NEW YORK — With a slew of reporters surrounding him before the Knicks’ 112-91 victory over the Washington Wizards Friday, team president Donnie Walsh took the high road regarding Isiah Thomas‘ incendiary comments in Friday’s ESPNNewYork.com story.
Walsh repeatedly said he had “nothing to say” and maintained he only read “a couple pieces of it.”
Asked to characterize his relationship with Thomas, Walsh said, “I don’t consider him not a friend.”
Walsh, 69, is in the final year of his contract with the Knicks and Thomas, Walsh’s predecessor with the Knicks and the current head coach at FIU, is not hiding his desire to once again run the franchise.
He told ESPNNewYork.com he thinks about it “Every single day of the week.’
“Desire or dream,” Thomas added. “I don’t expect it. But knowing what I know about the game and the relationships that I have, I’m confident that if no crazy [stuff] happens, I think I can win in New York, and I think I was really close to winning in New York.”
Thomas envisions himself leading the Knicks to a championship: “I want to be on the float and I want to get my ring.”
Asked if he was considering retirement, Walsh said: “I’m gonna see this game tonight, that’s what I’m gonna do. I live in the present so I’m not looking down the line too much.”
He added: “When I hear retirement I think it’s a choice that I make.”
Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni sounded like he had absolutely no desire to discuss Thomas’ comments.
“I’m not going there, sorry,” he said. “I haven’t read anything, know anything. I’ve got back-to-back games. We’ve got about 17, 18 games this month, I think I’m pretty busy. I’m not worried about that.”
**Read my Knicks-Wizards notebook on NBA.com here.
**For more Knicks-Wizards notes on Gilbert Arenas, Danilo Gallinari and Toney Douglas, check out the NBA.com “Ten Before Tip” blog.
(Photo courtesy AP)
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