Jets RB Breece Hall went to San Antonio for Game 5 of the NBA Finals, watched the New York Knicks become Champions and returned to 1 Jets Drive with extra ambition.
"I was just talking to some of my boys, it gives you positive jealousy," said Hall, who is "cool" with Mikal Bridges and Tyler Kolek. "I can't wait to have that feeling, so definitively positive jealousy because it's like damn, I want my team to be able to do that as well. So, it was definitely very cool to see."
In the finals, the Knicks trailed each game by double digits and head coach Aaron Glenn took note of their "competitive stamina," and how they came out in the third quarter like "a totally different team." Glenn admired those comebacks, which earned the Knicks their first NBA title in 53 years.
"I'll tell you what, that was beautiful," Glenn said. "[Competitive stamina] is a real thing; it's something that I've talked to our guys about since Phase 1 I, to be honest with you. It's something that we're working on and the way you do that is me as a coach, I have to make sure I can create that in practice and it's hard to do that in OTAs because the physical part of it. But once we come to training camp … we're going to work on competitive stamina, because those Knicks, those guys showed it."
The buzz around New York City is hard to ignore. Hall said he didn't go to any games at Madison Square Garden because of all the traffic.
"[I] definitely would just go to a local spot and eat some wings, fries, burgers and stuff, chill out with my friends in the city and just watch the games," Hall said. "I was always rooting for the guys and telling them good game and everything for sure."
Added RG Joe Tippmann: "It's been nuts. I didn't go into the city, it looked a little scary for my taste," he laughingly said. "But to see the way they're celebrating, celebrating championships, that makes me even more want to bring a championship back to New York."
QB Geno Smith said the Jets already have plenty of motivation, but seeing the devotion of Knicks fans during this run was "a special thing."
"Just seeing the energy of the city and how the fans are just so happy and excited, they have those bragging rights to be the NBA champion…" Smith said. "Just watching those guys win a championship, it's got to do something for you as a competitor."
