Ntilikina’s mom weighs in on future
Jacqueline Mukarugema stood by the bar at the Garden’s Delta Club on Saturday night, but she wasn’t purchasing drinks. The new jerseys of her son, Frank Ntilikina, had just arrived in time for the Knicks home opener, and she was preparing to buy a bunch off the rack to bring back to France. Mukarugema had flown in just days before, partly to watch Ntilikina’s Garden debut but also to arrange the new White Plains apartment he just moved into. Ntilikina, the Knicks rookie point guard from Strasbourg, France, missed the home opener with a sprained left ankle and will sit out Tuesday’s game in Boston. Minor injuries have been a big part of Ntilikina’s early narrative. But the smile on Mukarugema’s face as she put on her new “11” jersey — finally available for purchase — was priceless. As the story goes, Mukarugema escaped the atrocities of war-torn Rwanda and brought her two oldest sons to Belgium, where she gave birth to Frank. They moved to France when he was 3. Mukarugema speaks French, Swahili and enough English to scrape by.
“Fans have so much expectations,” she told The Post. “But he’s young and needs to learn and progress. Let’s see in time. They will be proud, but he needs time.”
The attention has been a bit much — with a gigantic Nike billboard overlooking the Garden. Ntilikina, 19, signed a Nike deal previously in France, which has been transferred to the U.S. His mother said she notices how often he gets stopped on the street by excited Knicks fans.
“Yes, but he needs to prove himself,” Mukarugema said.
“It’s crazy to see that,’’ she added of the billboard. “I’m happy for him. But he’s just in the beginning of the journey. He has to work so much.’’
After leading Strasbourg to the French league finals in June, Ntilikina missed the NBA summer league in July with a knee issue, then missed four of five preseason games with a knee bruise. Then came his tumble at Thursday’s practice after he had played seven minutes of the season opener in Oklahoma City.
“Every player can have something,” Ntilikina’s mother said. “He’s just beginning the season. He needs to [take] care of himself.”
She will attend Friday’s game against the Nets at the Garden before returning to France.
“I’ve helped a little bit — I’m confident he will be strong living on his own, and he’s got his agent here,” Mukarugema said. “I was just here for support.”