Anshari Taslim
For 23 seasons, Marc Berman chronicled the often-turbulent fortunes of the New York Knicks for the New York Post, a tenure largely defined by struggles and playoff droughts. Yet, when the franchise finally broke its 53-year championship curse, securing its first NBA title since 1973 by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Finals, Berman watched from the lively, if distracted, confines of The Irish Brigade sports bar in Lake Worth Beach, Florida. The venue, filled with World Cup enthusiasts, required Berman to actively seek out a television broadcasting the monumental Knicks victory. "I knew it would be a battle for the televisions," Berman noted, highlighting the competing interests of patrons more focused on international soccer.
Berman’s retirement, effective three years, eight months, and 19 days prior to the championship-clinching game, placed him in a unique position. He experienced a dual emotion: relief from the intense deadline pressure of capturing such a historic moment, alongside a profound longing to be courtside at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, filing a story that would resonate through generations of Knicks lore. He reflected on the countless players and coaches he had covered during the team’s often "mediocre stint," including Michael Doleac, Langston Galloway, Earl Barron, Lavar Postell, Ron Baker, and coaches like Mike Miller, David Fizdale, Kurt Rambis, and Herb Williams. Their collective struggles, he observed, now gave way to a deserved "rejoice" for the long-suffering fanbase.
Despite his official detachment, Berman’s investment in the team’s outcome remained strong. He described himself as "thrilled to death" by the victory, praising the championship roster for its collective character and performance. "Everyone on this team is a good guy. Very likable," he stated, commending their commitment to defense, ball movement, and unwavering grit. He specifically noted the absence of "load management" among the Knicks, a testament to their dedication, which he found particularly endearing.
Berman’s personal investment extended beyond emotional ties, culminating in a significant wager on the Hard Rock app. Citing his freedom from journalistic impartiality post-retirement, he disclosed placing "the biggest bet of my life" on the Knicks to cover a 4.5-point spread, an underdog status he found baffling. "I wasn’t sure they were going to win," he clarified, "I thought they were going to win, but I couldn’t see them losing by five or more points." Declining to reveal the exact sum, he confirmed he placed "hundreds of dollars" and "made out pretty well."
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Throughout his career, Berman was a quintessential figure of the demanding New York sports media landscape. Frank Isola, who covered the Knicks for the New York Daily News from 1996 to 2018, characterized Berman as the embodiment of a "tabloid reporter," adept at delivering the kind of hard-hitting stories expected by the New York Post. The Knicks beat was notoriously competitive, and Berman’s aggressive approach meant that while he lauded the team during victories, he more frequently "ripped them" during their customary losing seasons.
His persistent pursuit of stories within Madison Square Garden often ruffled feathers, yet Berman’s consistent presence fostered unique relationships. Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks’ center, famously expressed missing Berman following a playoff win seven months after the reporter’s retirement, affectionately recalling his nickname, "the bus driver"—a moniker reportedly inspired by Berman’s appearance in a purple dress shirt. This anecdote underscored Berman’s distinct, old-school approach, eschewing technical questions and formal attire in favor of direct, probing inquiries. Isola likened Berman’s questioning style to Peter Falk’s Columbo, employing a distinctive pause and gaze before delivering a decisive "just one more thing" query. This approach often elicited smiles from figures like former coach Tom Thibodeau and star forward Carmelo Anthony, who found Berman’s "headline-searching" questions more amusing than irritating.
The intensity of Berman’s journalism extended to his pursuit of difficult stories. Isola mused about Berman’s likely relentless interrogation had he still been on the beat when Mitchell Robinson fractured his fifth metacarpal under mysterious circumstances before the Finals. "He would have pressed him," Isola asserted, suggesting Berman would have questioned everyone from Mike Brown and Jalen Brunson to Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the roster, driven by a deep-seated comfort in his own skin and a disregard for players’ opinions.
However, even Berman had moments of journalistic introspection. In February 2008, following a particularly poor performance by Jamal Crawford—a player known for his geniality—Berman’s column in the Post resulted in the headline "Just Crawful." While Berman stood by the factual basis of his story, Isola recalled that the headline deeply hurt Crawford’s feelings, leading even Berman to express a degree of empathy.
Beyond the press conferences and locker room scrums, Berman’s persona was vividly etched into the memories of his colleagues. Isola recounted a humorous incident from a November 2013 road trip to Denver. Arriving at a hotel during a snow squall, Berman made a memorable entrance through a revolving door, clad in a San Diego Chargers jersey, basketball shorts, and flip-flops, inadvertently ushering a gust of wind and snow into a lobby packed with a convention. The image of "Marc Berman’s Here" humorously captured his indelible presence.
While Isola admitted to regretting some of his past social media jabs at Berman, he emphasized the mutual respect shared among beat writers, even amidst intense rivalry. Berman’s journey from humble beginnings to a prominent role covering the Knicks earned him considerable regard.
Following the Knicks’ historic championship victory over the Spurs, Berman, though retired, swiftly posted a celebratory message on social media. He congratulated team president Leon Rose, recalling an early interaction with Rose when he was a "small-time agent," and expressed happiness for Rick Brunson, who "really wanted his son to be on the Knicks," and for Mitchell Robinson. He lamented the absence of local broadcasts during the playoff run, which prevented legendary announcer Walt Frazier from calling games, but lauded Mike Breen’s iconic call at the end of Game 5 as "poetry." Berman, who often adopted a negative tone in his newspaper columns, acknowledged Breen’s challenge of maintaining a positive narrative during the Knicks’ "dead seasons." He also praised Mike Brown, who stepped into Tom Thibodeau’s shoes "very gracefully" during the championship run, even enjoying Brown’s rendition of "Who Let The Dogs Out." His praise, however, did not extend to owner James Dolan, whose "silly mistakes" and "baffling" media policies he openly criticized, questioning if a championship might finally lead to more transparency.
Now residing in Florida and occasionally stringing for the Palm Beach Post, Berman no longer watches every Knicks game. He estimates tuning in for 75% of nationally televised games but remains deeply connected to the team, maintaining contact with "a couple of people inside the Knicks family" and reading "almost everything." He lauded the New York Post’s front page after Game 4, featuring "OMG" in orange and blue, as "tremendous." His critical eye remains sharp, as evidenced by his periodic reminders about Leon Rose’s lack of independent media availability since September 2021 and his nuanced observations on James Dolan’s "needless poke" at officials during the championship parade. "I wish I could just divorce myself from it, but I can’t," Berman confessed, equating his enduring connection to an "addiction."
In his final column for the Post in September 2022, Berman expressed his hope that "After 50 years of parade-less seasons, let’s hope the Knicks can reach paradise, too." At that point, the Knicks were coming off a 37-45 season, ranking 23rd in offensive efficiency. Berman admitted he "didn’t believe in the Leon Rose regime" initially, viewing early contracts as favoring "CAA players and friends of his past." He was "shocked" by the rapid turnaround and the championship’s arrival within four years.
His long-standing skepticism, conditioned by decades of covering disappointment, led to several misjudgments. He initially disliked the trade for OG Anunoby and the firing of Tom Thibodeau. During the playoffs, he predicted the Atlanta Hawks would eliminate the Knicks after they fell down 2-1 in the first round, and later foresaw a six-game defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers before the second round. Berman candidly offered "mea culpas," acknowledging his predisposition to expect the worst, having been disappointed by events such as Kristaps Porzingis’s departure and the unfulfilled potential of the Carmelo Anthony era, particularly the 2012-13 team that won 54 regular-season games. He also recalled the 2020-21 team, where Julius Randle’s strong regular season performance faltered in the playoffs against Trae Young and the Hawks. The stark contrast between the 10 total playoff wins in his 22 seasons covering the Knicks and the team’s 13 consecutive playoff victories in this championship run was, to him, unfathomable.
Berman now hails Leon Rose as a legend and regards Jalen Brunson as one of the best closers in NBA history, though he reserves final judgment on Brunson surpassing Walt Frazier as the greatest Knick until he leads the team to another Finals appearance. He mused that covering a clutch player like Brunson would have been "amazing," despite the star’s potentially frustrating demeanor in the locker room, recognizing that "when you’re winning so big, you don’t need great quotes." He holds similar sentiments for Anunoby, whom he dubbed a "corner-3 magician," and found Josh Hart "fun to deal with," with Karl-Anthony Towns appearing "likable and sometimes pretty quotable."
Looking ahead, Berman believes the Knicks have a strong chance to repeat next season, partly anticipating Anunoby’s first All-Star selection. While he wishes Mitchell Robinson would improve his free-throw shooting, he advocates for his re-signing, believing his contributions are irreplaceable.
Weeks after humorously posting that he might have retired too soon when New York went up 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, Berman affirmed his decision was the "right call" due to approaching 60, deadline pressures, and family needs in Florida. Yet, a "bittersweet feeling" lingers, stemming from missing the immersive journalistic experience of covering such a "great, amazing, legendary run."
Berman misses the fervent "buzz" of professional sports in New York, a stark contrast to South Florida. His son, a devoted Knicks fan, flew from Los Angeles to New York to "soak up the whole vibe" of the championship celebrations, while his daughter, though less invested historically, purchased a Knicks shirt. Despite his geographical distance, Berman profoundly understands the city’s jubilation. He recalled years of writing columns in March about mathematically eliminated teams, underscoring the "disbelief" and "surreal" joy now gripping New York. "It’s something that they thought may not have ever happened in their lifetime," he concluded, observing the collective "joyous" atmosphere and "sense of relief" that permeate the city after 53 years of waiting.
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