Knicks Respond To 'Attention-Grabbing' Fan Who Auctioned Fandom Off On eBay
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Remember the guy who was auctioning off his fandom because he was sick and tired of the Knicks being awful?
Well, not only did he get a buyer, he also got a response from his former favorite team.
Evan Perlmutter, a former Madison Square Garden ad-sales employee, is now a fan of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers after James Riedel, a YouTube channel owner from Orange County, California, purchased Perlmutter's fandom for $3,500 on eBay.
Prior to making his fandom available to the highest bidder, Perlmutter, 33, explained to Bleacher Report that he just couldn't take the Knicks' losing ways anymore. For the record, New York is 146-264 over the last five seasons with, you guessed it, zero playoff appearances.
"I hate the Knicks. I love the Knicks, but I hate the Knicks. Die-hard New York Knicks fan. My childhood room is still filled with posters from the 90's, the good ole glory days. And not just Ewing, LJ, Houston, I'm talking Rick Brunson NYK articles cut-out, laminated, and still in what is now basically a museum. Pictures of me at 13-years old with blue & orange colored braces, that's a tough yearbook photo, and in a Knicks collared shirt to match nonetheless!" Perlmutter posted on eBay. "After all the ups, downs, more downs, more downs, infinite downs, I have reached my absolute breaking point. As of this moment, my New York Knicks fan-hood is officially for sale."
The bidding started at $1,973, because 1973 is the last time the Knicks won an NBA championship.
For their part, the Knicks said good riddance to Perlmutter, who now works for a marketing company called One Line Agency.
"We're sure our millions of loyal Knicks fans won't mind losing this attention-grabbing gentleman," the team said in a statement to Bleacher Report. "We remain focused on the upcoming season — with a hard-working team that is proud to represent New York and its dedicated fans."
The losing might not stop in 2018, because the Knicks are in the throes of a massive rebuilding project. But fans seem generally pleased with the team's direction and with the hiring of David Fizdale as the head coach.