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Exercises To Help Develop Lateral Speed

Aug 10

Posted by LoveBasketball in NBA, Uncategorized, exercise, lateral quickness, workouts | No Comments

Straight-line speed is important in basketball, but so is lateral speed. Basketball players have to move quickly and efficiently from straight to lateral positions (and back again) many times during practice or games. I have listed some important exercises to incorporate in your workout program to improve your lateral speed.

1)     Lateral Lunges- Trains the hips, gluteals and hamstrings. It also trains the athlete to move correctly in the lateral direction.

2)     Lateral Shuffle- (with or without resistance) Also work well to train correct lateral movement.

3)     Lateral Step Ups- Emphasize development of the athletes hips, quadriceps (especially outer) and glutes.

Many knee ACL injuries occur when athletes place too much stress on their knees and not enough stress on their hips during deceleration. In other words, the hips are often under-used during sports activities. These exercises will help strengthen the hips. Any serious athletic exercise program would be incomplete without these exercises.

Joe Sidoti Strength and Conditioning Coach

Kennedy Catholic High School

914-772-0128

joes@hvc.rr.com

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The Ultimate Off-Season Basketball Strength And Conditioning Program

Jun 30

Posted by LoveBasketball in Basketball Rumors, Basketball training, Uncategorized, basketball | No Comments

strength and conditioning

Every Off-Season strength-training program should be designed to take the athlete to the next level. The athlete should have the mindset of becoming as powerful as they can become. Basketball is a game of limited rest so the workouts must be with limited rest. You must keep the workouts at the highest intensity possible. This off-season program will show the athlete how to build an incredible base of power, speed, and endurance, so that fatigue will not be an issue as the athlete starts the season.

Every workout should start off with at least a 10-minute dynamic stretching routine. The weight training routines will start with a more endurance type training. The athlete will start off with high reps (20 reps 1 set). As the weeks progress, the number of reps required for many exercises will decrease and the weight will increase…adding the aspect of strength training to coincide with the power and endurance training.

I also stress that even when the weight increases you should never take more rest in between sets (30 seconds). This will keep challenging the body at a higher level each week. This will give the athlete the base of power, speed, and endurance they will need to start the season in top condition. The athlete should aim to make each strength training workout as time efficient as possible, thus making the workout brief yet very intense. This can only be accomplished by minimizing rest intervals between sets to induce the overall training effect. All this can be accomplished with two or three well planned full body workouts each lasting about one hour. These workouts should include weight training, plyometrics, medicine ball training and speed training.

The Workout

1.  We will super set on the upper body (super sets are performing one set of two exercises, each directly after the other with no rest)

2.  Only rest 30 seconds between sets

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________________________________________________________________

Ten Minutes of Dynamic Stretching

Upper Body

  • Chest- Bench Press (ten reps) + pushups (10 reps) = one set (four sets)

  • Back- Lat pull down (ten reps) + one armed bent over row (ten reps) = one set (four sets)

  • Shoulders- Military press (ten reps) + up right rows (ten reps) = one set (for sets)

  • Biceps- 21’s (three sets of 21)Triceps- Dips (three sets of 15)

Legs

  • Jump Squats-  (Three sets of 15)

  • Lunges- (Three sets of 10)

  • Side Steps Ups- (three sets of 10)

  • Stiff Legged Run- (Three 15 second sprints)

  • Calf Raises- (Three sets of 20)

  • All leg exercises will improve vertical leap, lateral movement, and speed

Abs

  • Reach Through- (Four sets of 15)

  • Russian Twists- (Once set of 30)

  • Sprint or Jog for at least 15 minutes.

This workout should only take 1 hour or less. Remember each week you should decrease the reps and add weight. This will keep challenging the body and making the body stronger and better conditioned. I also recommend introducing new exercises for each body part. This will cause muscle confusion, which will eliminate plateaus.

Joe Sidoti

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Kennedy Catholic High School

E-Mail: Joes@hvc.rr.com

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Kobe vs. Jordan? “Not Even a Contest” says Jordan

Aug 4

Posted by kit in 2008 Olympics Kobe Bryant, 2008 USA Basketball Team, Basketball Trade Rumors, Bulls Dynasty, Bulls Dynasty Jordan, Chicago Bulls NBA Draft 08, Derrick Rose Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose Miami Heat, Derrick Rose first Pick, ESPN Radio, Eastern Conference Finals, Eddy Curry, Elton Brand Trade, Final Four, Game 7, Kevin Garnett, Kobe, Kobe 08 Finals, Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant 2007-08 MVP Season, Kobe Bryant Closer, Kobe Bryant Comeback, Kobe Bryant Free Throws, Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan Comparison, Kobe Bryant NBA Stats Playoffs 08, Kobe Bryant Playoffs, Kobe MVP, Kobe MVP 2008 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan, Michael Jordan Basketball Camp video, Michael Jordan Basketball camp, Michael Jordan Dream Team, Michael Jordan Gold Medal, Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant One on One Video, Michael Jordan Kobe Bryant Video, Michael Jordan Kobe Video, Michael Jordan Plays kids one on one video, Michael Jordan Video, NBA, NBA Draft 08, NBA Fans, NBA Finals, NBA History, NBA Trade Rumors, Phoenix Suns Trade Rumors, Postseason, Sean Connolly Basketball, Sean Connolly Sports, Sean Connolly Sports Writer, Uncategorized, Washington Wizards, basketball | No Comments

By Sean Connolly

If you forgot how great Michael Jordan is, just watch this video please. He’s at a basketball camp and a kid asks Jordan who would win in a one-on-one game between him and Kobe Bryant. Jordan responds, “in my prime, not even a contest.” It’s Jordan being Jordan.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqlBUj9bFC4&feature=related]

How amazing is that. I know he’s not up against NBA players but it’s obvious that he still has it. You know after that he was thinking…hmmm, maybe my Bobcats need a guard.

I just love how confident he is when he’s playing, there’s no doubt in his mind that he’s going to miss, even with his eyes closed. Earlier this season when Kobe was on a tear, I began to wonder…maybe he is good as Jordan. I’ll tell you this right now, Jordan at 45 years old is better than Kobe is now or will ever be.

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Too Little Too Late For Struggling Lakers and It’s Kobe’s Fault

Jun 9

Posted by kit in Boston Celtics, Celtics Bench Finals 08, Celtics Finals, Doc Rivers, Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7, Garnett Bryant matchup, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Garnett 1st Finals, Kevin Garnett Playoffs, Kobe, Kobe 08 Finals, Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant 2007-08 MVP Season, Kobe Bryant Free Throws, Kobe Bryant Playoffs, Kobe MVP, Kobe MVP 2008 NBA Finals, Lakers 4th Quarter Comeback NBA Finals 08, Lakers Bench Finals 08, Lakers Finals, Lamar Odom, Leon Powe, Leon Powe 08 Finals, Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Jordan, NBA, NBA Finals, NBA Finals 2008, NBA Finals Lakers Celtics, Pau Gasol, Paul Pierce, Paul Pierce Defense, Playoffs, Postseason, Ray Allen, Sasha Vujacic Finals 08 | No Comments

By Sean Connolly

Kobe says he can take over a game whenever he wants. So why would he wait until his team is down 24 points in the fourth quarter. Kobe and the Lakers nearly mounted the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history but came up short tonight and for the second game in a row, Kobe is to blame.

Throughout this entire game the Celtics had the heart, determination, and sure fire offense that compiles a championship team. An unlikely hero in Leon Powe who put up an astonishing 21 points in just under 15 minutes. Powe looked unstoppable as he dunked his Celtics to what looked like a blowout early in the fourth quarter. I have to say, Powe looks like a huge X-Factor coming off the bench for these Celtics who already have the best threesome in basketball in Garnett, Pierce, and Allen. If Powe could just stay out of foul trouble(he had 4 tonight in his 15 minutes) he is going to be a huge help in this 08 Finals for the Celtics.

Powe was just one of the players for the Celtics who came off the bench to solidify a Celtic win. Both P.J. Brown and James Posey put in quality minutes for the Celtics who are now up 2-0 on the Lakers. Coming into the finals, the Lakers bench was considered its most crucial facet. The Lakers’ bench was outscored by the Celtics’ bench 35-23. The Celtics’ bench also played extremely smart. No one coming off the bench for them turned the ball over and shot 68.7% from the field. Not only has getting to the line affected Kobe and the Lakers’ starting lineup but the trend has gotten to the bench as well. No one had a free throw from the Lakers bench while the Celtics bench piled up 15 free throw attempts, more than the entire Lakers team with 10.

If you’re a Lakers fan you can blame the bench for not putting up numbers or poor defense from Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, but the blame in games like these will always rest on Kobe’s shoulders. It’s a little unfair but it’s true. Kobe waited too long and took too many outside shots early in the game and allowed the Celtics to run away with the game. He got into foul trouble early, leaving him on the bench where he becomes absolutely useless. He turned into the Kobe of the past couple years in the 3rd and 4th quarter, forcing shots and trying to make the superstar play. Whenever there was a scoring run by the Lakers, it was fueled by excellent passing and smart decisions by Kobe. But he quickly got away from that when the Celtics countered with a run of their own causing the Lakers to fall in too deep of a hole.

If Kobe completed the fourth quarter comeback, in which the Lakers were down 24 and brought in down to two, I probably would be singing Kobe’s praises and I would have forgotten all the mistakes he and the Lakers made. But they didn’t come back.

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Sorry Garnett, This One Is Kobe’s

Jun 1

Posted by kit in 2008 NBA Playoffs, Boston Celtics, Celtics Finals, Detroit, Detroit Pistons, Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7, Garnett Bryant matchup, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Garnett 1st Finals, Kevin Garnett Playoffs, Kobe, Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant 2007-08 MVP Season, Kobe Bryant Free Throws, Kobe Bryant Playoffs, Kobe MVP, Kobe MVP 2008 NBA Finals, Lakers Finals, Los Angeles Lakers, Manu Ginobili, Michael Jordan, NBA, NBA Finals, NBA Finals 2008, NBA Finals Lakers Celtics, Paul Pierce Defense, Pistons, Playoffs, Postseason, Ray Allen, San Antonio Spurs, Uncategorized, basketball | No Comments

By Sean Connolly

It’s the series the NBA has been waiting for. Lakers, Celtics. What more could you want? This series though won’t even be competitive, because it will belong to the best player since Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and there’s nothing Garnett can do but scream, yell, and hit his head on the hoop like he always does.

This series is a match made in basketball heaven. You’ve got the best player in the game playing on a team with a bunch of average to above average players in Kobe and the Lakers. You’ve got the most talented threesome in recent years in Pierce, Allen, and Garnett in the Celtics. So, the series should be great, right? I’m afraid not. The Celtics don’t stand a chance against Kobe. Although Pierce’s defense has improved considerably, he will be no match for Bryant.

Watching Kobe in the series between the Lakers and Spurs showed me just how talented he really is. Throughout the series Kobe stayed out of the paint and continually put up jumpers. He barely got to the free throw line and still was able to average 29.2 points a game in the series. He only averaged 2.2 free throws a game throughout the series and was still able to control the game. He shot 53% and took over when ever he wanted.

Whenever Kobe plays you just know he is going to take over. It’s just a matter of when and against the Celtics in the Finals, it will be every game. Kobe is to close to a title to try and take it away from him. Sure, people say the same about Garnett but Kobe’s fire and desire to win the game just seems so much more natural to me. When the time comes for him to step up, he isn’t yelling or hitting his chest. He looks calm, composed and eerily similar to Michael Jordan. Garnett on the other hand fades away and allows others to take over the game, which is fine and he played well enough to get the Celtics to the Finals, but the Celtics need him to take over in late game situations like that if Pierce isn’t shooting well. In the final game of the western conference finals, Kobe had 39 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds. Garnett in the final game of the eastern conference finals only put up, 16 points, 7 rebounds, and had no assists. That isn’t enough out of someone who was being claimed as the MVP during the season.

The best example of Kobe’s Jordanesque appearance and was in game 7 when he was isolated at half court against Ginobili. Right before Ginobili stepped up to him he calmly let the ball bounce in front of him while he adjusted the sleeve on his arm. Manu began badgering Kobe a couple feet from the half court line trying to rob Kobe. Kobe simply turned his back shielded him off took some time off the clock and then turned around and got space. With the shot clock running out he began to approach the basket, he sped up, hesitated to make Duncan, who was behind Ginobili commit and he took the space and laid the ball up for two points and ultimately the game. When I saw that entire sequence I just laughed and said this is Kobe’s year.

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Doug Collins Not Bulls Coach Just Yet

May 30

Posted by kit in 2008 NBA Playoffs, Doug Collins, Doug Collins Bulls, Doug Collins Bulls New Coach, Doug Collins Coach, Doug Collins named Bulls Head Coach, Uncategorized, basketball | No Comments

By Sean Connolly

Despite recent reports saying that Doug Collins will be named the Chicago Bulls head coach, Doug Collins is not quite there. Both sides have talked but nothing is in place yet.

They have not offered me the job and I haven’t accepted the job.

Doug Collins on Bulls Head Coaching Position

It seems as if this would be a good fit for the Bulls who recently fired interim head coach Jim Boylan, due to Collins past with the Bulls. He was Michael Jordan’s first head coach in the NBA, and set up a solid team for Phil Jackson to come in and create one of the greatest dynasties of all time.

The Bulls this past season were a huge dissapointment, as they failed to make the playoffs despite playing excellent the prior season. They failed to get over .500 the entire season in a weak Eastern conference and stars such as Ben Wallace, Kirk Hinrich, and Luol Deng had horrible seasons. A trade mid-season that saw Ben Wallace and Joe Smith leave the team did not help at all as they failed to put a string of victories together.

If Collins decides to take the job he should consider himself pretty lucky. The Bulls will draft first after winning the Draft Lottery with a 1.7% chance of getting the first pick. He would be in charge of a team chock-full of young, outstanding, athletic players. With the first pick the Bulls look as if they will choose Kansas State star Michael Beasley first, and Doug Collins will have an absolute phenom to work with in his first season.

Although it looks mildly certain that Collins will get the job, it is not yet solidified as Bulls GM Jon Paxon says he will continue to interview other candidates. The reports earlier today should not have been released as early as they should and those who reported it should hope and pray that Paxson doesn’t go in another direction.

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Pierce Saves the Celtics Against LeBron, But Don’t Stand A Chance Against Pistons

May 19

Posted by kit in 2008 NBA Playoffs, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chauncey Billups, Cleveland, Cleveland Cavaliers, Delonte West, Detroit, Detroit Pistons, Doc Rivers, Eastern Conference Finals, Flip Saunders, Game 7, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, NBA, Paul Pierce, Pierce 41 Point Game, Pistons, Playoffs, Postseason, Rasheed Wallace, Ray Allen, Tayshaun Prince, basketball, college hoops | 1 Comment

By Sean Connolly

Celtics got lucky, that simple. Throughout the playoffs they have done nothing but prove that they are not the team every one hyped them up to be. Yesterday they barely escaped with a 97-92 win against LeBron and the Cavs. Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and the Celtics have played 14 games already this postseason and have yet to prove that they’re a championship team. Oh yeah, they are 0-6 on the road in the Playoffs!!!

Paul Pierce Saved the Celtics From A Dissapointing Season Yesterday

Yesterday’s game proved that the Celtics have no chance against their next opponent, the Pistons. The Cavs have absolutely no offense and no body on their team that can score other than LeBron James. James was the entire team yesterday putting up 45 points and nearly bringing his team back from a 15 point hole. The Celtics big 3 have yet to all perform consistantly with one of them stepping up on different nights. Yesterday, Paul Pierce saved his Celtics with a 41 point game and a bunch of hustle plays that ignited the crowd. After a jump ball, Pierce jumped on a loose ball and called time out just in time in a game changing play.

Pierce\'s 41 Saves Celtics

Garnett and Allen have yet to shine this postseason like they did in the regular season. Garnett is only pumped up and pounding his chest when his team has a 10 point lead or more and has only hit one big fourth quarter shot, which came in game 6. Garnett needs to show the heart and fire he shows when his team is down and desperate for points instead of when the team is comfortably in the lead. As soon as the Celtics are down or the lead gets tight, Garnett dissapears and quiets down. As for Ray Allen, he did nothing the entire series against the Cavs. Yesterday he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat, and he continually fails to create opportunities for himself. Allen’s pathetic four point game and 13 point game yesterday will not be enough when the Celtics face the Pistons.

Paul Pierce is the only true competitor on the Celtics when push comes to shove, and the Pistons are chock-filled of big time players. Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince have all proved that they are able to step up and make great game saving plays. If it wasn’t for Pierce’s amazing performance yesterday, the Celtics would be on vacation today with the lowly Cavs playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. Yesterday’s game was brutal to watch until the 4th quarter where it was basically Pierce vs. LeBron, which actually made the game one of the most exciting of the playoffs.

The Pistons will outplay them on the offensive side, defensive side, and most importanly they will be outcoached. Doc Rivers is not a good coach and people need to realize it. He had the easiest job this season by coaching a bunch of veterans. As for the Pistons, Flip Saunders knows what it takes to win and keeps his team disciplined. There is no way a team who won 66 games should go to a game seven against an eighth seeded Atlanta Hawks and a fourth seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, and the coach has to be blamed.

Watching the game yesterday made me realize that the Celtics don’t have a chance. The Cavs only had two scorers in double digits yesterday, LeBron James 45 and Delonte West with 15, and the Celtics barely escaped. The Pistons are a much more complete team and are capable of going into Boston and winning road games, something that the Celtics have yet to do. The Celtics have not won an away game and they still think they have a chance? I don’t think so. I am so confident that the Pistons will win this series that I might come out right now and predict a 4-0 Pistons’ sweep. But I’ll wait, for now I’ll go the safe route and predict 4-2 Pistons with the Celtics again failing to win on the road.

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D’Antoni Won’t Solve the Knicks’ Problems

May 14

Posted by kit in 2008 NBA Playoffs, Amare Stoudemire, Atlanta Hawks, Big Dance, Boston Celtics, Derrick Rose, Detroit Pistons, Donnie Walsh, Eddy Curry, Isiah Thomas, Jamal Crawford, Knicks Problems, Leandro Barbosa, Madison Square Garden, Memphis, Miami Heat, Mike D'Antoni, NBA, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Playoffs, Shaquille O'Neal, Shawn Marion, Stephon Marbury, Stephon Marbury Trade, Steve Nash, Uncategorized, basketball | No Comments

Donnie Walsh made his first bad decision yesterday when he decided to hire Mike D’Antoni as head coach of the New York Knicks. D’Antoni, who left the Phoenix Suns, failed yet again this season to get into the finals, despite having one of the most talented teams in basketball. Despite this failure, Donnie Walsh and the 23-59 Knicks (2nd to last in the Eastern conference) thinks that D’Antoni will solve the numerous problems the Knicks face this upcoming season. This is what D’Antoni had to say about his future with the Knicks,

We want to win a championship. I know all the components you have to have. You have to have great offense and great defense.

What the Knicks really needed was a defensive-minded coach to help their awful performance on defense this and the past several seasons. D’Antoni created one of the most effective run and gun offenses over in Phoenix, yet still failed to make it past the Western Conference Finals. As they say, “Defense Wins Championships.” How is bringing an offensive minded coach to a young, immature team going to help?

Stephon Marbury

The Knicks are one of the youngest teams in the league and their inexperience was shown last season when, despite having the highest payroll in basketball, they could not make the playoffs of one of the worst Eastern Conferences to date. The 8th seeded Atlanta Hawks were 8 games under .500 but still found themselves an astonishing 14 games ahead of the lowly Knicks. With useless defenders like Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry, and Stephon Marbury on the team how does D’Antoni expect to fix this team. Crawford is in the game strictly for offense, which is so sparatic and inconsistent that there is really no need for him to take minutes away from less talented but more consistent players. Eddy Curry is awful on defense and can’t even block spam from his e-mail. Marbury, a.k.a Starbury, has been anything but a star. Someone needs to bury this star six feet under so that New York doesn’t have to deal with his cry-baby attitude.

The only thing that D’Antoni and the Knicks can hope for is to win the lottery. The draft lottery that is. If they can capture a solid position in which they can get Memphis guard Derrick Rose they may have a chance in the future. But that may take several seasons for D’Antoni to develop a team around a young guard. Something that he did well with Phoenix and Steve Nash, but was never done well enough to win a championship.

D'Antoni Knicks

D’Antoni has no idea what he’s getting into. This team ruined the character of one of the most talented and successful players of all time in Isiah Thomas. Sure D’Antoni has won coach of the year in 04-05. Sure he has led the Suns to 54 wins or more in the past 4 seasons. Sure he has a .608 winning percentage in the past 6 seasons. But where’s the ring Mike? No where. You know why? Because he had Shaquille O’Neal, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa, and Grant Hill on his team and still failed to win. Because he couldn’t handle the ego of Shawn Marion, whose ego would be overshadowed tenfold in New York. And finally because he is 26-25 in the playoffs. A .500 team may get into the playoffs but they will never win the playoffs playing .500.

By Sean Connolly

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Isiah Thomas Removed as Knicks Coach

Apr 18

Posted by kit in basketball | 1 Comment

Breaking News, excerpted form the NYTimes

The Isiah Thomas era officially ended Friday, and a major Knicks rebuilding project is now underway.
Barton Silverman/The New York Times
Isiah Thomas had a .341 winning percentage as the Knicks coach.
N.B.A.

Donnie Walsh, who two weeks ago replaced Thomas as the team president, removed Thomas as head coach, but said he will remain with the team, but will have no title and no direct reports.

“I value Isiah’s knowledge of the game and his opinion,” said Walsh in a conference call Friday afternoon. “I will use him as a resource. He will be reporting to me.”

Walsh said that James L. Dolan, the Madison Square Garden chairman who stripped Thomas of the team presidency on April 2 in favor of Walsh, had no input in the decision.

Since being hired, Walsh, the Pacers president who hired Thomas to coach Indiana in 2000, had promised not to make a hasty decision on Thomas, but the outcome seemed inevitable in light of Thomas’s poor record.

Thomas posted a 56-108 record in two seasons as head coach. His.341 winning percentage ranks him among the bottom five coaches in franchise history. They went just 23-59 this season.

The Knicks opened the season with playoff aspirations after acquiring forward Zach Randolph last June, but they were quickly doused when Thomas clashed with Stephon Marbury, the starting point guard. Thomas threatened to remove Marbury from the starting lineup in early November, and Marbury responded by leaving the team for a day, skipping a game in Phoenix. When Marbury returned, Thomas let him play right away, over the objections of other players.

The team’s morale sunk, and their record along with it. The Knicks lost eight straight games, then hit an all-time low when they were routed 104-59 by the Boston Celtics on Nov. 29.

Thomas, who became team president in December 2003, never wanted to coach the team. But Dolan ordered him to the bench in June 2006, after firing Coach Larry Brown, who went 23-59 in his one season on the bench.

Under Thomas’s leadership, the Knicks’ payroll ballooned without any clear progress on the court. In his first season as president, the Knicks won 39 games and made the playoffs but were swept by the Nets in the first round. Over the last four seasons, the Knicks have won 33, 23, 33 and 23 games.

Thomas and the Garden were also found liable for sexual harassment last fall.

Anucha Browne Sanders, a former Knicks executive, sued Thomas for sexual harassment and received $11.5 million in damages.

Thomas’s reign was characterized by a series of risky moves for expensive, often aging players, from Penny Hardaway to Maurice Taylor to Jalen Rose to Steve Francis. He also gambled on Marbury, a former All-Star with a spotty record.

Mike Nizza contributed reporting: LINK

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