NEW YORK — The NBA postseason begins Tuesday, but since the New York Knicks earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, they have a few days off before finding out who their opponent is.
There is one super fan who has waited his entire life for a Knicks title, and if somehow this is the year, he’ll be right there every step of the way.
Anthony Donahue’s Bronx apartment is an ode to his favorite team — the Knicks.
“I always say I was born bleeding orange and blue,” he said.
But this 40-year-old content creator’s obsession for the Knicks started raging during the 1993 first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers. A then-9-year-old Donahue witnessed his new hero John Starks go toe-to-toe with future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller.
“Aw man, the way he played. He shot a lot of threes, and when I was a kid, I shot a lot of threes,” Donahue said. “Just, like, being the underdog, you know what I’m saying? He was bagging groceries just a few years before he was playing in the finals with the Knicks.”
It’s no surprise Starks is well represented in Donahue’s extensive shoe and jersey collection.
“Derrick Rose, a guy who just never gave up … [Carmelo Anthony], MVP when he was here. You know, put the team on his back,” Donahue said. “[Allan Houston], hero, best shooter in Knicks history and great friend.”
But this love affair is about more than just basketball. The Knicks are a link between Donahue and his late sister, Gianna.
“My sister, man. She’s everything to me. She passed away back in August of 2020 after her second battle with brain cancer. And she loved the Knicks. She didn’t love the Knicks like me, and that’s OK, but she came to the games with me all the time. She loved going to the Garden, and you know, I miss her so much, especially around this time,” Donahue said. “I wish she could be here for this, just to feel this excitement. I would love to have her at the Garden with me, especially around now. It would be awesome.”
“Now” being playoff time, when Madison Square Garden will be rockin’ in the first round.
“How electric is it in there, especially when it’s rockin’?” CBS New York’s Otis Livingston asked.
“Right now, it’s amazing because fans believe. As a fan, all you can ask for is a chance, and right now, the Knicks have a chance and you feel the belief in all the fans. It’s awesome,” Donahue said.
Livingston first met Donahue in Cleveland during the 2023 playoffs against the Cavs, and he expects to travel with the team as long as they are alive.
