Kristaps Porzingis: No. 1 Goal To Win A Ring With Knicks

When asked to outline his goals as a member of the New York Knicks, Kristaps Porzingis quickly listed his No. 1 priority: winning an NBA championship.

Despite having just completed his rookie season, New York Knicks phenom Kristaps Porzingis is already captivating the masses. That ranges beyond what he’s done on the court and enters the realm of his mental approach to the game.

While most get caught up on the trivial aspects of statistical achievement, Porzingis has a singular focus: winning.

Porzingis has maintained a desire to win since the day he was drafted by the New York Knicks. That mirrors the thirst for success that Knicks fans have failed to quench since the organization last won an NBA championship in 1973.

During a recent interview with Eurohoops.net, Porzingis made it clear that winning a title matters more to him than anything else.

For those who can’t see the video:

"“The No. 1 goal is to win a championship one day. That’s all we have in our heads. But we’ve got to go step by step. We’re not going to win a championship in one day. So we’ve got to start building. We’ve got to first make it to the playoffs. That’s the No. 1 goal right now: make it to the playoffs. And then go day by day, game by game.It’s not easy what we want to achieve, but I think the fans and us, the players and the organization, we have something to look forward to. And I think we’re growing. One day we want to win a championship.”"

That’s the perfect mentality for New York’s future franchise player to have.

Despite playing at The Mecca of Basketball, the Knicks haven’t won a championship since 1973. During that 43-year draught, New York has made just two trips to the NBA Finals: 1994 and 1999.

Thus, while the pessimism of Knicks fans and writers can be overwhelmingly depressing, it’s founded in a constant state of inferiority.

Since Jeff Van Gundy’s last full season as head coach, 2001, the Knicks have made the playoffs just four times in 15 seasons. New York’s secured a winning record just three times in that 15-year window, and won 50-plus games on just one occasion.

In other words, the Knicks have been one of the worst organizations in professional sports since firing Van Gundy.

The hope is that Phil Jackson, who won 11 NBA championships as a coach, two as a player, and drafted Porzingis, can right the ship. Some have soured on him after just two seasons, but Jackson is the winningest man in NBA history.

Jackson was also a member of the only two championship teams in Knicks history.

With Porzingis at the heart of the team’s future plans, New York will push to return to glory. The future is uncertain, but it’s far brighter than it’s been in more than a decade.

must read: In which five areas should Kristaps Porzingis look to improve during the summer of 2016?

If nothing else, Knicks fans can rest easy knowing that the future face of the franchise has a championship as his No. 1 goal.