Landry Fields: Beautiful People 2011
By David Hershkovits
When the Knicks decided to trade three of their starters for superstar Carmelo Anthony, that left the $100 million man Amar'e Stoudemire and rookie Landry Fields. Considered the steal of last year's draft, the modest 6'7" Stanford grad has got sports fans and commentators enamored with the sophistication of his game. Among Fields' many devoted fans is Spike Lee, who can be regularly found courtside proudly sporting the No. 6 jersey of the team's improbable success story.
In a game where spectacular athletes like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant dominate the highlight reels, Fields is a throwback, old school if you like. A standout scholar-athlete, he's strong on fundamentals and weak on flash and chest thumping. Fields refers to himself as a "blue collar worker" on the team, "making the hustle plays, the kind of thing the city appreciates," he says. "I like to think I've got my own flash but not in a flashy way. My lack of flash is my own flash."
Off the court, his sense of humor makes him a popular teammate on a club that's on the upswing after years of being in the doldrums. Though he lives in White Plains, ten minutes from the Knicks training center, he's well aware of the opportunities New York has to offer for a celeb in the making with a communications degree. In a recent video made by Modell's Sporting Goods, he played the clueless salesman pitching Landry gear to unsuspecting customers who would have no part of it. He and his best friend on the team, the little-used Andy Rautins, even have their own web series in the works, The Andy and Landry Show, which should bring on the laughs and burnish the brand even more. "Whenever we're with each other we act like clowns," he says. As for the city itself, he's putting the business of playing ball first and keeping his distance. "Staying out of trouble," he says. "Big city lifestyle is crazy out there."
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In a game where spectacular athletes like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant dominate the highlight reels, Fields is a throwback, old school if you like. A standout scholar-athlete, he's strong on fundamentals and weak on flash and chest thumping. Fields refers to himself as a "blue collar worker" on the team, "making the hustle plays, the kind of thing the city appreciates," he says. "I like to think I've got my own flash but not in a flashy way. My lack of flash is my own flash."
Off the court, his sense of humor makes him a popular teammate on a club that's on the upswing after years of being in the doldrums. Though he lives in White Plains, ten minutes from the Knicks training center, he's well aware of the opportunities New York has to offer for a celeb in the making with a communications degree. In a recent video made by Modell's Sporting Goods, he played the clueless salesman pitching Landry gear to unsuspecting customers who would have no part of it. He and his best friend on the team, the little-used Andy Rautins, even have their own web series in the works, The Andy and Landry Show, which should bring on the laughs and burnish the brand even more. "Whenever we're with each other we act like clowns," he says. As for the city itself, he's putting the business of playing ball first and keeping his distance. "Staying out of trouble," he says. "Big city lifestyle is crazy out there."
GO BACK TO SEE MORE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE OF 2011
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