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The MSG Training Center in Tarrytown is nondescript by design—they don’t want droves of fans lining the streets outside waiting for autographs. In fact, it’s so nondescript that we made several U-turns before we found the front entrance. Most passersby wouldn’t know that inside the blue-gray building is 105,000 square feet of practice, workout, lounge, and office space for three different professional sports teams. Aside from the two regulation-sized basketball courts and an ice rink, each team—the NBA’s Knicks, the WNBA’s Liberty, and the NHL’s Rangers—has its own wing of the building that includes an 1,800-square-foot weight room; locker room; steam room, whirlpool, and cold plunge; players’ lounge with leather sofas, massage chairs, 42” HD television, pool tables, and Ping-Pong table; video editing rooms; a tiered classroom with high-back theater seating; and coaches’ offices.
Though the teams started practicing in the location in 2002, few people—other than employees and players—have found their way inside. Until now.
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- The Knicks use this tiered classroom to watch and break down game film—both of their own performances and upcoming opponents. Written on the white boards are all the different plays and defensive sets the team runs.
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- This hallway—lined with retired Knicks jerseys—leads into the Knicks’ wing of the building. Immediately through the doors are coaches’ offices and the players’ lounge.
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- Before a practice in early September, the Bill Laimbeer-coached New York Liberty pose for a team photo. Standing in the back left of the photo is Allan Houston, the New York Knicks’ assistant GM, who also oversees Liberty basketball operations. Don’t let the large setup fool you—the whole process took all of two minutes.
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- This is the view passersby have of the training center. As you can see, there isn’t the slightest hint as to what the building houses behind those doors. During the season, the teams will spend about 150 days out of the year at the practice center.
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- A regulation-size WNBA ball hangs from a machine in the New York Liberty’s weight and conditioning room. Written on a whiteboard in the room is the players’ routine for the day—a combination of workouts and stretches.
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- The Knicks players’ lounge includes a pool table, Ping-Pong table, a custom arcade game, and a 42” screen television—with all the latest gaming systems—situated in front of a plush leather couch and two massage chairs. Seen in the background is the “wall of inspiration”—which includes words and phrases from players and staff from the 2012-2013 season, which are meant to inspire the players on their way to practice everyday.
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- A regulation-size WNBA ball hangs from a machine in the New York Liberty’s weight and conditioning room. Written on a whiteboard in the room is the players’ routine for the day—a combination of workouts and stretches.
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- Chris Smith, brother of the more famous Knicks guard J.R. Smith, during a voluntary workout two weeks prior to the team’s training camp. Knicks Assistant Coaches Dave Hopla, Jerry Dunn, and LaSalle Thompson run him through various shooting and conditioning drills. Hanging from the rafters, as in the actual Garden, are all the retired Knicks jerseys.
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- During the off season, New York Rangers prospects, all of who are vying for a roster spot, work out on the training center’s regulation-size rink. Here, they run a four-man break against goalie Jeff Malcolm.
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- Upon entering the building, you first walk through the lobby, which houses trophies from each of the teams. Trophies on this shelf include miniature replicas of the Rangers’ Stanley Cups, Carmelo Anthony’s 2012-2013 Scoring Champion trophy, and Anthony’s 2012 and 2013 awards for being named Eastern Conference Player of the Month, both of which came in April.
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- Knicks’ Director of Analytics and Pro Scout Mike Smith in the video editing room. Video coordinators and scouts spend thousands upon thousands of hours watching game film to break down both opponents’ and Knicks players’ tendencies, while also scouting for new talent.
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- The Knicks players’ lounge includes a pool table, Ping-Pong table, a custom arcade game, and a 42” screen television—with all the latest gaming systems—situated in front of a plush leather couch and two massage chairs. Seen in the background is the “wall of inspiration”—which includes words and phrases from players and staff from the 2012-2013 season, which are meant to inspire the players on their way to practice everyday.