Playing at Madison Square Garden in front of an energetic crowd is supposed to be one of the biggest advantages of being a New York Knick. But for former Louisiana guard Elfrid Payton, getting to the arena on game day would feel like making another long trip.
Payton explained that during the 2019-20 season, when he spoke to The Athletic about the distance between the team's practice facility and Madison Square Garden. The Knicks train at the MSG Training Center in Greenburgh, which is around 28 miles north of the arena.
While the drive can take roughly 45 minutes when traffic is clear, Knicks fans know that's not always how things work during peak hours. Payton was very clear in describing the ride according to his own experience.
"It's essentially a road game," Payton said.
Payton was used to long drives
The former No. 10 pick had experience with long commutes because he grew up in Gretna, where he attended John Ehret High School before playing college basketball at Louisiana-Lafayette. He was selected into the league by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 NBA Draft before they traded him to Orlando on draft night.
Payton then spent time with the Magic and later played for the Phoe...