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David Fizdale’s tough upbringing made him perfect for Knicks

It is beautiful, but too bright outside, and Helen Hamilton refuses to look up until she gets her sunglasses.

She puts them on, turns around, and is surprised, and thrilled, staring at a massive picture of her son, David Fizdale, on the marquee outside Madison Square Garden.

Hamilton scrambles to retrieve her phone from her bag and joins countless others on Seventh Avenue, snapping photos of the new Knicks coach, who stands on the sidewalk, smiling and posing with a basketball.

Fizdale’s attire — a suit, tie and thick-rimmed glasses — is off. As a kid, he told his mother he would play at the famed arena.