SiriusXM NBA Radio’s Frank Isola on the Knicks, guest hosting ‘PTI,’ and his NBA Finals prediction
Frank Isola will be watching the NBA Finals with keen interest. He was the New York Knicks beat reporter for two decades at the New York Daily News. That includes covering the last Knicks team to reach the Finals, in 1999, when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
Time is a flat circle because the Knicks and Spurs will face each other again in a battle for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
We caught up with Isola, who co-hosts The Starting Lineup with Brian Scalabrine on SiriusXM NBA Radio, to discuss the Knicks and his career.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: What is the atmosphere like in New York City these days?
Frank Isola: “It’s pretty intense, and if you go back to more recently, the teams that were in a championship series with the Giants in the Super Bowl and the Yankees in the World Series have that kind of fever pitch. But the Knicks are a little bit different because it’s been 27 years. They have a fan base from New York to Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. I think for the first time, the fans really believe they have a chance.”
“The last time they made it in 99, they limped into that series. So I think the fans feel like everything is breaking their way, and they can get it done.”
Aside from winning, what makes Jalen Brunson so popular in NYC?
“I think people like him because he comes across as an everyman. He’s not 6-foot-6. He’s not a freak athlete. He’s not known for spectacular dunks. He’s just a hard-working, smart player. I always say this about every city. Every city sees itself as blue-collar. And when you get a player like that who is really good, everyone can identify with him. So that makes him likable, and now he keeps winning.”
I covered the Knicks the last time they reached the NBA Finals but without Patrick Ewing & Larry Johnson hobbled they didn’t stand much of a chance. This year is different. I’m happy for the long suffering fans. They may finally get their parade. (And Jalen Brunson is that dude) https://t.co/qCxCdPoGr8
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) May 26, 2026
How optimistic should the Knicks be about facing San Antonio?
“The Knicks played them three times this year. They beat him twice, including in the NBA Cup final. Mitchell Robinson did really well in that game. He had 15 rebounds, ten of which were offensive. So, I think the Knicks feel confident against the Spurs because of their age. But I think they also know they’re getting a different Victor Wembanyama….
“I do think they believe they can throw different looks at him, whether it’s OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, or Mitchell Robinson. I’m sure they think they can figure out a way to frustrate him.”
Do you have any good stories from covering the Knicks?
“The players were a lot of fun and could be wacky in their own way. I remember one time we were in Orlando. We were staying in the same hotel as the team. It was Easter Sunday. Charles Oakley was wearing a pink suit, and Chris Childs got off the elevator wearing the same suit. Charles got on the elevator, went back upstairs, and changed into a black suit. He didn’t want to be seen wearing the same suit as one of his teammates. The players could be really quirky about stuff like that.”
Brian Windhorst has criticized the lack of storytelling in NBA coverage. What do you think?
“The games are played by people. People want to read stories about people. And everyone has an interesting story. There’s something in someone’s life that’s interesting. And it’s up to you as a reporter to find that out. Yes, I think the media access being the way it is certainly hurts. But you still do have access. If you’re covering the Premier League, you’re not getting into the locker room after the game. If you’re in the NBA, you can get into the locker room before and after a game. It’s up to you to develop these relationships with players. I just think today, because of social media, players can go back at the media. I think people watch their Ps and Qs a little bit more. I think people are worried about asking a question because it’ll go viral.”
Needed something along the lines of “why weren’t you effective is this series” which is a nice way of saying “what the heck happened to you in this series” https://t.co/qDW7gpxDi5
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) May 31, 2026
Do you have an example?
“Go look at Chet Holmgren’s press conference after Game 7. It was three minutes and 50 seconds. Not one person said anything like, ‘Hey, Chet, you were so important to this team last year, winning a championship. But in this series, you really struggled. You didn’t play up to your standard. What happened?’ Basically, a nice way of saying, ‘What the hell, dude? You were terrible.’ Like, nobody even broaches that subject. It’s crazy….
“You don’t have to do a hot take. You don’t have to say that Chet Holmgren is a disaster and that they need to trade him. But you do need to find out what the issue was in the series. Was he carrying an injury? Was he that intimidated by Victor Wembanyama? Was something else going on? The only way you find that out is by asking the guy a question.”
Do people recognize you more from Pardon the Interruption than from anything else?
“Definitely. It’s always funny, too, because a lot of times, I’ll get people coming up and they’ll say, ‘I like you. You guys do a great show.’ I always say, ‘What show?’ If they say the radio, I’m kind of blown away because how would they know it was me? We’re not obvious. Even though we’re on the app, it’s just different when people tell you they listen to the radio show. I’ve got to be honest with you. When people say, ‘I miss it that you’re not at the Daily News anymore,’ that makes me feel good because I really enjoyed that job.”
What do you enjoy most about PTI?
“The people at PTI have been nice to me. I think every time they’ve asked me to do the show, I’ve only said one word. Yes. I don’t think I’ve ever said no. They know they can rely on me. So when Tony Kornheiser takes off, I’m with (Michael) Wilbon. If Wilbon takes off, it’s Pablo Torre. And if Pablo can’t do it, they’ll sometimes ask other people or me. It’s a fun show because the producers have a newspaper-type mindset. Obviously, I think that has a lot to do with Mike and Tony.”
The Knicks are back on the court tonight and all of the top NBA reporters will be at Madison Square Garden! (except @TheFrankIsola) pic.twitter.com/bIVrLHzZTS
— PTI (@PTI) May 21, 2026
What’s it like to work with Brian Scalabrine?
“For me, he’s one of the best analysts out there because, No. 1, he understands the game at a high level. He was around great people and great players. Think about it. He was with Jason Kidd. He was with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. He was with Derrick Rose. He was with Tom Thibodeau in both Boston and Chicago. So he knows the league really well. He knows the game really well. He takes his job seriously, but he doesn’t take himself seriously.”
Any prediction for the NBA Finals?
“Everything is breaking right for the Knicks. They’ve been playing out of this world since Game 4 against Atlanta. You don’t have to beat all these great teams. Now they’ve got to beat one great team, San Antonio. I just get a weird feeling. I have a lot of faith in Jalen Brunson. There’s a toughness to him. It’s not going to be easy, but I do think the Knicks are going to end this championship drought.”
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