- Pablo Torre shared previously unseen Knicks recruitment videos, including a cringey sketch aimed at Kawhi Leonard.
- The Kawhi clip used a Saturday Night Live-style bit with Jay Pharoah, Jason Biggs and other comedians.
- The Knicks also made a tube-TV pitch for Kyrie Irving and a Wu-Tang-themed music video for Kevin Durant.
- None of the videos convinced the players to join New York; Knicks later signed stars elsewhere.
H2: Pablo Torre digs up old Knicks recruitment tapes
On the latest episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, reporter Pablo Torre made public a set of offbeat recruitment videos the New York Knicks once used to try to court free agents. The most discussed clip targeted Kawhi Leonard and has been called the most embarrassing of the bunch.
H3: The Kawhi Leonard sketch — why it missed the mark
The Leonard video plays like a short Saturday Night Live sketch. It features comedians Jay Pharoah, Kenan Thompson and Michael Che alongside celebrities such as Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, Al Roker — and actor Jason Biggs in a prominent role. In one odd twist, Pharoah impersonates Kawhi Leonard, creating a tone and humor unlikely to appeal to Leonard’s famously private personality.
Kawhi Leonard is known for maintaining a low profile, and the theatrical approach of the Knicks’ pitch didn’t line up with what we know about him. The clip didn’t land: Leonard didn’t take a meeting after the pitch, and the video is now being characterized as a cringe artifact of the team’s recruitment strategy.
H3: Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant pitches also revealed
Torre also showed the Knicks’ video aimed at Kyrie Irving, which arrived inside a Knicks-branded tube television. That video leaned into New York streetball lore, with nods to Rucker Park and a look ahead to 2027 portraying Irving’s impact on the city. Compared with the Leonard sketch, the Irving piece came across as less over-the-top and more stylistically on-brand for Irving’s public persona — though it still failed to sway him.
The Durant pitch was previously revealed by Torre: a Wu-Tang Clan–styled song and music video meant to woo Kevin Durant. Like the Leonard and Irving efforts, it did not ultimately convince Durant — he signed elsewhere.
H2: Lessons from the Knicks’ old recruitment attempts
The videos are now being shared widely not only because they’re entertaining relics, but because they underscore a simple lesson: flashy recruitment stunts rarely beat money, roster construction and long-term vision. The Knicks eventually lost out on those free agents and later refocused their strategy. For fans, the clips offer a glimpse of a different era — one where teams tried anything to land superstar talent.
H4: What this means for Kawhi Leonard and the Knicks
Kawhi Leonard remains a guarded figure in the NBA, and these videos are unlikely to change that. For the Knicks, the clips are a reminder to prioritize substance over spectacle when courting top players. And for the internet, they’re a new source of sports-media amusement.
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