Porzingis tells Knox to use boos as fuel: 'Sooner or later they'll be cheering'

When the New York Knicks selected Kentucky forward Kevin Knox with the No. 9 pick, history repeated itself when fans began to rain boos as the 19-year-old walked on stage.

His new frontcourt partner, Kristaps Porzingis, experienced the same negativity from Knicks fans after being selected No. 4 in the 2015 draft. It seems the future teammates may have bonded over the matter.

"He asked me how the fans reacted and I told him I got the same amount of boos as you got," Knox said of his conversation with Porzingis, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "... He just laughed and he said, 'It's all motivation and fuel to the fire.' He said, 'Just work. Sooner or later they'll be cheering for you.'"

The Latvian quickly became a fan favorite and has been coined as "the Unicorn" for his apparent once-in-a-generation versatility while standing at an enormous 7-foot-3. Porzingis was selected as an All-Star for the first time last year before his season was cut short after suffering a torn ACL on February 6.

Knox is a high-ceiling forward that will give the Knicks a 3-point threat with elite athleticism next to their franchise player. If Porzingis is still recovering when the season begins, Knox may immediately find himself in a bigger role than expected.