Knicks' Raymond Felton fires back at Nets: 'They'll never take over the city'
Point guard Raymond Felton said the Nets can never run the city because the Knicks have "'New York' on our chest." (Al Bello/Getty Images)
Knicks point guard Raymond Felton fired the latest shot in the brewing New York City NBA rivalry.
Responding to Paul Pierce's Aug. 8 proclamation that "it's time for the Nets to start running this city," Felton said that Brooklyn will "never take over the city," according to ESPN New York's Ian Begley.
Felton, who returned to the Knicks last season to guide them to their first playoff series victory in 13 years over Pierce's Celtics, dismissed the new Nets' small forward's boast as "just him talking."
Earlier this month, Pierce also said that his "hate" for the Knicks had grown after his blockbuster trade to Brooklyn along with Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry.
From ESPN.com:
"They will never take over the city. Because we've got 'New York' on our chest," Felton said Sunday. "They've got 'Brooklyn' on their chest, and we've got 'New York.' They'll never take over the city.
"[Pierce] saying that is just him talking. At the end of the day, it's all about rivalries. We understand that -- he knows that, I know that. He's just trying to fuel it."
...
"He's just trying to talk, talk, talk, to fuel the rivalry, which is good. I love it," said Felton, who laughed when asked about Pierce's comments. "I think it's good for us, it's good for the whole state, it's good. So, whatever -- I love it.
"I don't really pay no attention to what Paul is saying," added Felton, who was at St. John's University at a clinic for Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City. "I hear about it, but I don't pay it no attention. It's all fun and games to me."
The two teams split their season series, 2-2, during the Nets' first year in Brooklyn in 2012-13. They meet for the first time of the 2013-14 season on Dec. 5 at the Barclays Center.
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