The alternate reality I’ve got going on with my Knicks franchise in 2K would have been so damn amazing if it actually happened while I was growing up as a kid cheering for them. I still cheer for them and watch every game, of course, but man… instead I’ve been stuck with no rings and a franchise that’s been a laughingstock for most of my life as a fan.
But hey — this is a video game, where anything is possible. And man… we did that. We accomplished something that hasn’t been done since the Bill Russell Celtics in the ’60s: five championships in a row. I know, unbelievable, right? I’ve truly built a juggernaut. Even when I make roster adjustments, everything just works.
And if you’re just chiming in and wondering why I’m doing all this — the goal has always been to see if I can make Stephon Marbury a Hall of Famer. After last season, I think that debate is officially over. There should be zero questions about it when he retires.
Offseason Moves & Roster Changes
Heading into this season, I didn’t make a ton of changes. Shaq retired, which I kind of expected, and he rode off into the sunset with five rings — one more than he got in real life. I traded Nate Robinson for some picks, moved Stromile Swift for picks as well, and added another ’Cuse guy in Hakim Warrick.
In the draft, I brought in Jonny Flynn (one of my all-time favorite Syracuse players) and Hasheem Thabeet. I wanted to see if I could rewrite the careers of two guys labeled as “busts,” especially since one of them is a personal favorite.
Quick side story: the first Syracuse basketball game I ever went to was UConn vs. Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, Thabeet’s freshman year. That place was rocking. I’ll definitely write about that later — but back to 2K.
I also elevated OJ Mayo to my starting shooting guard and moved Trevor Ariza to the bench as my sixth man.
Starting lineup:
Marbury, Mayo, Melo, David Lee, Tyrus Thomas
Bench:
Ariza, Thabeet, Al Harrington, Warrick, Donte Greene, Quincy Douby
Flynn played spot minutes here and there.
Season Recap
Stephon added another All-Star appearance to his résumé — and started, as he should’ve. Melo was also a starter. Marbury averaged 23 points and 9.7 assists on 52/37/90 splits, still absolutely putting on a show at this stage of his career.
On top of the All-Star nod, Steph earned another All-NBA Second Team, the second of his career.
Melo made Third Team All-NBA, averaging 23.5/8/5 on 57/45/78. He was hooping — and ended up winning his second Finals MVP in three Finals appearances.
We cruised through the regular season and finished as the second seed in the East. The playoffs weren’t too stressful, aside from one Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bucks.
- First round: Knicks beat Magic 4–2
- Second round: Knicks beat Pacers 4–2
- ECF: Knicks beat Bucks in 7
Finals: Knicks vs. Timberwolves (Part III)
The Finals were Knicks vs. T’Wolves — Part 3 — and we took it 4–2. They still had Yao, KG, and Rondo, so it wasn’t a cakewalk, but even with both bigs, they couldn’t dominate us enough to take the series.
Melo won Finals MVP, averaging 25/6/6 on 55/65/32. Somehow this man could not hit a free throw, which honestly blows my mind. That’s absurd. But hey — we still got another ring.
At this rate, Melo’s résumé is Hall of Fame-worthy too.
Chasing Ring #6
This offseason, I made more adjustments with ring number six in mind. I traded David Lee to Cleveland for two first-round picks and moved Quincy Douby for another first-rounder.
I love David Lee as a Knicks fan, but he wasn’t getting the offensive shine he deserved with so many scorers on the floor. Douby was moved because I wanted to give Flynn more run — and honestly, I just prefer playing with Flynn (pause).
Donte Greene jumped to an 86 overall this offseason and gives me real floor-spacing, letting me run a true four-outoffense with Tyrus cleaning things up inside. I also wanted to get Terrance Williams some run after sitting his entire rookie year, so I cleared minutes for him.
New starting lineup:
Marbury, Mayo, Melo, Tyrus Thomas, Donte Greene
Bench:
Ariza, Thabeet, Warrick, Flynn, Terrance Williams
I also drafted Born Ready — Lance Stephenson — so we’ll see what kind of chaos he brings.
The Marbury Hall of Fame Case
At this point, I genuinely don’t know how Stephon Marbury wouldn’t be a Hall of Famer.
- 5× Champion
- 3× Finals MVP
- 2× League MVP
- 6× All-Star
- 2× First Team All-NBA
- 2× Second Team All-NBA
- 1× Third Team All-NBA
- All-Rookie First Team
- 12 straight seasons averaging at least 20 & 6
There is absolutely no way this résumé doesn’t get him in when it’s all said and done. Anything else from here on out is just the cherry on top.
– Jett Garden
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