In response to the New York Knicks’ dismal 2014-15 season, The Times reassigned its Knicks beat reporter Scott Cacciola to explore basketball beyond the professional ranks. Over a three-month period, Cacciola ventured outside the usual coverage to find compelling stories in unexpected places, producing a series titled "Not the Knicks."

Jason Stallman, the Sports Editor, explained that with the Knicks effectively conceding the season, the editorial decision was made to have Cacciola cover other basketball narratives, including youth leagues and international teams. This approach aimed to spotlight the broader basketball landscape, tapping into lesser-known but engaging stories that might otherwise go unnoticed.

To identify suitable subjects, the newsroom crowdsourced recommendations, resulting in a diverse set of features that ranged from the Central Illinois Xpress, a girls’ team competing and excelling in a predominantly boys’ league, to profiles of recreational pickup games at New York’s McBurney Y.M.C.A., and even stories involving the Harlem Globetrotters. The series sought to capture basketball’s expansive reach and cultural significance beyond the NBA spotlight.

The "Not the Knicks" project deliberately distanced itself from traditional beat reporting. One symbolic element underscored this break: a No Smoking sign bearing the Knicks logo, representing the team’s hiatus from regular coverage and the reporter’s exploration of alternative basketball narratives.

Although there were initial concerns about how fans might react to sidelining coverage of their home team, the series garnered attention for its originality and breadth. It reflected an evolving approach to sports journalism, one that recognizes the value in embracing eclectic and unconventional stories rather than focusing solely on a single professional franchise. The initiative highlighted both the struggles of the Knicks during that season and the rich diversity of basketball elsewhere.