Nate Robinson: Giant Killer

Nate Robinson, the springy Knicks guard generously listed at 5'9", just made the Knicks entire season when he blocked a layup attempt from the 7'6" Yao Ming. Boom. There's the season. No need to continue watching. You won't see anything better. If you think I'm wrong and that the Knicks are poised for something better this year, then it's time I cue that familiar Jim Mora rant.

I openly admit to the fact that I am a New York Knicks fan. I have been since birth. There have been some good times with the likes of Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and John Starks, and some good times with Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby and Allan Houston. But the Knicks won't even sniff the playoffs this season.

Lately, there haven't been many good times in the World's Most Famous Arena. In fact, it's been just the opposite. Since Isiah Thomas has been given a win-or-you're-fired ultimatum by owner James Dolan, it's placed us Knicks fans into an unprecedented situation. Do we root for the Knicks, root for their improvement, for the outside chance they contend or at least return to respectability? Any normal fan would.

But Isiah has single-handedly destroyed everything to do with basketball when he's not actually controlling the rock, from the Toronto Raptors to the infamous CBA collapse. So that begs the question -- should we root against our own team, against their improving at all? After all, Isiah is responsible for the Marbury deal (funny how all his former teams succeed once he's gone). He's responsible for bringing in Larry Brown, Steve Francis, and Jalen Rose, for trading Nazr Mohammed for Malik Rose, and for trading every draft pick we have through 2057 for Eddy Curry. Even President Bush is sitting in the Oval Office saying to himself, "Now that guy makes some awful decisions."

Thanks to Nate-Rob, I can call it a season. If I don't watch, I don't need to have an opinion. I can stay perfectly neutral and watch some good basketball on channels not centered on Madison Square Garden, oblivious to the train-wreck Knicks. Instead of struggling as a Knicks fan, I can flip another channel and watch ... oh, good -- the Celtics. Suddenly I don't feel quite so alone in my misery.