Long Island high school basketball coaches marvel at Knicks' team success

Northport High School girls basketball coach Rich Castellano remembers sitting in a bar with his friends as a 22-year-old, watching the Knicks beat the Lakers in the 1973 NBA Finals.

A lifelong fan, he said it always impressed him how well that team moved the ball. From Willis Reed to Walt Frazier to Bill Bradley to Dave DeBusschere, the on-court chemistry and connection popped off the screen.

Now 53 years later, the feeling has been reignited.

“I see a lot of that in this 2026 team,” Castellano said. “Whether it be [Josh] Hart or [Deuce] McBride or Mitchell Robinson or [Karl-Anthony] Towns, all the guys share the ball. They look out for one another.”

When Jalen Brunson struggled early in Games 1 and 2 against San Antonio, Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet stepped up. Castellano, who has coached Northport since the 1979-80 season, emphasized how that depth and next-man-up mentality breeds a winning team.

“You have to have a team. I’ll take five great team players instead of three players with two superstars,” Castellano said. “I’d rather people try to stop five than stop one, and I think that’s what happens to the Knicks.”

It’s certainly true that high school coaches would love to see their teams play as the Knicks have. On top of just three playoff losses, the Knicks held an NBA-record 273-point differential over a 13-game winning streak, which came to an end Monday night in a 115-111 loss at Madison Square Garden.

Castellano told Newsday when he earned his 700th career win in 2021 that “coaching is teaching.” While that applied to high schoolers, Castellano believes it’s just as applicable for the Knicks under former coach Tom Thibodeau and current coach Mike Brown.

“You have to know your audience and know who you have,” Castellano said. “[Thibodeau] didn’t do all that stuff, but he was a great coach and a great teacher. And I think Mike Brown has to be the same. He definitely has heart and a desire; you can see him halfway on the court when there’s a foul.”

Half Hollow Hills West High School boys basketball coach Bill Mitaritonna, also a former St. John’s basketball walk-on, became a Knicks fan “as soon as Patrick Ewing got drafted.” He still remembers the first game he watched at Madison Square Garden; a showdown between Michael Jordan’s Bulls on Dec. 23, 1987, when Gerald Wilkins held Jordan to 16 points over 39 minutes.

Fast forward to today, and Mitaritonna feels the same excitement he had when he took the bus and subway home that night.

He also noted how Robinson, Alvarado and Shamet have developed into critical playoff contributors off the bench, despite the struggles all have experienced in the past.

“It’s a great way for us as high school coaches to tell them that everybody’s important on a team, no matter when your number is called,” Mitaritonna said. “If you step up, you can really help the team and help yourself at the same time.”

With Eastern Conference semifinal appearances in 2023 and 2024 before a conference finals series in 2025, Plainedge High School girls basketball coach Sarah Tansey believes those experiences served as catalysts for what the 2026 Knicks have become.

“It almost helps take the nerves out, being there next time, because you kind of know what to expect,” Tansey said. “You know where your shortcomings were, and it gives you something to better prepare for.

“I feel like when you are an underdog, you just have more mental toughness than people with natural talent,” Tansey said. “You’ve always had to put in the extra work physically and mentally. So, it definitely can give you an edge.”

Tansey watched her first in-person Knicks game with her dad, a memorable one when Knicks center Marcus Camby accidentally struck coach Jeff Van Gundy in 2001.

She’ll watch Games 3 and 4 at home with her own children while the Knicks try to create a moment that’s just as memorable, albeit more joyful, at the Garden this week.