The Brooklyn boy can finally see his star shining on Broadway.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo signing a deal with the Bucks on Tuesday, which rules him out as a future Knick, Leon Rose’s club may have to grow their own star.
And maybe it will be Toppin, the eighth pick in last month’s draft, who will make his debut on Wednesday in the Garden against the Cavaliers in the Knicks ’first season.
Yes, it has no fans, but all the eyeballs will be on the 6-foot-9 front that became a Dayton dive machine.
“It’s going to be amazing,” Toppin said in a Zoom call Tuesday. “I’m from here. I’ve been watching the Knicks all my life. My family has been a Knicks fan since I was even born. Having a chance to step on the track with these guys and compete against another team will be amazing. I can’t wait for that moment to come. “
According to Toppin’s estimate, he attended five games in the backyard as a child, but his grandfather had season tickets.
“I went to every game,” Toppin said. “Go have dinner with him and he will tell you a thousand stories of his life.”
The Knicks had hoped, but did not trust, that Toppin would fall to No. 8 in last month’s draft. Almost every draft made Toppin go to the Cavaliers at No. 5, maintaining his career in Ohio.
Now Toppin faces Cleveland, which led to Auburn’s defense wizard Isaac Okoro, who has exceeded expectations with his first shot put. Okoro averaged 16.5 points in his first two games and got the game winner in his debut on Saturday. Okoro can even defend Toppin on Wednesday.
“We loved Obi,” Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff said Tuesday. “It was one of the best lunches and conversations I’ve had with a draft project in a long time. His personality, his way of working. There were questions we asked him in the interview and it was always about the team first. It was never his, as good as it was in Dayton. He never cared about that.
“He cared about his team and his teammates. We wish you nothing more than the best to move forward. He has a set of skills that you see soon and that we’ve seen. He was a tremendous newcomer. “
Toppin is grateful that the Cavs have passed him by so he can be with his hometown team.
“I’m excited to play against anyone,” Toppin said. “It’s a blessing to be in that position to be able to play against any NBA team.”
In fact, Toppin didn’t even have a Division I scholarship offer after graduating from Ossining High in Westchester County. His NBA debut was wonderful in an 11-point active start Friday in Detroit, off the bench.
However, the Pistons made adjustments and made things difficult for Toppin in Sunday’s rematch. Toppin was just 1 of 9, made a few rushing passes and fired just 1 of 6 from the 3-point line – two of his attempts were 30 feet.
“I feel comfortable shooting the 3 not too far away, not even Steph Curry, but I feel very comfortable shooting the 3,” Toppin said.
Coach Tom Thibodeau believes Toppin has already learned a valuable lesson from both Motown games.
“Probably the most important thing about being a professional is that there will be ups and downs,” Thibodeau said. “The first game was probably a little easier. The second game caught his attention more. He can play well without shooting well. Again, you can write down several ways. He’s a fantastic kid, a great worker. You may not win every game, and if you don’t, it’s clear that’s what you’re trying to do, I want you to learn. He looked at himself a lot, what can he do better. He came in, studied, worked hard and had a great practice [Tuesday]”.
Toppin has to learn to read the different defense teams that are throwing him now that he is a focal point as a 22-year-old rookie.
“Those two games I had an idea of what it’s like against the NBA guys for the first time,” Toppin said. “I hadn’t played in a real NBA game. I’ve played against NBA guys, but being on the court you see a lot of different things and you feel a lot of different things. The pace of the game. You know you have to run because there is someone who can beat you on the other side of the field. You just have to know what things will help the team win offensively and defensively. I’m going to improve. “