In his very first practice as a Knick, Harper was preparing to reach down for a loose ball during a scrimmage. Before he could grab it, two other players, Oakley and Anthony Mason, had already dived onto the floor for it, beating him to the punch. It was a wake-up call for Harper, who’d played on a losing team for four straight years, but now saw the desperate level of intensity the Knicks played with—even during practice.
