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It's the song of the century, a track so soaring, so moving that hits at something so deep and elemental that it feels like its rhythm speaks to something coded deep within our very DNA. This song, of course, is “Go New York Go,” the hype anthem for the New York Knicks 1994 run in the NBA playoffs. And with the Knicks in the second round of the playoffs for only the second time since 2000, the song is once again en vogue, providing the soundtrack as the Knicks bring back the good vibes and optimism of the 90s. While the song is an undisputed banger, its history might be even more interesting. Jesse Itzler, a current minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks, wrote and recorded the song back when he was a Knicks-obsessed 22 year old from Long Island.
Before Itzler became the billionaire founder of Marquis Jet Partners (a private jet leasing company) and married Sara Blakely (the founder of Spanx), he was a rapper known as Jesse Jaymes, a Vanilla Ice-style emcee who specialized in making frat-friendly hits such as “Shake It Like a White Girl.” In 1993, he was working on a radio jingle for a clothing company that was founded by Deb Checketts, the wife of former New York Knicks general manager Dave Checketts, and approached the team about writing a song. To the good fortune of music lovers everywhere, they said yes.
Building on the success of “Go New York Go,” Jesse Itzler went on to become the Steven Sondheim of NBA jock jams, penning songs for 50 other teams such as the Wizards and Lakers as well. To wit, he wrote “I Love This Game,” the foundation for the NBA's legendary ad campaign of the same name. While Itzler has since retired from music and has since shed his Knicks fandom as a member of the Atlanta Hawks ownership group, his legacy as an important side character in Knicks history remains.
“There's nothing like going to the Garden and hearing your song on the loudspeaker with 20,000 people waving their towels,” he told CNN in 2004. “It's as close to being Jay-Z as I'll ever be.”
