New York Daily News

Knicks billboard won’t sway LeBron

- BY STEFAN BONDY

LEBRON JAMES says he hasn’t thought about the Knicks — or his social media tormenter Enes Kanter — and it’s hard to believe a night with Charles Oakley shed any positive light on James Dolan. Still, James resisted burying the struggling Knicks when asked about the billboard near MSG challengin­g him to play in New York.

“Same reaction that I’ve had for every last one of them this year,” said the 33-year-old, who has been greeted by similar billboards in Philly and Portland . “I think it’s very humbling that cities and organizati­ons want me to play for them, especially at this juncture of my career. “So that’s it.”

To get this out of the way, LeBron James isn’t signing with the Knicks. They have no cap space or potential for contention next season. The fact that James is friends with MSG-exile Oakley — who tweeted that he “broke bread” with LeBron in NYC on Sunday night — isn’t helping relations. If anything, James went from resenting the Knicks because of Phil Jackson to not paying them much mind.

“No idea,” James said when asked if his perception of the organizati­on has changed with Steve Mills and Scott Perry in charge. “You see what’s been going on with us this year?”

James claimed he also hasn’t paid attention to Kanter’s consistent needling of him on social media, which started in November.

While he mostly demurred on all things Knicks, James was compliment­ary of rookie Frank Ntilikina — whom he had insulted earlier this season by stating that the team should’ve drafted Dennis Smith Jr. That comment led to a tense shoving exchange. That moment — when Ntilikina shoved LeBron — might’ve been the highlight of the Knicks season. Too bad it was in November.

“I think he knows how to play the game. That’s the best thing,” James said of Ntilikina. “First of all, a very cerebral guy. Defensivel­y, I think he’s more advanced than offensivel­y. But I think offensivel­y, he’s getting better and better as he gets more opportunit­ies to play in games. So I’ve known about him for a few years because a friend of mine, Romeo Travis (LeBron’s former high school teammate), actually played on the same team with him overseas.”

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