I've considered myself a fan of the New York Knicks since the early 90s. I rooted for Patrick Ewing and John Starks in their futile attempts to dethrone Michael Jordan and the Bulls. I hung my head when Houston Rockets got the best of the New York in Game 7 of the 1993 NBA Finals. I cheered as the miracle Knicks led by a possessed Latrell Sprewell made their way to the Finals in the strike-shortened 1999 season, only to lose to the San Antonio Spurs (freakin' Texas teams). Finally, I shook my head in disappointment as the Toronto Raptors starring Vince Carter bounced the Knicks out of the playoffs in the first round in Game 5 this Friday.

Why am I a Knicks fan? That's a good question. I hate the Yankees and could care less about the Rangers and Islanders. I've never been to the Big Apple, I loathe the East Coast in general, and not much about the desert reminds me of Times Square. The only logical reason I can come up with are the names Woody Allen and Spike Lee.

These are two of my favorite filmmakers. Not because I think every movie they make is brilliant, but because of the way they make movies. They do their own projects. They write and direct most of their features. They are more interested in the art form of film more than the box office production.

What's good by Woody Allen? Annie Hall, Manhattan, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Deconstructing Harry, Sweet and Lowdown, Bullets Over Broadway, Hannah and Her Sisters, Radio Days and a handful of others.

It is practically impossible to get into a conversation about Woody Allen without getting into his personal life. Most people would rather comment on his extra-marital, pederast ways than his impressive take on the basic and complicated relationships between men and women. The man is an artist, and while that doesn't defend his behavior, it certainly does explain his eccentricities. That and he's a Knick fan.

What's good by Spike Lee? Do The Right Thing, She's Gotta Have It, School Daze, Malcolm X, Mo' Better Blues, Get On The Bus, Crooklyn, Jungle Fever and a handful of others.

It is practically impossible to get into conversation about Spike Lee without talking about race. Most people would rather comment on the controversy of each and every one of his films rather than the fact that he has made 15 feature films on subjects ranging from jazz musicians to sex-crazed women. The man is an artist, and while he will always be labeled a black artist, that doesn't tarnish the title one bit. That and he has court side seats to Knick games.

After the Knicks lost, I watched Lee's latest film, Bamboozled, on DVD. I would have watched it in the theater, but the film never made it to Albuquerque. Bamboozled is one of his boldest and best features, shot solely with digital cameras (the wave of the future!). The story is about a black TV writer who is asked to come up with a real black show. To spite his bosses, he comes up with a minstrel show that mimics the blackface shows like "Amos n' Andy." The show becomes a hit, and the social commentary ensues.

This movie is full of humor so dark and brash that only Spike Lee could get away with it, and the reason he gets away with it is because he doesn't ask for anyone's approval for the type of art he expresses. Of course, that also meant that most movie theaters refused to show the film. Fortunately, the United States is still the entertainment mecca, and we can eventually watch any movie we want.

The Knicks have disappeared from the playoff picture, and we will no longer see shots of Spike Lee and Woody Allen in Madison Square Garden. I can always appease myself by watching He Got Game or Bananas.

And the Sacramento Kings are still in the playoffs. I root for the Kings for completely different yet equally extraneous reasons. It all started when I was five years old and met Phil Ford on an escalator at the Macy's in downtown Kansas City...

Chris Jungle is six degrees away from a connection with you.