OG Anunoby is a Knicks legend. Etched forever in franchise lore and the hearts of fans. In the critical Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the 29-point comeback against the Spurs that was the stuff of legend and set the course of the Finals, Anunoby scored 33 points, including the game-winning tip-in. NBC Sports spoke to Anunoby this week.
Editor’s note: OG Anunoby discussed several topics, including his contributions to ending the New York Knicks’ 53-year title drought, in an interview through his partnership with Royal Canin and VCA Animal Hospitals. Anunoby, a cat lover, has worked with the organizations to raise awareness for rescue cats available for adoption, and to donate to shelters across the country. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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NBCSports.com: We saw the celebration in the streets of New York, which I think might still be going on, and we also saw the celebration with the champagne spraying in the locker room. We kind of saw you accidentally go live [on Instagram in that moment]. Were you surprised when you went live, like how viral that went? And more importantly, did your phone survive all the champagne spray?
Anunoby: Yeah, my phone ended up being all good. Was I surprised that it went viral? Kind of. I mean, there’s a lot of people in it in like a short time in the live. Yeah, I don’t go live like ever, I’m not good at that. But now I talked to some people, taught me how to go live. So next time it won’t go like that.
NBCSports.com: Obviously, it was a wild summer with the parade and everything in New York, but you guys were able to get together for Karl-Anthony Towns’ wedding. How was the second biggest wedding of the year, and how was it being able to get together with your teammates, kind of more out of that spotlight?
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Anunoby: I mean, it was fun to celebrate KAT and Jordan, it was a beautiful wedding. The people who could make it attended. Like people who weren’t busy. So it was just a great celebration of love. It was a good time. It was a great night.
NBCSports.com: OG, are you a cat person?
Anunoby: Yeah, I love cats. I love cats, I love dogs, I love all animals, but especially cats.
NBCSports.com: How did your passion about cats lead to you working with Royal Canin and VCA Animal Hospitals to encourage cat owners to take a more proactive approach to pet health?
Anunoby: Just my love for cats and all animals, and just want to help cats in need and spread awareness about cat health and cat safety. Getting cats to the vet.
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I rely on my trainers for recovery and just staying at the top my game, so I don’t wait until something’s off to like go and get help. A lot of stuff is preventative in sports. So I think that’s what people do with their cats. Preventative care is very important.
NBCSports.com: Something else I know you’re passionate about is basketball in London and England, where you were born. But you were back there this summer, unveiling a new court with the help of the NBPA, correct? How is the sport growing over there?
Anunoby: It’s growing rapidly. I mean, each year I come back, there’s more and more people playing basketball in the streets. They’re just talking about it. We see more and more jerseys. Yeah, boys and girls, it’s growing very fast, and that’s the goal.
NBCSports.com: London is one of the cities that’s been kind of targeted for a potential NBA Europe franchise. If that comes to fruition, what would that mean for the growth of the sport in the city and in the country?
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Anunoby: It’d be amazing. Just the awareness and accessibility, and just, if there’s games going on more regularly in London, the game will just grow.
NBCSports.com: Coming back to the Knicks a little bit, you’ve been down this road before. You’ve won a title and then come back to defend it with that team. So, how can your experience winning a title with the Raptors and the season that followed help with this upcoming season with the Knicks? And if so, how?
Anunoby: Every team is different, every season is different, so we can’t really predict how it will go. All you can do is do your best to kind of do the same thing as last year: Come in, build throughout the season, play to peak in the playoffs, and go on a run, win a championship — that’s every team’s goal. I think that’s all we’re focused on. Hopefully, and just keep getting better each and every day.
NBCSports.com: You obviously peaked with this team at the right time last year. Was there a moment for you when you realized things had really clicked with this team? Was it in the playoffs or before?
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Anunoby: I mean, during the regular season, even the losses and the ups-and-downs, I think we were all learning and growing and building towards the playoffs, and that’s the ultimate goal. So when the playoffs came, even through some of the early losses, we learned a lot and learned and adjusted and went on a run. And that’s the goal.
NBCSports.com: I imagine you get tired of this: fans, media, everyone probably wants to talk to you about the Game 4 tip-in and all that. But as you start to ramp up for the new season, is it something where you feel like you have to kind of, I want to say, put that out of your mind or put that to the side a little bit to focus on what’s next?
Anunoby: I think in general, I mean, we’ve won and it’s over now. So of course we’ll always celebrate it and always be proud of it, and always cherish everything that led up to it. But as we prepare for a new season, you know we’re just looking forward, looking ahead. Goal is to get it all over again. I think every team’s goal is to win the championship. So everyone through the off-season works and goes to get towards that goal.
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NBCSports.com: You’re probably in that ramp-up phase. You’re in the gym. You’re in the lab right now, getting the work in. Are there parts of your game you’re specifically working on to bring in something new this next season or improve upon?
Anunoby: Really improving everything, trying to sharpen everything offensively, defensively, just trying to be just the ultimate player all around.
NBCSports.com: You kind of did that for them in the playoffs. Do you see that as your role going forward? I don’t want to say jack of all trades, but somebody who can fit whatever that the team needs on a specific night?
Anunoby: Yeah, that’s always been something I’ve taken pride in, being able to adjust and be versatile and do whatever. I work towards that all the time.
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NBCSports.com: Was that versatility that makes you so important, was that something you have always had? Is that something you did in college and before, or was it something you kind of had to adapt to in the NBA as you grew?
Anunoby: I think it was always there, and then also I’ve always just worked on my game to improve. So a mix of both. It’s always been there, but also I’m always working to improve and be better than I was the previous game, season. I’m always trying to grow it, never trying to plateau. Just keep elevating.
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