AILSA CHANG, HOST:
All right, New York Knicks fans are probably all over your social media feeds right now because after last night’s game, the Knicks are one game away from being crowned NBA champions. Now, this is important because the Knicks have not been to the NBA Finals since 1999, and they have not won a championship since 1973. They’ve also been – I’m sorry – the laughingstock of the sports world for so many years. So you can imagine how much this moment means to fans right now. And no one is closer to Knicks fandom right now than Trent Simonian. He is the creator of SideTalk, the social media account that does man-on-the-street interviews with Knicks fans after the games. And he joins us now. Welcome, welcome.
TRENT SIMONIAN: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
CHANG: So last night’s game was probably one of the best moments in recent sports history. Like, the Knicks came back from being 29 points behind to win the game in the very final moments against the San Antonio Spurs. My friends were going insane in New York. I mean, they were flooding my phone. It was actually getting kind of annoying. What was it like for you?
SIMONIAN: It was a roller coaster of emotions in New York. The beginning of the game was kind of sad. It was kind of quiet. They were down 29.
CHANG: Yeah.
SIMONIAN: People were talking about going home, saying that the Knicks were cursed.
CHANG: Aw.
SIMONIAN: They were going to blow it. And slowly, but surely, they were coming back. And then, as we all saw, with that crazy play by OG Anunoby, the Knicks are back.
CHANG: Yeah.
SIMONIAN: And the streets were going crazy. It was an amazing night.
CHANG: OK. You started your social media account during the pandemic. How have the interviews changed over the years, would you say?
SIMONIAN: When we first started the show, it was kind of very basic, you know, question and answer in the park or things like that.
CHANG: Yeah.
SIMONIAN: And we kind of, now, just go around and let people say what they want to say. And the energy is just getting crazier and crazier now, especially with all this Knicks fandom. So we love kind of being the voice of New York.
CHANG: Also, what I love about your videos is they show the diversity of New York, the way everyone mixes and mingles with each other in that city. God, I miss it so much. Does it feel like the city is really united right now?
SIMONIAN: Absolutely.
CHANG: Yeah.
SIMONIAN: Everyone’s talking about them. They’re standing together outside of bars, watching on projectors, watching TVs in the back of trucks. Everyone’s excited and united, and I think it’s really special.
CHANG: What are you learning about people, about Knicks fans, even, as you’re making these videos? I’m so curious. Anything?
SIMONIAN: In short, they’re crazy…
CHANG: (Laughter).
SIMONIAN: …But in the best way possible.
CHANG: Did you really learn that, though, or you knew that?
SIMONIAN: No. I knew that. But it’s so interesting to see what kind of creative things they come up with to show how excited they are. You know, they randomly will dis rappers from the opposing city. They’ll be burning random jerseys. They’ll call out players or celebrities who are just born in those towns. So I really love the creativity that New Yorkers have, especially Knicks fans.
CHANG: You also have a new podcast – right? – called “We Outside By Sidetalk.” Yeah?
SIMONIAN: Yes.
CHANG: And I saw…
SIMONIAN: It’s super fun.
CHANG: It’s super fun. I saw you recently had the mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who’s a huge Knicks fan. Was there something you learned about Mamdani that you didn’t know before that surprised you?
SIMONIAN: Yes. I learned that he is, honestly, an authentic New Yorker that bikes around more than anyone I’ve ever seen. There’s this rideshare app in New York called Citi Bike, where you can pretty much pick up a bike anywhere you want to go. I personally thought I was cool ’cause I had, like, 750 rides. He has, like, 4,000 rides, or something ridiculous.
CHANG: Dang. OK.
SIMONIAN: So he really gets around.
CHANG: That’s legit.
SIMONIAN: So I think that proves he’s really a New Yorker.
CHANG: OK. So Game 5 of the NBA Finals is on Saturday. If the Knicks win, they will become the NBA champions. Just tell me how you’re feeling.
SIMONIAN: I’m feeling excited more than anything.
CHANG: OK.
SIMONIAN: A little nervous for the chaos, but I know that the city officials will have it under control. But – actually, I don’t know if I know that.
CHANG: (Laughter).
SIMONIAN: But it’s going to be really fun.
CHANG: Right. It will be. That was Trent Simonian. He is the creator of SideTalk. Thank you so much, Trent. Good luck to you and to the Knicks.
SIMONIAN: Thank you so much. Go, Knicks.
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