Bernard King, off Ratner's payroll, now hopes Knicks sign LeBron James (but still supports Brooklyn move)

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Brooklyn-born basketball star Bernard King, a three-year Net and six-year Knick, was once a paid booster of the Nets' Brooklyn move, but was dropped after he was accused of spousal abuse. (He avoided jail time and battery charges by agreeing to counseling.)

Now, he tells FanHouse:

King doesn't work for the Knicks, anymore. He lives in Atlanta, where he owns a company that works with businesses to help cut energy consumption. Yet he still follows NBA basketball closely. After scoring more than 19,000 points in his career, it's tough to stop.

"Once a Knick, always a Knick," he said. "I know if they sign LeBron, I'll be back there in New York at the games a lot more. A franchise can be rebuilt quickly through free agency, and the Knicks might be one of those now."

So Bruce Ratner just rented King's support. Well, he still has King's brother Albert on the payroll.

Still supports Brooklyn move

From the New York Times, 30 Seconds With Bernard King:

Q. As a Fort Greene native, you have been supportive of the Nets’ move to Brooklyn. Could the Nets become a threat to the Knicks’ fan base?

A. The market is big enough for two professional basketball teams. I don’t know that it’s going to hurt the Knicks. It certainly will help the Nets, moving over from New Jersey. I think there will be a tremendous rivalry that has been lost a bit between the Nets and Knicks. For a guy that grew up in Brooklyn, a stone’s throw from that location, I’d love that.