"The Knicks Are Back"

On Monday, February 21, the Knicks finalized a trade for superstar Carmelo Anthony. New York traded Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, and a 2014 first-round draft pick to the Nuggets. In exchange, the Knicks acquired Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and Ronaldo Balkman. The "Melo-drama" is over. Finally, a flicker of hope for New York basketball. "This team is headed in the right direction," Anthony said. "It's a dream come true for me, and I'm ready to rock."

I felt all along that Anthony would somehow wind up in a Knicks' uniform. I was, however, wary of paying a hefty price to a Denver team under tremendous pressure to finalize a trade involving a player who had already made it clear he wanted to come to New York. There is no denying that the Knicks unloaded some promising talent for him. Despite this, fans should be ecstatic and overjoyed. The acquisition of Carmelo is one of the greatest moments in the history of the New York Knicks.

Raymond who? Danilo who? I was done missing all the traded Knicks players the second I saw Melo in orange and blue last night. In his Madison Square Garden debut, he scored 27 points and added 10 rebounds in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks. The hope, optimism, relief, and exhilaration of Knicks fans were palpable in the electric Garden atmosphere last night. I was in attendance to witness the exuberant crowd treat Anthony's arrival like the second coming of Jesus. Their Messiah and savior was serenaded with spirited "Melo" chants throughout the game.

Tremendous credit should be given to Donnie Walsh. In 2008, he took over a Knick team that was desecrated by previous General Manager Isiah Thomas. Simply put, Walsh is a genius. He orchestrated the Carmelo trade and led this franchise to a complete 180 degree turn in less than three years. Prior to 2008, the Knicks were the laughingstock of the league. Their roster was filled with overpriced and underachieving players. The Knicks are finally back to respectability. They will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

The last decade was seemingly devoid of exciting moments for tortured Knick fans. Aside from the two Finals appearances in 1994 and 1999, this is the most encouraging moment since they drafted Patrick Ewing in 1985. The trade weakened their depth considerably but miracle-worker Donnie Walsh will mend that issue. With Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, New York now has two legitimate superstar players that they can build a team around. "The Knicks are back," said Stoudemire in response to the Anthony trade. It certainly seems like it.