Since Paul Pierce was traded to Brooklyn earlier this summer, there’s been seemingly non-stop talk about the rivalry between the Knicks and the Nets.
Players from both teams have commented, and Deron Williams is the latest to acknowledge the competitive nature of the teams that play in such close geographical proximity to one another.
From Ian Begley of ESPN New York:Deron Williams has entered the fray -- sort of.
Asked about teammate Paul Pierce’s assertion that the Nets will eventually take ownership of New York from the Knicks, Williams told ESPNNewYork.com, “That’s my teammate so I’m with him. Of course we want to run New York. The Knicks are our rival. I don’t get into too much of the talking. We’ll decide all that on the court. We have four games to play against them and then the playoffs so I’ll let Paul do the talking and I’ll just go out there and play.”
The Knicks and Nets have engaged in a war of words ever since Nets forward Pierce told ESPN New York 98.7 FM in August, “I think it’s time for the Nets to start running this city.”
Obviously, the Nets would like to be better than the Knicks -- not only to “run New York,” but because Brooklyn’s star-studded starting lineup enters this season with championship aspirations.
There’s nothing too inflammatory here, as Williams is just stating the obvious. We’ll see if the players for the Knicks see things the same way.