to emphasis to be on the how classy the whole experience was. That said, I don't believe in censorship or altering the record or whatever so I will link to this thread in that one.

I asked for a phone call, instead I sat court side with my dad at MSG. They gave us five seats that were baseline right next to the OKC bench. The only person with a better seat was the security guy. I want to let you guys know that the experience exceeded my expectations - when does that ever happen for something like this. You know their record - how is this even possible?

We upgraded to courtside while watching pre-game warmups and after my dad spoke to John Starks. My sister in law had no idea what to get him for Christmas so I told her to print a photo off of The Dunk and buy metallic colored Sharpies. We had gold, silver, and bronze. John choose silver, so keep that in mind if you ever ask for his signature.

Pic of tickets: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KD4clNepjiNnzmg5fmu3pJQn1foh7YiF/view?usp=sharing

Quick aside: While I have your attention, one thing I want to say is 100% of the establishments I went to in NYC were woefully inadequate for someone for someone in a wheelchair. We stayed in Central Park South, so everything was excellent for me. I never understood that before this weekend. If you own or manage a retail space, do yourself a favor and test the experience out YOURSELF in a wheelchair. Try the experience moving someone around in a chair. See if the experience meets your standards because I'd bet my savings it doesn't. Anyway:

Russell Westbrook sat the whole game at the end of the bench. So my dad sat with him the whole game. That in itself is dope af. Some kids are screaming for autographs so I scream 'EMBIID SUCKS!!!' thinking it would get a laugh and he'd come over and sign, and maybe say hi to me. But, no, he's intense. I love him as a player but probably would't want to shoot pool or play golf with him. That said i do love how he loves to be the villain. After that, he would scream just as loud as me 'OH HELL NO!' every time the Thunder stopped the Knicks.

Pic of Russ: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BXw781am9ZZDXgPwU0_rzBmobyODxFAm/view?usp=sharing
Pic of PG-13: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BXw781am9ZZDXgPwU0_rzBmobyODxFAm/view?usp=sharing

I look up at the scoreboard and it's something like 40-20 and I start thinking about how much this sucks. I actually sat courtside in Houston with my dad maybe a decade ago and the Knicks got blown out. I was thinking this sucks, most people don't do this once, and we do it twice and the game sucks so much there's nothing memorable about it.

Frank makes a great on the ball defensive play and I scream 'LET'S GO FRANK!' And he does it for like four or five possessions. At that point, my dad tells me that Russ was glaring at me. As in I pissed off Westbrook. I'm like oh my God I'm going to die and get put with Jimmy Hoffa. So I cool it and he doesn't check in until halftime and it was 80-30 or whatever.

During intermission, they had a gospel choir do their thing in honor of MLK. Wow, great stuff. Same with the anthem, some world class trumpeter did it. I prefer instrumentals because unless you are Whitney the singers don't even attempt the high notes on the end of 'free' and that dude hit the notes with a flourish.

The third starts and I basically miss it with concessions and bathrooms breaks and what not. But while I'm doing that I'm thinking... basketball is the best sport to see live. You can interact with the players. Russ hates me. Everyone else will follow him. I miss the third getting food etc. but turns out to be at a good time because tensions go away.

MSG also gave us a block of seats in section 10 too. So family alternated sitting courtside. My mom comes down and brings my four year old nephew. And he's cracked out on cotton candy. My mom is explaining the basics and my nephew is like 'YAY BLUE TEAM YAY' during the massacre each time the Knicks got a bucket. And Russ was watching and loved every second of it.

I decide I'm going to say 'Welcome back Ray!' I basically wait for Russ to get yanked, who by the way, sat for what felt like 3/4s of the game on the bench and still basically had a triple double. I wait until Russ gets benched and Ray sees me, and I shout 'Welcome back Ray!' And he responded to it and said thank you.

I had absolutely nothing to do with the chants, but 10 seconds after our exchange the crowd starts chanting 'Ray-mond Fel-ton'. To my count: four times. I joined in of course. PG-13 was really into it. Jerami Grant - who played a fantastic game - was into it. Russ was into it. Honestly, I felt like a general (or a supremecommander) and I had an army behind me. It was surreal.

I'm watching the clock and there's 1:20 left. I start looking at Billy Donovan and screamed as loud as I could 'BILLY PUT RAY IN.' I repeated that I think three times and the last time was 0:40 and Billy heard me. The OKC bench (the starters) loved it. Absolutely loved it. Ray thanked me again and asked that I please stop.

I have these great pictures of Grant, PG-13, and Russ cheering for Abdel Nader, who exploded. Wow. What a fourth he had. On one play while he was hot, he didn't shoot the three. He drove in and curled back out. And Russ screamed 'SHOOT IT - IT'S THE FUCKING GARDEN.' That was the coolest thing I've ever witnessed. An 'enemy' HOFer acknowledging the crowd - us.

Pic of Russ, PG-13, Jeramy: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rn1eaiuj19-SZgIit0A1AnSz329I0WcV/view?usp=sharing

Man, what a game. I wouldn't change anything. I got to see greatness in action. The Knicks got blown out and had no fight but I haven't been at the Garden where it was that loud in a long time. Jeff Van Gundy probably still had his Civic then. But that's my courtside experience with my dad and that was all about love. I can't really explain it but I mean I felt like the Knicksverse was thanking my dad for being a fan for as long as he had.

I have thoughts on the players and the coaching staff from watching warmups and the game. I will share those later but for now I am tired of typing. If you have any questions shoot. I will share pics and video soon too.

Awesome

awesome write up and so happy the team not only answered your call......
But "ANSERED THE CALL!!!"

Glad we encouraged you in some small part to stay on the knicks and boy did they deliver!
Perhaps if it was a winning season not all the seats would have been available but in any event your dad had a meaningful experience and that's all that counts!!!

My hopes are one day players will come here. So many acknowledge "The Garden" and hope one has the courage to step up and be part of something special.
Yesterday was your dad's turn! One day he'll be gone but this is a day you both will have forever!
(I lost my pop in November. He had full and long life. My memories will far exceed anything else he left!)

That was great. Thanks.