As the New York Knicks continue to rise up in the East, reserve Landry Shamet is repping West.
SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley reported on the link between Landry and The Logo, as Shamet revealed that the No. 44 on his Knicks jersey is meant to be a tribute to the late Jerry West. It was West, who passed away last June, who gave Shamet one of his first NBA opportunity with the Los Angeles Clippers and he’s vowed not to forget it.
“Pre-draft, my interview with [West] was probably the most memorable one I had,” Shamet told Begley. “To a young kid trying to make it into the NBA, he was giving [me] all this advice. I didn’t know Jerry was like that, just a great dude, willing to give information.”
“[I] had the luxury of being there [with the Clippers] for a couple years, spending time with him. For the rest of my career when we’d go play them he’d always be sitting in his seat on the baseline in LA and we’d just wink at each other.”
Shamet’s NBA career began with Philadelphia 76ers as the 26th pick in the 2018 draft but West’s Clippers acquired him in a deadline deal headlined by Tobias Harris’ move East. Shamet averaged 10.9 points and shot 45 percent from deep in the latter portions of his freshman campaign with the Clippers.
The 28-year-old has been a bit of an NBA nomad since but secured his spot with the Knicks after a strong training camp. With his previous numbers taken, Shamet finally got to engage in his tribute to West, taking over the No. 44 previous worn by Hubert Davis and John Wallace in New York.
Shamet has been in and out of the Knicks rotation but has saved the best for last as the team navigates through the medically-induced losses of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, and Cameron Payne.
Over his last six games, Shamet is averaging 11 points on 50 percent from the floor, including 16-of-36 from three-point range. He lived up to West’s old moniker of “Mr. Outside” in Wednesday’s win over Philadelphia, as a season-best showing of 20 points was mostly built on a 6-of-11 tally from three-point range.
