GETTIN’DOWN

In fact, Clyde is such a gentleman that to this day it doesn’t bother him that Willis, another fine gentleman, still gets most of the credit.

That was the first of the Knicks’ two NBA Championships. You never forget that first one. Except, of course, the Knicks did forget to reference that moment when they introduced David Fizdale as their newest head coach on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. It would have been a nice connection to make.

Instead, the new regime is so preoccupied with mentioning the new catch phrase “culture, culture, culture” that they ignored one of those rare times when the franchise actually stood for something.

Fizdale was born the year after the Knicks won their second title, so at 43 he’s relatively young for an NBA head coach, while the Knicks championship drought is ancient to say the least.

“The history of the Knicks,” Fizdale said, “I don’t take lightly.”

In that case, what Fizdale knows all too well is that the Knicks have been a dysfunctional, dumpster fire for the better part of two decades. They discard coaches as frequently as James Dolan changes guitar picks, and they lose a lot of games. Since 2001, the team with the NBA’s worst winning percentage is your New York Knicks.

Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry flanked Fizdale at the podium and preached patience and doing it the “right way” this time. It wasn’t that long ago, on that very same stage, when Phil Jackson was selling the same exact plan.

“This is a clean slate to build something special,” Fizdale said.

It’s easy to say the word “rebuild” and it’s another thing to actually live through it. Jackson, as well as the two coaches who preceded Fizdale, Derek Fisher and Jeff Hornacek, can tell you that.

“I’m just really excited to be

collaborating with these guys,” Fizdale added. “These guys really have a pointed vision that connected to me.”

Connection is the key. In Miami, Fizdale had a front row seat inside one of the NBA’s best organizations. From the owner, Micky Arison, to the team president, Pat Riley and down to the head coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat is connected.

Few organizations operate this way. The Spurs have for 20 years. The Celtics have it. The Utah Jazz as well. The Houston Rockets are there. Same with the Golden State Warriors.

Those clubs trust and value their head coach. Until Dolan, Mills and Perry give Fizdale the freedom and power to run the team his way and allow him to be the lone voice, we’ll be back here in two years introducing another head coach.

“If one person is off it crumbles,” Fizdale said.

Fizdale’s first head coaching gig started well but crumbled. He feuded with Marc Gasol and some feel that he wanted no part of rebuilding with the Memphis