An Open Letter to Mark Parker From a Knick Fan

by Tommy Dee on May 31st, 2010 at 6:13 pm

As always we encourage fans to utilize the forum of TKB to speak out. Feel free to send submissions to theknicksblog@gmail.com

An Open Letter to Nike CEO & President Mark Parker Regarding the New York Knicks, Eddy Curry, and NBA Free Agency

by “Stuckey”

Dear Mr. Parker,

No doubt you’re a very busy man, so Iet me cut right to the quick. I’d like you to please consider writing a check this June to New York Knicks “center” Eddy Curry in the amount of $11.3 million dollars with the provision he does not exercise the $11.3 million dollar player option on his 2010-11 Knicks’ contract.

Now upfront I’ll acknowledge to you I’m a Knickerbockers fan, so my reasons for such an unusual request should be plain. The NBA free agent market is historically full this off-season, and the Knicks’ talent level historically low. Each and every additional cap dollar the Knicks have to spend this summer could have a cascading, exponential effect on who they can attract to rebuild the legacy of the once proud organization (though most fans like me will settle for repairing the reputation).

Depending on the final 2010-11 cap figure, the Knicks have likely already cleared enough to extend two max contracts, but they can certainly use more options and flexibility, with Curry’s tantalizing 8-figure amount (wasting an all-important roster spot) standing in the way of an historic one-year overhaul.

The mechanism of such an arrangement is simple enough. Curry – whose apparent mutual desire to be rid himself the Knicks is trumped only by his need of some quick cash – already happens to be on your endorsement roster of NBA players (though far be it for me to ask a man of your accomplishments why..?) Depositing this “incentive” into his account should be simple enough. Nike apparently already has his tax I.D. on file.

As to the “legality” of such an unusual proposal, while I’m no Larry Coon, I can find no evidence suggesting the CBA hawks of the NBA front office would have any recourse to prevent you from making this offer, or Curry from accepting it. So long as Nike does it completely by their own initiative, without any coordination, communication, or pre-arrangement with the NY Knicks organization (that’s where I come in), the NBA would have no choice but, and every reason, to look the other way.

So with all that out of the way, let me get to the $11.3 million dollar question – why should Nike consider this?

My answer is simple:

If LeBron James – perhaps your corporation’s most valued long-term asset in the wake of the great Tiger Woods implosion – genuinely wants New York (a question you likely have some insight to), it is uniquely within Nike’s grasp to help give him the best possible version of the Knicks he can have, and perhaps the best possible version of any NBA team that can reasonably be assembled around him.

It would give the Knicks the ability to sign or trade for not only the aforementioned complimentary max player, but also the ability to acquire another star or near-star level player, likely finalizing any and all debate about which team could put the best supporting court around the King.

The Knicks could potentially assemble a Power Trio to immediately surpass Boston’s aging Big Three and become a dominant force in the NBA for years.

And let’s also not forget some of the names we might be talking about here: Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Dirk Nowitzki, David Lee, and Rudy Gay.

Nike clients all.

Given the size of the NY stage, the back-story of the Knicks’ organization, the dynamics of the free agent personalities, and the unique opportunity at hand, we’re talking about what could be not only the biggest NBA story/attraction in the post-Michael Jordan era, but potentially the biggest attraction in all of professional sports for years to come, with Nike not only acting as the facilitating force, but in secure position to reap the untold rewards of their own doing.

And all that stands in the way is $11.3 million dollars…

… or in other words, walking around money for Nike, Inc.
  • http://www.youtube.com/tharealest62qb DaGawD_KnowLedge

    yall puttin in that work on MEMORY DAY
    i hope yall do like 3 more thread..lol..

  • ds2488

    LOL. this is a ton of threads Dagawd.

    Anyway, that letter is hilarious. Good stuff. I say we implore Mcdonalds to do the same thing and offer him free lifetime Big Macs. That would be more important to Fat Eddy than money. This could really work.

  • Randy B.

    On his birthday as well. Happy Birthday Tommy Dee!!!!!!!!

  • HaS

    LOL

    Comedy.

  • Hydr0

    LOL…it reminds me of a thread I read a while back (can’t remember if it was here) where the guy was trying to raise $11.3 million from the fans to give to Eddy if he opted out lol…He did all the math and everything…if 2.5 million knick fans donate $4.50 each we’ll have plenty lol…only if it was that easy **sigh**

  • TobyKnight

    Hydr0 – That was me. Good memory. I laughed when I read this piece, as it was exactly what I was thinking a while ago.
    I thought it would be the ultimate demonstration of how serious NY Knicks fans are about bringing LBJ here and surrounding him with the best people. I actually came up with the idea before the JJ/Hill trade to Houston, when we were looking for a way to get enough cap space for the second Max contract. If we had been able to pull it off we would have not have had to trade JJ and Hill, and the pick, and we would have had more money and more pieces to attract the big FAs.

    I do think ds is on to something though, with the lifetime supply of Big Macs.

  • bartnyk

    Whats wrong with these people that want to buyout Eddy Curry we can get way more value for his expiring contract. Just look at the T Mac trade we got owned.

  • Hydr0

    haha….that’s awesome!

  • TobyKnight

    Buying out Curry now is not as good as it would have been before the Houston trade. You’re right that he is now a decent trading chip, likely at the Feb deadline for a team looking to get under the cap and sign a big FA, or just get out of a big contract (e.g., Okafor).
    If we did get him to decline his option, we would $12 mil additional to spend on FAs.
    We could sign two max guys and Luke Ridnour and Brendan Haywood, and/or Kyle Korver, or Steve Blake, and/or a Matt Barnes.

    Imagine a line up of
    TD
    LBJ
    Gallo
    Bosh
    Haywood

    Bench
    Ridnour/Blake (could also start)
    Chandler
    Walker
    Barron
    2nd rd pick
    2nd pick
    vet min
    vet min
    1st rd pick?

    That’s what getting Curry to decline his option could get you.
    That starting 5 will kick ass.

  • Mucha

    free lifetime Big Macs

    Hahaha…

  • TobyKnight

    You know, thinking about it some more, if Bosh was resistant, and LBJ wanted to play with David Lee, and you could sign Lee for $11 mil/season, you could swap him for Bosh and still have another $5 mil to spend on a FA. You could sign another max guy in you wanted to, but I’m not sure who would still make sense.

    TD
    LBJ
    Gallo
    Lee
    Haywood

    Lee’s defensive weaknesses would be mitigated by the other starters, all who are above average defenders.

  • thebossandbenji76

    U talked of a power-trio for Lebron….ok……Sign Lebron and Bosh to Max deals, then trade Douglas, Chandler and Curry’s contract for Gilbert Arenas. Then u have Arenas at pg, Lebron at the 2, Gallo at the 3, Bosh at the 4 and Barron at the 5.

  • Dylan

    D’Antoni is only going to use a 7 or 8 man rotation… Do we really need a bench that is 11 deep? I would rather just fill up the remaining roster spots with draft picks and guys from the D-League.

  • bob go knicks

    I’ll send in double the amount,9.00!…It would work better than waiting for NIKE to come up with the scratch.Those NIKE guys would’nt give a barefoot boy,a pair of sneakers for half price!

  • fauci933

    What the eff is memory day?

  • Sharp Elbow

    You want to trade two thirds of our young talent and EC’s contract, which a significant asset, for Arenas, so he can be our point guard? Are you related to Scott Layden?

  • gianthinker

    This will never happen but it was a well written article.

  • bob go knicks

    Toby you should try it again,but this time if EDDY says no,give the money to Lebrons mama and we can all have a party!! That would put a great FAKE snap-shot in Lebrons FAKE PHOTO album. TKB all banging his mom and half of them waiting on line

  • bob go knicks

    with delonte taking tix

  • Mucha

    Arenas is a knucklehead.

    Wtf, Marbury wasn’t enough? Do you need another dose of Marbury??

  • http://www.youtube.com/tharealest62qb DaGawD_KnowLedge

    lmao…
    are u slow or ?
    u do know the meaning of memorial rite?

  • http://www.youtube.com/tharealest62qb DaGawD_KnowLedge

    DAMMNNNN bob u out did me on that comment..
    GREAT JOB

  • jho

    yea i liked this article, but Nike would never ever ever ever do that. they would be setting a dangerous precedent that any of their future clients could ask them to “bail” out a team. it’ll never happen lol.

  • kip33

    This is funny, but WHY NOT. It doesn’t have to be Nike, but what if someone were to start a non-profit organization with all of the money raised dedicated to buying out Eddy Curry. If you got some press coverage, corporate sponsors may be likely (local business,etc.). What Knicks fan wouldn’t give at least $50 to the cause. THIS IS BRILLIANT. We just need someone with the time and wherewithal to get the job done.

  • TobyKnight

    I talked to a friend of mine who owns an internet company. He said they would be willing to start the ball rolling with $500. He’s a big Knicks fan. Said he would create a website for it as well.

    Does anyone know someone who works at an accounting firm like Ernst & Young or Price Waterhouse Coopers?
    If we could get them to collect the money we could make a run at this thing.

    We should get every sports bar in the City to pony up $500 as they will make it back many times if the Knicks start to win and people attend their bars to watch them.

    Lets say we can get fans to donate on average $10. That would mean we would require no more than 1.17 million donors, likely significantly less, as we will get some folks to donate more and we can get businesses to pony up some real money.

  • TobyKnight

    A buddy of mine is a huge Knicks fan and so is his boss. Both loved the idea. Said the company would donate $500 to the cause AND give us free advertising. They send out thousands of email alerts everyday to people in NY, NJ, and CT to look for stolen cars. http://www.stolencar.com is the website. They would include a link to our BuyOutEddy website.

    As you said we could get this picked up by the media and gather in corporate sponsors who want to get exposure. This would be part of the effort to get LeBron to come here. All these cities are doing something to show LBJ the love. This would be a really powerful way for us to top all of them.

    LBJ appears to be friendly with Curry, so we don’t want to be cruel to Curry. We just need to be respectful and business like. We have a simple business proposal for Eddy. We will pay him $10 million to not renew his player option (I think he’ll take $10 mil since he will be able to sign a contract for more than $1.7 mil with another team). This will enable Eddy to pursue work with another team that is a better fit for his style of play, and it will enable the Knicks to address key needs on the Free Agent Market (i.e. Brendan Haywood and a PG like Ridnour). It’ s a win-win, AND LBJ will see how much NY Fans really care about their team. We put our money where our mouth is.
    Perhaps we can even get some sponsors to raffle off some prizes to help raise the funds.

    How many of the current Knicks might anonymously donate money to the cause?