Ranking 10 games Knicks fans should be amped up for in 2022-23

5. New York Knicks vs Los Angeles Lakers (January 31)

With LeBron James on the West Coast, the clock is ticking down on how many more times he’ll make an appearance at The Garden. And last season, he didn’t play in the Lakers’ lone game at MSG, which was pretty disappointing. I was there, so I can vouch for that.

Whether or not you care for LeBron James — he’s essential to tell the story of the great NBA feats at 4 Pennsylvania Plaza. And trust me, I’ve never been the biggest James backer. In fact, it took me a while to even appreciate his greatness. But after years, I’ve arrived.

And in years of playing the Knicks, James has taken his game to a seemingly unreachable level at The Garden. Just take a look at some of these statlines:

• Cavs at Knicks (2008): 50 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals
• Cavs at Knicks (2009): 52 points, 11 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks
• Heat at Knicks (2010): 32 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal

Whether it’s a triple-double or hitting halfway to the century mark in points, James has elevated his game even more when playing the Knicks, which by his standards, hardly seems possible. And at this stage in his career, where nothing is for certain, including what team he’s playing for and injuries, it’s worth at least watching him against New York on TV if you can’t make it to the game.

Plus, when it’s the Lakers, it just makes it that much more exciting of a contest. And if Carmelo sticks around for another year in LA, what more would we need to say?