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I watched the movie Eddie for the first time back in the '90s, and I didn't really get it. My New York Knicks were an intimidating team with a mutual respect for one another that was admirable. Their coach, Jeff Van Gundy, loved his team and got love in return. They fought as a unit, stood up for one another, and had legendary playoff runs year after year.

How could the current Knicks be so disoriented, so flat, so...bad?

Almost ten years later, I watched Eddie again. Suddenly, the themes of the film rang true.

Look at the Knicks at the beginning of the movie. They are a disjointed and apathetic mess. The talent is there, but the camaraderie and effort are not.

The coach, John Bailey (Dennis Farina), is an old grouch with an enormous ego. He is distrustful and disrespectful towards his players, and the fans resent him for it.

The star player, Stacy Patton (Malik Sealy, R.I.P.), is a talented but aloof guard who hogs the ball and refers to himself in the third person.

The team's manager, Wild Bill Burgess (Frank Langella), has a misguided and corrupt direction for the team, and scoffs at any reasonable suggestions from those below him.

See any resemblance?

In the movie, Eddie (Whoopi Goldberg), gets every Knick fan's dream: the chance to be in charge. She whips up the cohesion of the team by learning to respect and understand her players. She wakes them up to the fact that they are capable of making the playoffs, if they are willing to put in effort and work together.

What becomes apparent is that the Knicks need to watch this movie. Every player, coach, and higher-up can learn a lesson from its events.

Perhaps this team of talented players could achieve some sort of cohesion as well.

Perhaps the coach could put aside his ego for the good of his players.

Perhaps the GM could learn that his fans know and care the most.

What the Knicks really need, though, is someone to ask them, "Do you remember that people pay to come and see you guys?"

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