Knicks GM SCOTT PERRY is in the midst of his first season in the Big Apple, and this Saturday his team will play host to local fan-favorite CARMELO ANTHONY and the revamped Thunder on MSG Network and NBA TV. Perry, who came to the Knicks in July after years with the Magic and a short stint with the Kings, spoke to THE DAILY about his approach on game days, what he expects for Anthony’s homecoming and how he and his family have adapted to life in the city that never sleeps.
THE GAME PLAN: Thursday I took care of some phone calls and work that presented itself in the morning. With traffic in N.Y. you’ve got to give yourself enough time to travel so I took the subway to the Nets game in Brooklyn. On game days I make a point to work out every morning, it’s part of my routine and I’m a little bit superstitious. I just feel better when I do it. Friday is a full day in the office, connecting with players and coaches and then turning our attention to the Thunder, who obviously hold a lot of interest here. Fridays I typically always grab dinner with either my wife and daughter, a colleague or someone from the visiting team that weekend. I may grab dinner with someone from the Thunder, I worked with many of those guys over the years. Then Saturday I’ll get to the arena very early, usually 4-5 hours prior to tipoff. I’ll watch film, making sure I keep tabs on the college season and potential prospects to stay ready for the Draft. Then it’s the Thunder that night. I expect a very energetic and passionate crowd for Carmelo’s return to MSG. There will be a lot of emotion in the arena.
COURT GENERAL: Normally at MSG I’ll sit six or seven rows up from the court, it’s a great sightline and gives me a good chance to evaluate our team. On the road it all depends. The visiting team provides us seats, but depending on where they are sometimes I’ll stand in the tunnel and study the game from that vantage point. It all depends on the arena, and oftentimes the mood.
STEEL CURTAIN: Football is one of my big outlets. I grew up a Steelers fan and they’ve got the Patriots coming into Heinz Field on Sunday afternoon. You’ll find me at my home taking that game in. We’ll get up that morning, go to church, grab brunch and then will plan the rest of the day around the game (Perry’s father, the late LOWELL PERRY, was a former Steelers receiver and was also the first African-American assistant coach in the NFL).
GOOD EATS: I’d hate to slight anyone by naming a favorite N.Y. restaurant, but the thing I’ve really appreciated about N.Y. since the move is that there are so many different types of cuisines available. My wife and I really enjoy the variety. There’s great Italian places, steakhouses, seafood, Asian fare. We even discovered a great new place with ENES KANTER recently.
IN THE MEANTIME: Before joining the Knicks I’d been mostly in Florida the past five offseasons where it was warm all the time, and when I get a chance to golf I take it. I’m not sure what that looks like here quite yet. My wife and I will go to comedy shows, a couple weeks ago we went to see CHRIS ROCK and really enjoyed that. There’s some plays on the horizon here too that we’re looking forward to.
Know of someone you’d like to see featured in Weekend Plans? Shoot an email to tleary@sportsbusinessdaily.com.
