Despite their lack of postseason success in the past few decades, New York City revolves around the Knicks. The passion can almost be exhausting, as the local media links every prominent star on the market to the Big Apple.
That pressure from the fanbase also leaks into the front office, and this quest to hoist a title for the first time in over 50 years.
That kind of pressure cooker is why the club parted ways with coach Tom Thibodeau just weeks after stunning the defending champion Celtics and getting back to the Eastern Conference Finals.
There's an argument that Thibodeau maximized the current roster construction, but what if there's another level this squad can reach?
The search for a new leader has already been extensive, but one hot name has seemingly pulled himself from contention.
While addressing the local media, UConn coach Dan Hurley was asked about the vacant job in New York.
"Not another summer of that," Hurley said, according to Don Amoore of the Hartford Courant.
Hurley then went on to talk about his current Huskies roster.
The remark comes after being a top candidate for the Los Angeles Lakers job last offseason. All signs pointed to Hurley as the preferred choice, but he was able to use the interest and another national title as leverage to get a pay bump and extension from UConn.
Hurley was thwarted in a quest for a three-peat but is reloaded with some returning veterans and a top-ten recruiting class. Any move to the NBA would see a financial demotion, and Hurley has a dynasty brewing in Storrs.
Unless the perfect spot opens up, Hurley is committed to the Huskies.