He’s gone from crying to campaigning.
The young New York Knicks fan who took a "crying selfie" after the Knicks drafted Kristaps Porzingis in late June has now penned a letter calling for Porzingis to be named an All-Star reserve.
Jordan, 10, shared his letter in support of Porzinigs with ESPN.com's Ian Begley.
Here are some excerpts:
DRAFT NIGHT: “I was probably the unhappiest 9-year-old basketball fan in the world that day. As a life-long diehard Knicks fan, I booed and cried when my team selected Kristaps Porzingis because I wanted the Knicks to draft a player I thought could help them win right away.”
SUMMER LEAGUE: “I started watching Porzinigis in the Las Vegas summer league. It didn't take me long to like him. I saw that he was a great outside shooter. He was making his free throws, jumpers and even 3-pointers. I did not expect this from someone who is 7-3. ... That's when I realized he could become a great player and also help the Knicks as a rookie. I bought his jersey when it became available. After a few weeks I got every Porzingis jersey that there is: orange, blue, and 2 different kind of whites.”
THE CASE FOR THE ALL-STAR TEAM: “Last Thursday, the NBA released the final vote numbers for the 2016 NBA All-Star game. Kristaps Porginzis finished 6th in the voting for the Eastern Conference front court players. Porzingis was the only rookie in the top 50 votes. Wow! KP's best games this year were against the best players or teams in the NBA: Anthony Davis, LaMarcus Aldridge, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James. Porzingis played great against them and showed everyone that he belongs in the NBA. I also think he is the best rookie from this year's draft. From all the rookies in the NBA this year Porzingis is #3 in scoring, #2 in rebounding, and #1 in blocking. Porzingis is also the best 3-point shooter, making more than 30% of his 3-pointers. Wow!”
WHAT IF HE GETS IN? “I already told my mom and dad that I want to go to the All-Star game in Toronto if Porzingis gets in. I will get all of my homework done before the weekend and will my use bank savings to help pay for my ticket for All-Star weekend... .So please tell the coaches: vote for Porzingis to the 2016 NBA All-Star game! If the coaches don't make Kristaps Porzingis, an All-Star, I might need to start booing again.”
Here's how the reserve vote works: Eastern Conference coaches must vote for seven players within their conference: two guards, three front-court players and two additional players at either position. So Porzingis has a shot. He won’t get a vote from Knicks coaches, though. Coaches are not permitted to vote for players on their own team.