New York Knicks guard Elfrid Payton (6) shoots over Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, May 7, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) Credit: AP/Rick Scuteri
It was 51 years ago Saturday that the Knicks were the center of the basketball universe, celebrating — and celebrated — as the NBA champions with a historic Game 7 win over the Lakers. The 50th anniversary fete never materialized with the pandemic keeping the still-revered group from reuniting at Madison Square Garden and maybe there was some justice in that. Remembering the greatest of the Knicks teams when the team was limping through another dysfunctional season might have felt like another PR stunt.