Dink Pate FINALLY Addresses Knicks Decision... | Knicks News | The Knicks Recap Podcast

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Former Nick Dink Pate just confirmed why he left New York for college basketball. We're going to break down all of these latest reports today.
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Dink Pate addresses Knicks decision. You know, I thought I dropped the video about this situation months ago, but for some reason, either you guys missed that video or skipped it. Because a lot of times, either when I go live or in the comments for certain videos, you guys are always asking me about Dink Pate. What happened to Dink Pate? Why don't the Knicks add him on a two-way contract? Maybe you're a little confused, but Dink Pate did not want to join the Knicks. He actually didn't want to join any NBA team. He made the decision to join college level basketball after being signed with the Westchester Knicks. And if you're signed with the Westchester Knicks, that doesn't mean the Knicks own his draft rights or anything like that. If anything, that only means you're committed to Westchester, but you can leave whenever you want. And that's what Dink Pate did. He left Westchester to join college level basketball, specifically to play for Providence.
Shout out to Clutch Points for giving us this following information. According to them, Dink Pate had real professional offers on the table, and yet he still chose college basketball instead. The 19-year-old guard turned down two-way and 10-day contract offers from the Knicks to preserve his NCAA eligibility, opting to join Providence for this upcoming season. Dink Pate's new head coach in Providence said the following about Pate's decision to not play NBA-level basketball, but instead join the NCAA. According to Coach Hodgson, to turn down two-way contracts and 10-day contracts offered to him by the New York Knicks, based on a statement made by the NCAA so that he can maintain his eligibility in college, he made that educated decision, and now, he's here, and he is really fired up about it. Now, if you were wondering why Dink Pate chose to play NCAA basketball versus playing basketball at the NBA level and pursuing that dream, I have all of that information for you. And the best part of this news is that it comes straight from the source, directly from Dink Pate himself. Take a look at what he had to say.
Dink Pate himself weighed in on the jump from professional basketball to college basketball, comparing the physicality of the Big East to what he experienced in the G League. According to Pate, I think it's good. It's more of a physical league. Individually, you've got to be more physical for this type of league, but I think I'm ready for it. Pate continues by stating, really just the indication that a lot of people was saying, Dink Pate wasn't ready for the NBA. So if you feel like I wasn't ready for the NBA, and I didn't go to college, I'm here now. So that's one of the main reasons he made the jump. Because he was getting criticized about the fact he wasn't going to college, he was not ready for the NBA, to prove everyone wrong, and to make some more money, he chose to play with Providence for next season.
Pate continues with this final remark, My main thing is to be a pro. Live like a pro, act like a pro. That was my whole process when I was 17 years old. And clearly for Pate, it has not stopped yet. This is still his outlook on his career and life.
It's no secret, ladies and gentlemen, I absolutely wanted the Knicks to retain Dink Pate. I wanted them to sign him on a two-way contract, or any type of contract that he would accept. But clearly, it was not the Knicks' fault. Dink Pate, he wanted this. He wanted to play ball at the college level. He rejected 10-day offers, two-way contracts from the Knicks and likely other NBA teams. Why? Because playing college basketball, at least for him right now, will give him more money, but also give him that experience that he wants. Give him even more motivation to dominate at the college level so he can come back to the NBA.