Pixar’s latest animated film “Soul” was released on Disney+ on Christmas, giving families a chance to gather around the television and enjoy some good old-fashioned entertainment. Oh, and a really good New York Knicks joke.
The New York Knicks have effectively been a joke of an NBA franchise for much of the last two decades. It’s rare that people are talking about the team for good reason and much of that can be laid at the feet of a thin-skinned owner who is either too disinterested or too incompetent to fix them. So it’s not too surprising that they would eventually become a source of humor that adults from all walks of life would be able to appreciate.
The joke in question comes when the lead character, Joe, enters the Great Beyond and is shown a series of souls/people linked to disastrous situations on Earth. In particular, we learn that one NBA team, in particular, has been getting messed with “for decades.”
Disney movies on Christmas, and the Knicks aren’t safe from Pixar 🤣 pic.twitter.com/98kUGqpZ1y
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) December 26, 2020
The Knicks are referenced in the new pixar movie 'Soul'
Huh
Merry Christmas Knicks fans🎄 pic.twitter.com/QTrXLJAmV5
— TheBenchWarmer🏀 (@BenchWarmerPost) December 25, 2020
That joke likely lands with anyone who has a cursory knowledge of their recent NBA history or any New Yorker who has spied the back page of the NY Daily News and NY Post at some point in the last 30 years. As for how it ended up being the Knicks and not another lowly franchise that was invoked, you can thank Kemp Powers, one of the film’s three writers.
https://twitter.com/Powerkeni/status/1342533072374231040
“YES. I am responsible for that Knicks joke in [Soul]. I’m a diehard, lifelong Knicks fan. Despite their enormous payroll, the last time they won a championship was 1973. The year I was BORN. I think I earned the right to make that joke.”
We doubt that any Knicks would disagree with that sentiment.
