Just sounding the name of this hallowed place tends to stir the soul.
Madison Square Garden.
Doesn’t it conjure up something that is somewhat beyond ordinary? It is one of those special places. The world of sports has its fair share of those. Lambeau, Augusta, Churchill Downs. Those places were all on a top 25 list published by The Bleacher Report.
The 25 Most Iconic Venues In Sports History https://t.co/xVbIMeOCu5
— Chris@TrueBallerBooks (@TrueBallerBooks) June 19, 2022
Madison Square Garden is one of those places. The NY Post outlined some of the greatest moments at MSG:
GARDEN OF EDEN – MSG’S 50 GREATEST MOMENTS https://t.co/Rlj70adIpK
— Chris@TrueBallerBooks (@TrueBallerBooks) June 19, 2022
Among the famous moments include Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday to JFK in 1962, Ali vs Frazier 1971, the first Wrestlmania in 1985, and Pope John Paul the II visiting in 1979.
And, of course, The Garden is also home to the NY Knicks.
Blood in the Garden, by Chris Herring explores one of the most famed Knick teams in history, during one of the most famed decades in the history of sports: the 1990’s.
The time and effort that went into Blood in the Garden is apparent. Herring is a true pro at what he does. He crafts the epic run of the 90’s Knicks by spotlighting the cast of characters-major and supporting-that left their mark on this team.
Riley, Starks, Oakley, Mason, Van Gundy, and-of course-Ewing.
Knicks fans already know that the end product of the 90’s run did not result in an NBA championship. But if you think coming up just short of the pinnacle was good enough for this team-you may want to read Blood in the Garden.
After reading Blood in the Garden, I came away with a much deeper appreciation for how all-in the players, coaches, and organization was in going after a championship. As a fan watching the NBA from the outside, it is often tempting to assume that players sit back on their huge contracts with complacency and contentment. Maybe that is sometimes true- or, a-lot-of-the-times-true, but that was definitely not true of the 90’s NY Knicks.
These NY Knicks were driven.
Blood in the Garden has a lot of lessons that you can take away from it. It’s a gem. And it deserves to be mentioned as the go-to reference on this team that was beloved by so many Knick fans.
“Blood In The Garden” by @Herring_NBA is tremendous.
This book helps you to appreciate what made the #Knicks so great in the 90s.
That being said, Knicks fans will always wonder what if John Starks didn’t go 2-18 in the ‘94 Finals and what if Patrick Ewing was healthy in ‘99. pic.twitter.com/eJ51VBAvjR
— DJ Sixsmith (@DJ_Sixsmith) March 7, 2022
“Blood in the Garden” about the 90’s Knicks is a fantastic read (finished it in a week) from @Herring_NBA
Riley is ruthless, Ewing is the underappreciated star, Starks is all heart, van Gundy is the people’s champ and Anthony Mason is something else🍁🍁🍁🍁 pic.twitter.com/F2wavUPrMJ
— Adnan Virk (@adnansvirk) January 31, 2022
NYT best-selling author @Herring_NBA joins the show to talk w/ @DHenryTV about his new book ‘Blood in the Garden: The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks’#NewYorkForever #NBA
Full Episode Audio: https://t.co/oGhmRWiPxB
Full Episode Video: https://t.co/0Dkstxs6VY pic.twitter.com/vYe41aSQ34— TheNBAExchange (@TheNBAExchange) January 28, 2022
New #ESPNDaily:
Our documentary-style conversation with @Herring_NBA about his excellent new book, BLOOD IN THE GARDEN — and how the comically unhinged violence of the 90s Knicks gave rise to the beauty of the modern game 🩸🌱
🎧🏀 https://t.co/mZNhASJHp6 pic.twitter.com/6AZYGDghzT
— Pablo Torre (@PabloTorre) January 19, 2022
Had the chance to talk with @Herring_NBA this morning on @getcallin about his book “Blood in the Garden,” the influence of the 90s Knicks on today’s game and how Erik Spoelstra is both a continuation and a refinement of the Pat Riley ethos: https://t.co/3ZEnMPVIDN
— Anchorage Man (@SethPartnow) March 9, 2022
