And Jefferson saw the irony in his refereeing debut coming against the Knicks. He had a long history of both beating them as a player with the Nets, and of prodding their fanbase while a Nets broadcaster. “I have no issue with the Knick fans. I understand when they see my face, I understand they can get frustrated for all the years of pain that we tormented them through,” Jefferson joked. “No, I respect the Knicks. Part of the rivalry — and it’s like Ohio State-Michigan, UCLA-USC, Duke-North Carolina — the Knicks are the team in the town. We’re the Nets, so there’s always going to be the rivalry. “There’s always going to be that energy and I have no problem leaning into it, playing into it. Nothing but a ton of respect for everybody in the Knick organization though.” -via New York Post / July 12, 2022
