OG Anunoby may have made his bones in the NBA as a Raptor before he joined the Knicks in 2023, but the London-born baller is a New York kid at heart. The now 27-year-old star is a big baseball fan, and has been ever since he was young. The team he loves? The New York Mets.
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OG spoke about this love for the less popular New York ball club during a recent chat with The Athletic. This wasn’t just to win over the hearts of the Knickerbockers faithful. He revealed that he’s rooted for the Mets since the 2000s, crediting Carlos Delgado, Jose Reyes, and famed ace Pedro Martinez for capturing his fandom.
“I watch all the time,” he told the outlet about the MLB. America’s pastime was very important OG. In fact, he nearly ended up pursuing the game as a career.
“I stopped playing in grade nine,” OG revealed in the interview, and added that a growth spurt encouraged him to play basketball instead. “I played center field, pitcher and shortstop.”
In an alternate universe, the 2019 NBA Champion is prepping for a new season next to Juan Soto. Instead, he’s helped the Knicks have one of their best seasons in years, and has stepped up huge in the temporary absence of an injured Jalen Brunson.
Anunoby’s love of baseball extends beyond just watching it as well. “I collected baseball cards,” he told The Athletic. Unfortunately, OG didn’t hint at any gems he may have had in said collection.
The Mets have had some up and down seasons during OG’s time as a fan, but it has come with some hope. In 2015, they made it to the World Series. Last year they had an immaculate late season rally that landed them in the playoffs, where they went toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who would put a pounding on the Yankees to claim another championship. Hopefully this season brings OG and other Mets fans something bigger to celebrate.
In the meantime, OG and the Knicks are providing that indescribable New York winning spirit for the Big Apple. They currently hold the #3 spot in the very competitive East, meaning they would face the Pistons if the playoffs started today. Another ring on OG’s finger would look good, especially when he heads to City Field to “meet the Mets, step right up and greet the Mets.”
