Take a step back to November.
During that time, Landry Shamet was striving to recover from a challenging first year with the Knicks. A dislocated shoulder had severely impacted his season, and he found himself often overlooked in Tom Thibodeau’s lineup. However, just 12 games into what would ultimately become the Knicks’ championship season, Shamet turned heads by sinking six 3-pointers and achieving a career-best 36 points in a decisive win over the Heat.
This performance was the first indication that he would soon play a pivotal role off the bench for the title-winning team.
“This is where I wanted to be,” Shamet expressed to The Post back then. “After last year’s remarkable season, with this group, this locker room, this city, and its fans, there was nowhere else I wanted to be, to be honest. I’m thrilled it worked out.”
With the start of free agency on Tuesday—allowing teams to officially commence negotiations with other free agents at 6 p.m., and initiate discussions with their own free agents immediately after the Finals—uncertainty still loomed over the futures of Mitchell Robinson and Jordan Clarkson. Meanwhile, the Knicks had already acted swiftly to re-sign Shamet, along with Jose Alvarado and Mohamed Diawara, bolstering the core of crucial bench players from their victorious championship campaign.
Entering free agency, Shamet and Robinson were the two biggest question marks surrounding the Knicks. Owner James Dolan’s on-the-record desire to stay under the second apron meant it would be nearly impossible to bring back both and fulfill his wishes.
Shamet was likely to be the cheaper option, and the Knicks quickly secured his future with what they intend to be a four-year, $24 million deal.
Now, going back to Nov. 12. Across the next seven-plus months, Shamet’s entire career trajectory would change.
Before that breakout against the Heat, he was barely hanging on in the league. He signed a nonguaranteed, veteran minimum deal to return for a second year with the Knicks. It wasn’t even guaranteed he would make the roster out of training camp — Malcolm Brogdon’s unexpected retirement paved the way for his spot.
And just three games later, Shamet dislocated his shoulder, the same one on his right, shooting side, as the year prior in a game against the Magic. He had a decision: Undergo surgery, which would have ended his season, or try to rehab it and return later in the year. The latter option required trust in the Knicks, who could have simply cut him and his nonguaranteed contract and signed someone who could come in and play right away.
Shamet and the Knicks agreed that he’d rehab it with the goal of returning later in the year, a prescient sign of faith between the two sides.
It wasn’t until Jan. 15 that he returned. But across the next 36 games, he averaged 9.3 points on 38.1 percent shooting from 3-point range, cementing himself as an important part of the rotation.
But his shooting waned down the stretch of the postseason, and he went just 2-for-8 across the first five games of the first round of the playoffs. He had effectively been replaced in coach Mike Brown’s rotation by Jose Alvarado. All of a sudden, Shamet was on the outside looking in.
No problem. He didn’t complain or waver. He just waited for another opportunity.
Across the final 14 postseason games, he shot 50.9 percent from deep. His game-tying trey down the stretch of the epic comeback in Game 1 of the conference finals will live in Knicks lore.
And, now, he returns to the team he won his first championship with. He wanted to return to the Knicks even after a rough first season. He maintained that belief during an injury that threw his future in doubt.
Even now, he probably could have gotten more money elsewhere.
But the Knicks — and their faith in him — rejuvenated his career. He played a pivotal role in their title.
“Knicks fans are a specific species of human that should be studied,” Shamet said. “They’re crazy. They’re crazy. … Everywhere you walk in the city, that’s what you hear. The buzz is unbelievable. You could try and explain what’s going on in New York right now for Knicks fans but good luck. It’s different. Knicks fans are different.”
This relationship itself is different. And this marriage is set to continue.