The Heat were locked in a tough free agent bidding war for Ray Allen at the same time they were pushing for Marcus Camby. Allen became their priority, and while that was happening, Camby slipped up to New York and rejoined the Knicks. In an interview with Newsday, Camby admits that the idea of playing for his former rival didn’t sit well with him.
“I knew that it would have been very hard for me to put on that Miami Heat uniform, especially all the battles we used to have back in the days with Houston and those guys,” he said. “I’m happy things worked out.”
via Marcus Camby returns to Knicks with ‘Yes We Can’ attitude.
What’s funny is we heard almost the exact same thing from Steve Nash about joining the Lakers a month before he… joined the Lakers. Had the Heat put the full-court press on and put more money towards him, that’s where Camby would have been, most likely. It might have been difficult, but he would have gotten over it for the money and a shot at the title. But this works out for everyone, as Camby may actually be a better fit with New York.
His addition has been underrated by many when looking forward to next season. He’s going to provide the Knicks with legitimate big depth, which they haven’t had in years, and will bring them another defender at the rim behind Tyson Chandler. It works out well for everyone, even the Heat, who continue to go down the road of smaller and faster.
