This year’s FIFA World Cup finale between France and Croatia sparked a friendly competition between two New York Knicks teammates.
The New York Knicks may have been eliminated early from the 2018 NBA Summer League tournament, they are still remaining competitive. The most recent fuel to the otherwise dormant summer NBA offseason came in the form of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The two teams battling in the championship game were France and Croatia — the home countries for Frank Ntilikina and the recently acquired Mario Hezonja, respectively. This led to a friendly wager on the outcome.
The second-year point guard Ntilikina explained recently in a interview with reporters his fun wager and thoughts on playing soccer as a youth.
"“We discussed it, I think we are going to make a bet, but it won’t be money — something else. We always discuss with each other. We’re excited and want to watch the game together. I was never on a team, but soccer is the sport we play with friends. No prediction because Croatia is a very tough team and in the finals, anything can happen.”"
Ntilikina is coming off of an impressive Summer League, showing flashes of defensive greatness and continued growth in confidence offensively. He averaged 11 points while dishing out 5.5 assists during his two games in Las Vegas, meshing well with new rookie Kevin Knox.
His role heading into next season is still a mystery considering the Knicks having point guards like Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke lurking as potential starter candidates.
Hezonja was recently introduced as the Knicks’ latest free agent signing coming over from the Orlando Magic in hopes of a new opportunity. He was a favorite of current Knicks general manager Scott Perry for years, making him a priority entering this summer’s free agency.
The former Magic swingman has shown some promise in his young career, averaging 9.6 points per game last season. His stats were up and down throughout the year due to constant changes in his role and the lineups as the Magic struggled to win games eventually missing the playoffs. The signing of Hezonja is low risk for the Knicks, as he only signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal.
Perry shared his excitement and hopes for the future after adding Hezonja during a conversation with the NY Post.
"“I spent two years with him, I know him as a player and person. I know what drives him. I saw him go through tough times. Not playing much, he still was coming back to the gym at night and held belief in himself.“I could see the confidence coming back [late last season], He started to feel comfortable and think better things are to come. We have the right developmental team in place and coaching staff. I know he’s a tremendously hard worker, has a great passion for the game and believes in himself. He can become a great player in this league.”"
Hezonja will get some playing time at forward this season after the departure of Kyle O’Quinn and All-Star Kristaps Porzingis still recovering from injury. He has appeared to form a bond with Ntilikina over the World Cup matchup, as shown via his Twitter account.
https://twitter.com/mariohezonja/status/1018411695994097669
France did go on to win the big game, so it will be interesting to see if the wager will eventually be revealed publicly.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Knicks fans are looking forward to wins on the court with their new young international duo once the season gets underway this fall.