The frequent high-stakes series between the Knicks and the Pacers, heightened by the rivalry between Spike Lee and Reggie Miller, made the Indiana sharpshooter an enemy at Madison Square Garden for years and years. However, the 2021 Playoffs may have found him a true successor as the villain of Gotham hoops.
That player, of course, is Trae Young, who has been spit on, cursed out and made fun of for his hair, among other things, by Knicks fans. It was the story line of the first-round series between his No. 5 Hawks and the No. 4 Knicks, and the New York crowd's hostility was a constant presence that he may have used to fuel his performance and ultimately come out with the win.
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Young did everything he could in the series, averaging 29.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, with his three highest-scoring performances coming on the road where the environment was at its most hostile.
Well, Young almost did everything. One thing he didn't do was listen to the aforementioned Miller, who told Dan Patrick that if you're Trae Young, "you have to" interact with Lee on the sidelines.
"You have to, though," Miller said after a second of deliberation. "Spike is up there dancing and moonwalking on the sidelines when the Knicks are going on runs. You have to. Kobe would do the same thing, MJ... I love Spike. That is Spike's job. He is the No. 1 Knicks fan and I will go to my grave saying I admire him."
But perhaps Young didn't get the chance to talk a little bit of trash to Lee as the series wound down because... the No. 1 Knicks fan left the unforgettable series a little bit early?
And if he did, in fact, exit early — though we're not sure if that was the case, as it could have just been a quick break — he missed the final act, courtesy of MSG's new Miller-esque villain.
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