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We saw the multitudes of Knicks fans in San Antonio last night for The Clincher. The great actor and director John Toro was one of them and he joins us now. John, I got a chance to talk to a few Knicks fans last night, Stephen A. Smith among them, and they made it sound like it was kind of a religious experience. What was the moment like for you? Oh, I think the religious experience was Wednesday night when we made that uh miracle comeback in Madison Square Garden and that was that almost felt like we won it, but we did we didn't. We
had last night felt more like we had to close the door against a very pesky and talented uh team that will have to be reckoned with for a long time to come. So, I felt like we had to we were like carpenters trying to nail the coffin shut, you know? So, uh u but uh it was kind of surreal because you knew they were getting closer, they were behind, but once they got close, they were we're like a body puncher and uh led by our fearless captain Brunson, Jaylen Brunson. uh that, you know, he just uh he brought it home and we were playing great defense, some big rebounds, but you know, people were having trouble hitting foul shots at the end of the game because of the tension and the exhaustion that was going on. And uh it's it's hard to
digest because so many years I did experience 6970 and 7273 champions. I love that team. Uh that was my team. Uh and but we've experienced so much heartbreak when whenever we've gotten close since then that it's really hard to uh to digest. It's it's very u like sort of an emotional thing because I shared this as a little boy with my brother and my father and my mother. I shared it with my good friends, Spike Lee being one of them. you know, we're the same age and I've shared this with my son Diego, which has really been a we've we've been to most of the games together, and that's just a great thing to share. and all the people who sit in my section at 109. Uh Danny, Jordan, James, uh Robert, Barbara, uh
Joseph, that's like we have a little team in our section. We sit behind the Nicks bench and uh and I've sat all over the garden from the top to the bottom and uh sometimes I still shoot sit up high uh because I share my seats and I that's always a great experience. uh too. So, you know, the seats down below don't mean anything if the people on top aren't there. And so, uh it's a city game. You know, I played the game. Uh I love watching a team play beautiful team ball. And this is a team of uh a real grinders, you know, they just never give up. A guy last night turned to me in San Antonio and said, "You guys never give up." And I was like, "Exactly." And that's why we love them. And uh
Hey, John, set the scene for me last night. Where what section are you in? Who you sit? I was sitting with uh I was a surprise guest uh of Spikes because his lovely wife Tanya was too tired to come because she had just got back from overseas. And Spike said, "Hey, you know, I want you to come with me and because I'm going to bring my kids. I usually bring my, you know, my son." So I decided to go. My son watched it from New York with his friends and so we were covering both areas. Uh so it was great. I was sitting next to some Spurs fans, very nice gentleman, David Knicks fan, David Morse, and I was sitting in front of Spike's kids satchel in Jackson. Who's a more intense Knicks fan, you or Spike Lee?
I guess well Spike is like the GM. You know what I mean? I like the assistant coach. I don't want to be like the head coach, you know what I mean? And uh, you know, it's uh, yeah, and I love watching with him. I've watched we watched like the second game in San Antonio at a restaurant in Fort Green and that was great. But he's Yeah, he's there's there's a real he's a lover and a lifer, you know, and uh and I'm a big basketball fan of the WNBA, uh the NCAA, the Final Four, uh you know, tournament, men's and women's. Uh it's a beautiful game when you see five people uh working in a cohesive fashion and either the ball goes in or it doesn't. You know, it's there's no doubt
about the outcome. There may be a doubt about a foul, but you know, the basket is either in or it's out. You know, it doesn't go. And that's the game, you know, and it's like the hand of God when OG, you know, tipped it in uh on Wednesday night. So, uh, and also it's a game that sometimes people don't score, they really make a big difference, too, you know, because they do all the little things. They get the rebound, they make a steal deflection. But, uh, it was really interesting to see sort of like David against Goliath with the Brunson against WBY, you know, and, uh, boy, that guy is, uh, I watched him play in Villanova. I didn't watch him play in high school, but he is a real winner. Yeah.
You know, and he's got the right demeanor. He just he doesn't get too high, too low. I think OG's like that, too. But, uh, he is a closer, man. Do you have a personal relationship with these guys, these players? No, I mean, I say hello or whatever. Not really. I'm I'm a little bit, you know, I don't want to assume that, but I say hello and they've been very friendly to me and stuff like that. And I've met some players over the years, you know, like Walt Frasier, who was on my wall and uh Willis Reed, I met Bradley, you know, uh but uh you know, I just very casual, but they know I'm there. And
do you have a Walt Frasier card? Did I hear a story that you came? Yeah, I do. I car. It's in my wallet. I brought it for good luck. Yeah, I have a lot of cards of the Busher, Reed, Willis, you know, it's I love that team. I can imitate I showed Bill Bradley everyone's foul shots in the New York. Okay, let me give you one. All right. Um, how about uh let's go with Clyde. Let's go with Yeah. Well, Clyde Well, you got to get he you know, he shot like this and he went like behind. Yes. He went like that behind. Willis Reed was more like he would break, take a big breath, a lefty, and then he would do this shot. He would, you know, he had a beautiful lefty shot. Bradley always had
his butt out like this, dollar bill, and he was like that, you know, dollar missed the motion. You know, the Busher just would just hold it and uh and shoot it. And Dick Barnett, who was fall back baby because he kicked his legs up. Oh, the kick. Yeah. I don't he was a lefty and he didn't jump up when he shot so he just you know he had a great shot dip on it you know and one of the great books on the Knicks there's a lot of books but Dave de Busher uh kept a diary in 697 called the open man and that's a great book because he talks about them because he got traded the year before to the Knicks you know losing to the Celtics and Bill Russell last year and how they felt like this was going to be our here and they
were old roommates and it's really hil Some of it's hilarious. I got to check that out. The book I read I recommend that book. I read Rock and Steady, a guide to basketball and cool. You remember that one? Yeah, that's Clyde's book, right? Yeah, exactly. Clyde is everything about like cleaning your face to whatever you do, whatever you eat, how you sleep, and boy, that was dog in my house. I mean back and forth.
Yeah. And this was before they had they had one coach you know days and one trainer Danny Whan was the trainer and red holes right so uh but you know all sports have evolved and it's faster guys are stronger they train differently but it is a team game and it's a beautiful game when it's played at its best and this was a great series I mean it was four to one but every game was a dog fight and that's a young team and I think their inexperience, you know, did that show, you know, to our advantage. The Knicks got them at the right time. I have a feeling because that's going to be a handful coming up in the future.
Yeah, they're Yeah, they really are. And but we, you know, we really peaked in the playoffs and I think that's, you know, we had an up and down season. We were trying to find what was the right combo. And I have to give the coaching staff a lot of credit because they tried a lot of different combinations even in the playoffs and uh and sometimes it worked for one game or one series. Hey John, what was the uh afterparty like after the Knicks closed the deal? We were just uh you know we went under court. They didn't want let everybody on the court but I just I waited for the person to turn their head and I just
jumped over a chair. I was like you know what you know I've been waiting 53 years. You can arrest me. I don't really care. you know, uh, I mean, I really love this team, you know, and I this is a team that is very easy to love, you know, Josh Hart is a guard guard and he's got 11 rebounds. He gets some incredible rebounds, you know, and uh they just have a lot of personality and they're all different, but uh I gave Patrick Yuing a big I actually know Patrick Yuing than I do. Yeah. because we I've known him from the days when I first worked with Spike and he used to come to all the movies and I really he was so happy. He's such a generous and gentle man. So he's a beautiful guy and so I was really happy
for him and I said hello to a bunch of the players and said hello to Shamut and he was like oh I know where you sit. You sit behind us and I said I don't want to tell him and everyone thinks he looks like my illegitimate son. So uh but uh that's a good point. I never thought I'm telling you man. Yes. If I get Diego and Landry together, I could get in trouble. You know what I mean? You know, we got to put a shot of Landry Shaman up while you're saying this. In the picture, there's a We took a picture. Yeah. Last night together. Yeah. Uh but you know, it's uh it's just very moving. And I remember, you know, all the people who used to root for the Knicks, including my parents and Fred and Stan, one of the guys who eat owned the Carnegie Deli,
used to sit behind the basket and uh you know, it's uh I don't know. I just it's it makes you feel like you're 10 years old again and that kind of you're in the present moment and it's not about, you know, the past or the future. And when you're a kid, you really are more in the present. And I think sports kind of reminds us of that, especially as you get older. And I see these young kids and they're all excited. It's like I feel the same way. Yeah. You know, I feel the same way. I it's a beautiful thing uh when it happens. And we've, you know, been starved for a long time, the fan base here, you know. So it's Hey, John, listen. We could talk all night. I appreciate you sharing some
sentiments. This is great stuff out of you. Oh, yeah. Uh and what and congrats. The next final question. Thanks, man. I'm I'm just, you know, part of the group. Thank you. All right. Okay. Take care. All right.
