Knicks D-League team to call White Plains home
The New York Knicks’ new NBA Development League team will play its home games at the Westchester County Center starting in November. And fans have  the chance to come up with a name for the new squad.
Madison Square Garden Co, which owns the Knicks, plans to use the new D-League team to develop talent both on and off the court, whether it is players, coaches or trainers. But the team means more than just development for the county government.
Westchester County, which owns the county center, could stand to gain between $48,000 to $288,000 per season in ticket sales, parking, concessions and merchandise. The team will play 24 games of its 50-game season in White Plains.
Government and NBA officials gathered at the center in White Plains Monday to announce a five-year licensing agreement, potentially worth $12,000 a game. The team will be the 18th in the league and the seventh owned and operated by an NBA team.
“Fans will have a front row seat to what we think is the second best basketball league in the world,” said Dan Reed, president of the NBA Development League. “This arena is going to be perfect for a Development League team and the support the county has put behind this whole process has been tremendous.”
County Executive Robert P. Astorino said he believed the county center always had the potential to be a premier entertainment center. Though the reptile shows have been great, he said, the center would be better utilized as a frequently used court.
“The county center can be more successful,” he said. “The potential for the arena to sell out is there.”
Astorino, who used to announce games at the center in his youth, said no government money had been spent recruiting the team to the center, nor would any money be spent on the team in the future.
The team”™s presence will help bring in tourists and visitors to the county, as well as entertain current residents, he said. Sports fans will be able to see top NBA prospects, college all-star players and current Knicks players at the court. At the end of the five-year agreement, there is a team option for renewal.
Allan Houston, assistant general manager of the Knicks, said the team was excited to build off prior successes with the Erie BayHawks D-League team, and start fresh in the Knicks”™ own backyard. With the purchase of the expansion club, the Knicks will end their affiliation with the BayHawks. Of the 17 teams in the league, 14 have direct affiliations with an NBA club. Many sportwriters expect that within a decade the D-League will expand to 30 teams, with each NBA club having ownership or direct affiliation with a lower league club.
Houston, who spent nine seasons as shooting guard of the Knicks, will be the general manager of the Knicks’ new D-League team.
“We”™re really excited to bring a team to Westchester,” Houston said. “We see it as an integral part to the NBA”™s future because it provides such a unique platform for the professional development of players, but also coaches, trainers and everyone involved in the process.”
Knicks fans are encouraged to help name the team at nyknicksdleague.com.