new : 7  york : 4  ap : 1  after : 1  issuing : 1  an : 2  emphatic : 1  denial : 2  dave : 1  checketts : 8  acting : 1  president : 2  of : 9  the : 30  knicks : 4  flip : 1  flopped : 1  today : 1  and : 13  admitted : 1  that : 6  he : 5  contacted : 1  former : 1  chicago : 1  bulls : 1  coach : 2  phil : 5  jackson : 8  to : 9  gauge : 1  his : 4  interest : 3  in : 8  running : 1  team : 3  bombshell : 1  revelation : 1  came : 2  during : 2  fourth : 2  quarter : 2  york's : 1  DD : 2  victory : 2  over : 2  atlanta : 1  hawks : 2  for : 7  a : 8  D : 5  lead : 1  best : 1  second : 1  round : 2  while : 2  i've : 2  never : 1  met : 2  or : 2  spoken : 1  agent : 1  todd : 1  musburger : 5  through : 2  intermediary : 1  we : 2  did : 1  talk : 2  among : 2  other : 1  people : 1  at : 3  one : 3  point : 1  see : 2  if : 2  there : 4  was : 7  any : 2  said : 10  spokesman : 2  left : 1  it : 6  we'll : 1  you : 1  end : 1  season : 4  citing : 1  sources : 1  who : 2  spoke : 1  on : 2  condition : 1  anonymity : 1  times : 3  daily : 1  news : 1  with : 2  mid : 1  april : 1  discuss : 1  state : 1  since : 1  then : 1  ernie : 1  grunfeld : 1  has : 7  been : 3  demoted : 1  have : 1  successful : 1  eliminating : 1  miami : 1  first : 1  playoffs : 1  now : 1  away : 1  from : 1  eastern : 1  conference : 1  finals : 1  jeff : 1  van : 3  gundy : 2  whose : 1  job : 2  security : 1  question : 1  throughout : 1  this : 2  tumultuous : 1  smiled : 1  shook : 1  head : 1  before : 3  game : 2  sunday : 2  when : 1  asked : 1  reaction : 1  reports : 1  i'm : 3  not : 6  talking : 1  about : 2  every : 1  time : 1  honest : 1  comes : 1  back : 1  bites : 1  me : 3  practicing : 1  mormon : 1  does : 1  attend : 1  games : 1  madison : 1  square : 1  garden : 1  against : 1  could : 1  be : 1  reached : 1  comment : 1  both : 1  were : 2  quoted : 1  story : 1  denying : 1  meeting : 3  barry : 1  watkins : 2  issued : 1  blanket : 1  tipoff : 1  there's : 2  nothing : 1  no : 2  but : 1  arena : 1  floor : 1  checketts' : 1  statement : 1  past : 1  as : 2  many : 1  six : 1  teams : 2  are : 2  interested : 1  speaking : 1  coaching : 1  position : 1  disclosed : 1  although : 2  is : 2  widely : 1  believed : 1  los : 1  angeles : 1  lakers : 1  jersey : 1  nets : 1  denver : 1  nuggets : 1  them : 1  team's : 1  resurgence : 1  fueled : 1  gundy's : 1  safe : 1  another : 1  year : 3  will : 1  wait : 1  until : 1  ends : 1  making : 1  personnel : 1  decisions : 1  more : 1  remaining : 1  three : 1  million : 1  contract : 1  speculation : 1  possible : 1  hiring : 1  commonplace : 1  struggling : 1  center : 1  patrick : 1  ewing : 2  would : 1  demand : 1  trade : 2  rather : 1  than : 1  play : 1  shocks : 1  between : 1  which : 1  also : 1  attended : 1  by : 1  playing : 1  way : 1  they : 2  can : 1  get : 1  