Sometimes (every year) being a Knicks fan is heart-wrenching, stressful, and can even flat out cause a man to question the meaning of life.

Every year seems almost promising as we sign and trade for players with “big names” that have played well in previous seasons, but then become a sack of shit the moment their jersey reads “New York Knicks.”

We tend to sign players like Joakim Noah, who used to be good but is now a washed up “walking injury,” for four-year $72 million contracts. Noah played 42 games last season…

Not only do the Knicks sign and trade for players that can’t play in the NBA’s fast-paced style of play and struggle to close out simple games, but we also have an owner who doesn’t know the names of his own players.

SB Nation author Charlotte Wilder wrote a piece called “I watched Knicks owner James Dolan play a blues concert on the night of the NBA draft” and that pretty much sums up the organization right now. In it she explained, “James Dolan and his band, JD and the Straight Shot, played 3-and-a-half miles away from where the Knicks were deciding their future.”

You get the point.

Even if you are a Knicks fan or a fan of another team, reading this may force you to question, “Why be a Knicks fan?”

New York is the most influential, trend-starting, and original place in the world.

Not only do people want to live in this diverse city, but they want to be New Yorkers. Being a Knicks fan, whether you like it or not, is always going to be a part of New York Culture.

Being a Knicks fan is more than basketball, it’s a part of who we are.

The Knicks organization struggles to make ends meet just like us. Real New Yorkers have never had anything handed to them on a golden plate, we shed blood, sweat, and tears just to get by.

Unlike most teams, the Knicks have authentic fans who will give an arm and a leg just to see the Knicks make the 8th seed. In New York, loyalty means everything.

Even though the Knicks had a lousy 31-51 season, MSG’s home attendance was a whopping 99.3%, according to Cheat Sheet. Although it hasn’t seemed so recently, New York is the Mecca of basketball.

New York has bred some of the best NBA players the league has seen including players like Stephon Marbury, Carmelo Anthony, and even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But as the years go by, less and less players are interested in signing with the Knicks.

It appears to be foolish how an NBA player wouldn’t want to be the face of a city like New York, but then players like Carmelo are the perfect example of why a player would avoid the Knicks.

Carmelo did everything he could the past few years to help us win, even if he didn’t succeed, he truly tried everything he could. He was repaid by criticisms and constant insults by the staff of his own team.

Real fans (like myself) have much respect for Carmelo and thank him for all he has done. No player is going to want to go to a team that will turn on them the moment things don’t go as planned.

Now that the New York Knicks have made changes to their staff and Carmelo Anthony is gone, New York will be making very big movements in the next year or so.

Kristaps Porzingis will be taking the role as the face of the City for now, but we are still waiting for that one huge signing that is going to make the organization into a winning one again. It is only a matter of time that the best city in the world is going to have one of the best basketball team in the world.

It takes one smart move at a time, just like the Celtics and their team now. The moral of the story is that if you are a tired, helpless Knicks fan now, it isn’t that bad. Stick in there and have faith. Our time is coming.

Melo said it best before he dipped,

“New York equipped me to make it in any other place in the world. It taught me how to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable. Saying Goodbye is the hardest thing to do. I never thought I would, especially to you. No one will ever take your place. It’s hard to find someone like you, so know you will always be missed. You helped me laugh. You dried my tears. Because of you, I have no fears. You came into my life and I was blessed. It’s time to raise my hand and say goodbye. It’s not the end, because like I’ve always said, NYC ‘til the end.”

We’ll be back!