Now playing open floor.

This is open floor.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Manix back at it.

An NBA podcast with Sports Illustrated senior writer.

I think it's time that the world get to know my guy Chris Mannix I think your opinion shared by everyone and now it begins now it begins

All right Fred Katz is the National Reporter for the athletic first year on the national reporting beat.

And it's been the last few years on the mixed beats.

So Fred, correct me if this is a wrong characterization. I'm imagining

the end of your tenure as a Nick's beat writer and moving on to national pastures, something similar to when Andy Dufrain escapes Shawshank and stands up and spreads

his arms and just embraces the freedom. Is that something close to reality?

No, it's not. I love my job way too much to be able to say that. I always say that if I got fired, then I would just go home and like watch

the King's game. So it's the only job where I can I can not get fired for watching basketball at the office. So I'm I'm very

happy doing it. I get to keep watching basketball at the office. That's all I really need.

How would you characterize Nick's beat writing in your time there?

Because they are a notoriously tight-lipped ship.

Leon Rose has not done a press conference since he was named president of basketball operations.

It's very tough to get, you know, long sit-downs with individual guys like how would you

characterize the task of covering

the Knicks? It's a totally different experience from covering any other

organization and not just from that standpoint but there's also kind of the

big market pressures the big market fan bases, all that kind of stuff that you have to cater to.

It's a completely different experience, and I say that as somebody who has been on the beat covering, I covered the Wizards before that I cover the

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