Meeting Knicks rookie star Allonzo Trier

Recently, we went to the New York Knicks practice facility in Westchester to interview rookie Allonzo Trier and watch the team practice.

Allonzo is a new player to the Knicks and he is 22 years old. Before he played for the Knicks, he played for the Arizona Wildcats in college. As a kid he also enjoyed playing football, soccer and taekwondo. We knew he was very tall, 6-foot-5, but when we were standing next to him for pictures with Allonzo, we saw up close how crazy tall he really is. Lucky for us, he was sitting down during our interview.

Once we walked into the practice court we saw all of the Knicks players right in front of us.  We were amazed to see all of the players practicing. It was especially cool because we recognized many of them from watching them play on TV. We even saw Coach David Fizdale being interviewed with lots of cameras around. We were looking all around for Allonzo and we saw him walking toward us. We all felt a little nervous with butterflies in our stomach even though we practiced our questions before. He was very friendly when he walked up to us.

Allonzo was about 8 years old when he first started playing basketball. Jahlia asked what inspired him to be a basketball player, and he said, “I watched a lot of basketball as a kid, like a lot.” Brandon asked how it felt when he made his first dunk, and he said, “I was so excited, I was probably 12 or 13.” Isabella wanted to know who the toughest player that he’s played against is. Since he’s new to the NBA, he wasn’t sure yet because he had played in only a few games. He told us we can ask him again when he plays a little more this season.  Patrick knew he grew up in Seattle and wanted to know how Seattle is different from New York. Allonzo said it is very different and much colder in New York, but he likes it.

Brandon wanted to know if he had any other hidden talents. In school he was a creative writer. He asked us if video games count because he likes playing 2K, and we said yes, video games count. Since Fortnite is a popular game, we were curious if he played, and he said yes! He asked if we liked to play too, and of course, we do.  

Since he wears No. 14, Isabella was curious to know if it had a significant meaning. He said that he was able to pick a number and 14 was available. This number stood out to him so now it is a special number to him. He also said he really likes playing at Madison Square Garden and it is a cool place. He feels very lucky to be part of the Knicks at only 22 years old. Brandon was curious to know what he bought with his first paycheck as a professional player; he laughed and said, “Nothing yet, save your money!” This was a valuable lesson we learned from him.  

At the end of the interview we each got an item autographed. Isabella and Brandon got a basketball signed. Jahlia got her shirt signed, and Patrick got his hat signed. He even put his number 14 next to his autograph.

Lastly, we got to watch a little more of the players practice. We noticed they were working hard and got most of their shots in the hoop. We were able to take many pictures because we were only a few feet away. It was really cool seeing the Knicks play in front of us. We can’t wait to show our friends and family and talk about this fun experience. We will never forget this awesome experience.