Kanter gives lip to nip quip
Enes Kanter made his way to the podium with a large grin. He greeted the team’s beat writers and spent his time on the mic cracking jokes, praising his young teammates and new coach — and vowing to make the Knicks great again.
Oh, and the jovial center offered this meme-worthy one-liner: “When I think about the playoffs, my nipples get hard.”
Kanter sure seems happy to still be a Knick after opting into the final year of his contract. The free agent-tobe, traded to the Knicks in the Carmelo Anthony deal last fall, reiterated his plan to retire with the team he joined last year, hoping to be part of the franchise once it begins winning again.
“I want to wear this jersey for the rest of my career,” said the 6-foot-11 veteran from Turkey. “I’m very proud to carry this New York name.”
Kanter, 26, is hoping to showcase a new part of his game this season: his 3-point shot. When David Fizdale took over as coach, he spoke to Kanter about getting him on the perimeter to space the floor. Kanter attempted just two 3-pointers last year, missing both of them, and is 32-of-109 from deep in his seven-year career. Fizdale, it should be noted, helped Chris Bosh and Marc Gasol develop into long-distance threats.
“That was my main focus this summer, because if a coach gives you that much confidence, you feel that much more comfortable out there,” said Kanter, who averaged 14.1 points on 59.2 percent shooting and 11.0 rebounds in his first year with the Knicks. “I’m ready to take some 3s, man.”
He seemed intrigued by the Knicks’ youth, the addition of rookies Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson, along with the return of secondyear guard Frank Ntilikina. Kanter described them as “humble and hungry.”
He left Knicks fans with a message.
“Believe in us, man,” Kanter said. “We’re going to make the Knicks great again.”