Normally, these are the fun type of things we get to argue about without ever being able to know the answer. Personally I prefer things that way. I kinda hate how nowadays when you have debate with someone they can just go, “Let’s check it out on the internet” and whip out your phone. For me, it’s less about the truth and more the fun of the discussion. That said, now, thanks to an Allan Houston interview with SLAM Magazine, we have the answer as to who would win a shooting contest between him and Danilo Gallinari.
How does Houston know? ‘Cuz they’ve apparently had several shoot-outs. For those who don’t know, Houston currently is an assistant to Donnie Walsh and being groomed to move up the team’s ladder on the organizational side. As such, he of course has his personal take on the upcoming free agency bonanza:
SLAM: What are the advantages you see the Knicks having in luring one of the big time free agents?
Allan Houston: Well, one, I think the market is just so dense. I mean you got, millions and millions of people that are just hungry to be true Knicks fans again. You come in at a time and opportunity where people are just hanging on that. Just from a branding perspective there is no other place like it. To me, there’s playing in New York and winning in New York. Obviously winning in New York is the ultimate opportunity, because when you win in New York I’m not sure you can compare it to anything just from the opportunity of meeting the top people in the world in their field to the culture to anything you want to do, in terms of personal brand, it becomes multiplied. Now when you look at social media and the Internet that actually becomes heightened because you’re able to touch that many more people personally. It increases your communication, it increases your value and your brand automatically. I think that’s just one of the biggest advantages. I think one thing that I’ve always enjoyed being able to realize is the potential to have an impact off the court. You rarely find a player that comes in to this league that just doesn’t want to have a big impact off the court. What I found is that the opportunity in New York is endless. Your impact on charity or off the court, I don’t see how you can match it.
Okay, okay, enough suspense, let’s get to what you wanted to know in the first place. Gallo versus Houston, who wins?
SLAM: The last question, if you and Gallinari played a game of HORSE who would win? Who do you think is a better shooter?
AH: Ah man, I don’t think I would ever say anybody’s a better shooter than I am, but he has beaten me in HORSE because he’s pulled out his left hand shot. We played a couple of shooting games and I got him in a few, but he got me in HORSE so I have to change up the shooting games a little bit. But I think he has a great opportunity to be one of the better shooters in this league. But he’ll tell you he just doesn’t want to be a shooter. That’s the thing I’m impressed with, he wants to be an all-around player and he sees himself that way. To be so young, he treats his job very seriously. He don’t joke around a lot in practice, he’s focused. He’s consistent with taking care of his body. That’s all you can really ask for, especially in a young player.
So there you have it: righty it’s close, but lefty, the trophy goes to New York’s own Big Italy (hmm, has anyone coined that knickname, I mean nickname, for him yet? I should copyright it). Also, ain’t it nice to hear how focused on improving Big Italy is?