Andrea Bargnani has seen enough of New York’s struggles to know this moment was long overdue. The former No. 1 overall pick, who spent two seasons with the New York Knicks during some of the franchise’s darkest years, has long held the belief that the team was sitting on untapped potential—buried beneath mismanagement, impatience, and inconsistency. Now, watching from afar, Bargnani says the time has come for the Knicks to finally step into their promise and shake off the decades of disappointment that have trailed them like a stubborn shadow.
Bargnani isn’t someone who typically seeks out the spotlight anymore. Since his retirement from professional basketball, he has kept a relatively low profile, rarely offering commentary on the NBA, much less his old teams. But when asked recently about the current state of the Knicks, his response was direct and impassioned. “It’s been long overdue,” Bargnani said. “The city deserves better. The fans deserve better. And the talent has been there—they just haven’t used it right.”
The Italian forward knows firsthand what dysfunction can look like. When he arrived in New York in 2013, the Knicks were fresh off a 54-win season but quickly unraveled into chaos. Injuries, trades, coaching changes, and a revolving door of strategies and front-office philosophies made consistency impossible. Bargnani himself battled injuries during his stint in New York, unable to live up to the expectations that once surrounded the former top pick. But even then, he could sense there was something uniquely volatile about the franchise—something that needed not just a better roster, but a complete cultural shift.
That shift, in Bargnani’s eyes, is finally beginning to take place. It’s not just about Julius Randle’s All-Star resurgence or Jalen Brunson’s emergence as one of the league’s steadiest floor generals. It’s about a renewed identity—a hunger to compete every night, to play defense, to earn respect. Bargnani says it’s the kind of blueprint that’s been missing for years in New York, and it’s one the team must continue to refine if they want to do more than simply make playoff appearances.
Bargnani points to how other franchises have built sustainable success not through superteam shortcuts, but by nurturing chemistry and creating an organizational structure where young players are given time to grow. “Look at Denver. Look at Milwaukee. They didn’t win overnight,” he said. “They built a foundation and stuck with it. The Knicks never did that. Every year was a new plan, a new direction. You can’t win that way.”
To Bargnani, the Knicks’ greatest untapped potential was never just in the players they acquired, but in the way they approached team-building. For years, New York has been a magnet for big names and blockbuster trades, often sacrificing long-term vision for short-term hope. The strategy rarely worked. In contrast, the new version of the Knicks appears more patient, more calculated, and more focused on internal development than splashy acquisitions. And for the first time in a long time, Bargnani sees that as a reason to believe in the franchise’s direction.
It’s not lost on him that during his time, hope in New York often felt performative. Preseason expectations soared, only to crash under the weight of misalignment between coaching and management. Players were either misused or thrown into chaotic lineups. Young talents were benched or traded before they had time to adjust to the NBA. The crowd at Madison Square Garden—always loyal, always loud—grew restless, then apathetic.
But the mood has changed. The Knicks are no longer a punchline, and Bargnani believes the team has what it takes to reestablish itself among the NBA’s elite—if it stays the course. He emphasizes that success for a team like New York doesn’t come from making noise in July, but from grinding through the season with discipline and continuity. “The fans know the game. They don’t want fake hope. They want heart, effort, smart basketball. If you give them that, they’ll give you everything back.”
That relationship between the city and the team is one Bargnani says few organizations truly understand. New York basketball carries a weight that most franchises can’t comprehend. Every game, every move, every word is magnified. And that pressure has swallowed many players and coaches whole. But it can also be a source of power—if harnessed correctly. “There’s no place like New York when it’s good,” Bargnani said. “When the team is winning, the whole league feels it. The Knicks being good is good for the NBA.”
He’s not alone in that sentiment. Many around the league are rooting for the Knicks to fully return to relevance, not just because of nostalgia, but because of what it means for basketball culture as a whole. The Garden at full volume, Knicks fans filling arenas on the road, the sense that a game in New York carries extra weight—that’s the basketball world people grew up loving.
Bargnani isn’t delusional about his own legacy with the team. His time in New York didn’t go as planned. Injuries, missed opportunities, and a franchise in turmoil made his tenure frustrating on all sides. But he doesn’t carry bitterness. Instead, he expresses hope—not just for the current Knicks, but for the next generation of fans who have yet to see what a thriving New York basketball scene can look like. “If they stay humble, keep working, and build the right way, this team can be special,” he said. “They just have to believe in their identity and stick to it.”
For a player who once embodied the Knicks’ struggles, Andrea Bargnani’s optimism carries a surprising but resonant weight. He’s seen what doesn’t work. He’s lived it. And now, watching a new era unfold, he sees a path forward—one that’s been long overdue, but finally within reach.
