Fast Forward
David Lee of the New York Knicks discusses sitting in the hotseat and living in the county seat.
The Ritz-Carlton’s tony restaurant isn’t the only tall and famous “42” new to White Plains. David Lee, the team’s valuable starter, moved to White Plains in 2005, his rookie season, and last year bought a condominium in the city’s downtown area. The 24-year-old, third-year player, who graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, is known for his relentless rebounding and astonishing dunks.
Why did you choose to buy a condominium in White Plains? White Plains is an up-and-coming city, and it’s gotten nicer since I’ve moved in. I feel like I’m away from everything when I’m in
How important is it to live only minutes away from your practice facility in Greenburgh? Very important. We have an eighty-two-game schedule, and we practice more times than we play games.
Where do you like to eat and hang out in White Plains?
I don’t hang out too much in White Plains. I’ll go see a movie at the City Center Cinema De Lux or go to Applebee’s. The other night, I ate at the new BLT Steak in the Ritz-Carlton and I liked it. I also like eating at P.F. Chang’s in The Westchester.
What other Knicks live in White Plains? I’ll tell you Jamal’s [Jamal Crawford, the team’s leading scorer] address. No, just kidding. A lot of the younger players live in White Plains, like Nate Robinson and Renaldo Balkman. Our assistant coach, Mark Aguirre, also has a home here.
How do you and your teammates deal with all the losing? There’s a lot of frustration right now.
There are evenings at the Garden when the boos rain down. How does that feel? If I were in the stands, sometimes I’d want to boo, too.
Do you know the history of the Knicks? Absolutely. I’ve got a bunch of framed photos of the championship teams in my house. People who don’t know what they’re talking about say that I’m starting to play like Dave DeBusschere. I take it as a great compliment.
Aren’t you too young for all this fame and fortune?
I found out last year when I was injured that all this can be taken away at any time. My goal is to try to live the right way on and off the court.
