The psychology of an NBA fan: To root for an ex-player . . . or not

Sports fans have been checking on their former favorite players for generations. Why do we root for (or against) them?

It’s human psychology.

Something you used to have is no longer yours, but you want to keep up with it. Many people still follow their exes on social media to see how they’re doing. When people put pets up for adoption, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility they check in on how they’re doing.

It’s the same thing in sports fandom. If things end amicably with a fan-favorite player leaving the team, the fans will naturally keep up with how they do. If you have a college team, you’ll be fans of said players and root for their success in the big leagues. There are exceptions (see: Philly/Villanova fans)

Granted, it can also be in a non-amicable situation. See: Giants fans wishing the worst for Saquon Barkley.

It exists in all sports, but I wanted to key in specifically on the Knicks version. The Knicks have had unbelievable roster turnover in the last few years. The second longest-tenured player on the team is a tie between Deuce McBride and Jericho Sims. The longest-tenured player won’t play until New Year’s and half the fanbase wants him traded. It’s a revolving door that sometimes doesn’t make sense.

As a reminder, Evan Fournier has played for the Knicks in the last 365 days. As has RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, and Immanuel Quickley. Doesn’t it feel like longer?

A lot of the kids that fans clamored to play in 2022 and 2023 are gone. Some are blossoming, some are stagnating, and others are as maddeningly inconsistent as they were here.

We have a great situation in New York right now, but some people have narratives or just lasting hopes that a player who we believed could blossom if given the opportunity went elsewhere.

It’s times like this that we should be glad. In the past, the Knicks were a player graveyard. Just looking at the 2018-19 team alone:

Five never played in the league again

Five lasted essentially one more year

From that team, only seven players were in the league five years later (out of 23). Only Mitchell Robinson, Luke Kornet, and Tim Hardaway are actively under contract in the NBA. Not only did this crop leave the Knicks very quickly after this season, but very few are even still in the league.

Yet, nowadays, there’s a ton of Knicks talent still floating around.

You look at the 2022-23 team and only a few benchwarmers, Derrick Rose, and Evan Fournier are currently out of the NBA. The rest are sprinkled across the league from trades with Detroit, Toronto, and Minnesota.

On Thursday, we saw a matchup close to our hearts take place north of the border when the Raptors took on the Timberwolves. Although $150 million man Immanuel Quickley missed the game as he’s sustained a few injuries on the young season, we saw the former two faces of the franchise square off in RJ Barrett and Julius Randle with a lil Donte action sprinkled in. Barrett turned in arguably his best performance of the season, posting 31 points and seven rebounds on 10-14 shooting. Randle got to the line a lot but couldn’t do much outside of it, while the early season struggles of DiVincenzo continued.

RJ has had a weird season. After it looked like his maligned efficiency took a leap late last year and he started strong, The Ringer published this extremely bizarre tweet with an article attached. Barrett’s efficiency then cratered and even after last game, he is shooting under 44% from the field and a typical 33.8% from 3. Oh yeah, he still is sub-72% at the line too.

Julius Randle’s numbers look good. He’s averaging 22-7-4 on 50% from the field and 36.5% from 3. When you look deeper, however, you see the same issues that maligned him here. He started hot and started to taper off and when times are tough, his defensive mental lapses and temper start to get him in trouble. He had a spat with Rudy Gobert last night. Wolves fans aren’t happy with him or their other acquisition in DiVincenzo, who is bizarrely shooting 34.8% from the field. It’s going so bad with him that trade rumors are flaring for a guy who holds the all-time Game 7 3PM record.

Some of the other guys are doing their thing. Quentin Grimes isn’t getting a ton of minutes in Dallas but looks to be doing decent. Taj Gibson started a game last week for Charlotte (T-minus 2 months until he’s a Knick again). Obi Toppin is still in the role he’s been in since he was a rookie as a backup to an all-star forward. Isaiah Hartenstein just had a phenomenal debut with OKC after missing the first month of the year with an injury.

But, that raises a question for sports fandom as a whole. Should we be happy if our old players fail? Should we be happy if they succeed? What narrative matters the most? Right now, the Knicks are lapping the Timberwolves in the KAT trade, despite the defensive worries. While Knicks fans are enjoying their new star, Wolves fans are fuming with two underperforming vets. The OG trade looks like a win-win, although the Knicks are certainly overjoyed here while Toronto might be reconsidering giving IQ all that money or the long-term picture in which RJ Barrett fits (Cooper Flagg may be in their future).

We want to be the ones who come out on top in trades but that would entail struggles from guys we loved not too long ago. The only player sent in the lone deal in recent years that isn’t looking good value-wise is a journeyman vet who is injured. Losing a trade or seeing someone thrive elsewhere might feel good but sometimes the dread sets in of wondering why you let him go.

For me, it’s an issue I’m grappling with. I want to see our guys succeed elsewhere as not only an extension of gratitude for when they were here but also to help our player development narrative (no coincidence guys get big $ after going elsewhere).

It’s all about what makes you feel good, but right now, I just want to focus on our team. People are free to have their discourse about guys they said were good all along or guys who they’ve always known are bums.

Maybe this isn’t a real issue and I’m on Twitter too much.