OG Anunoby hasn’t even had a full offseason to soak in the Knicks’ first title in 53 years, and already he’s being treated like royalty in another New York arena. The forward stepped onto the Citi Field mound Saturday before the Mets-Phillies game, wearing a Mets jersey instead of his usual Knicks blue and orange, and the crowd let him have it. A standing ovation before he even wound up.
He threw to Juan Soto — the guy who might be wearing a Mets uniform for the next 15 years if things go a certain way this winter. But for one afternoon, Soto was just the catcher, and Anunoby was the headliner.
Anunoby used to play baseball. He was confident.
Before the pitch, Anunoby told SNY he played the sport growing up and expected to deliver a strike. He did not disappoint. The video from the field shows him firing a clean pitch to the plate, and the crowd roared again. It’s a good thing he didn’t airmail it — Citi Field fans have a way of letting you know if you embarrass yourself out there.
“I’m really excited. I used to play baseball, so I think I’ll throw a strike — I’m anticipating a strike. I’m pretty excited,” Anunoby said before the game. He was right.
He’s still riding the high from that Game 4 tip-in
Anunoby’s appearance came just weeks after he made maybe the biggest play in Knicks history — that game-winning tip-in in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs. The Knicks came back from 29 points down, the largest comeback in Finals history, and Anunoby’s putback with seconds left sealed it. He stayed calm about it afterward, the same way he stays calm about everything.
“Everyone’s been telling me how much it means. I obviously see how much it means,” Anunoby said two days after the game. “It’s just really cool to be a part of it, and I’m very grateful.”
The Knicks finished the job in Game 5, and the parade through Manhattan was everything you’d expect from a city that waited half a century for a trophy. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Jose Alvarado — they all rode floats and waved to crowds that lined the streets.
Mets could use some of that championship energy
The Mets are fighting for playoff position, and they’re hosting a Phillies team that’s been a thorn in their side all year. If Anunoby’s presence brought any good luck, it didn’t show up right away — the game started at 1:40 p.m. and the scoreboard was deadlocked early. But the fans didn’t seem to care. They got to cheer for a champion, and that’s never a bad way to spend an afternoon.
Leave a Comment