For the primary time in over 30 years, the Knicks will begin a season with out Mike Martinez.
The longtime tools supervisor, a staple of the Knicks locker room since Pat Riley coached, received’t return for the 2023-24 marketing campaign, the Daily News has realized.
It’s unclear why Martinez is leaving.
Martinez, a Long Island native and son of a Bronx detective, first joined the group as a ballboy as a senior in highschool through the 1989-90 season. He was elevated to tools supervisor a pair years later and held the place for 31 consecutive seasons.
“Each and every day, 24-7, 365 days a year, gave it my all,” Martinez mentioned in a 2018 interview produced by the Knicks. “I feel like my blood isn’t red, it’s definitely orange and blue.”
In 2014, Martinez was honored with the Dick McGuire Legacy Award for longtime service to the franchise. Other honorees embody Walt Frazier, Herb Williams, John Andariese and longtime coach Mike Saunders.
“It’s about these guys [the players] being happy,” Martinez mentioned within the 2018 interview. “Getting their heads proper in order that when that balls goes up, all they’re worrying about is we now have to win this sport tonight. No matter what the circumstances are. No matter what the climate scenario is. No matter what the circumstances are on the opposite finish. Just in some way get previous it as a result of we now have locations to be, we now have issues that should be completed. We’re all a household on the finish of the day. There’s no query about it.
“I’ve given it all and everything I have to the team and to the organization and to our guys.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com