The New York Knicks may have thought they were being cute when they dressed in all black before Game 5 in New York on Wednesday, but it turns out they may have only offended and motivated the Boston Celtics. In fact, Celtics reserve forward Terrence Williams said Friday he found the gesture offensive.
“But when people wear all black and say it’s a funeral, a lot of us have people that died in our own personal lives. So that’s not really something funny, that’s not really nothing to play with.
“You can say you’re going to end the series in New York, but not a funeral. So we know we don’t like them, and they know they don’t like us,” Williams said before the team’s shootaround Friday, via the New York Daily News.
I wouldn’t say that wearing all black in this context is offensive, but if Boston took it that way, more power to them.
The Celtics have won two in a row against the Knicks after starting the series down 3-0. With Friday’s game being a home contest in Boston, there’s a realistic possibility the C’s can send the series to a seventh game. If they do, we might have to pinpoint two things that helped turn the series: JR Smith’s elbow on Jason Terry that got him suspended for Game 4, and the all-black funeral attire.
