One of Ariel's favorite sportswriters joins the show to tell the story of his media journey, which began when he covered the elite New York City high school basketball scene. Then, Isola discusses landing a gig with The New York Daily News and the magic of covering those '90s Knicks teams. Plus, he tells Ariel how his relationship with the Knicks eventually soured (39:17), why it's harder for reporters to fairly cover the NBA today (55:32), and much more.

Frank Isola is an American sportswriter who covered the New York Knicks for The New York Daily News from 1995-2017. He then wrote about the Knicks for The Athletic. Today, he co-hosts a SiriusXM radio show, serves as a Nets studio analyst for YES Network, and is also a regular contributor to ESPN's "Around the Horn" and "Pardon the Interruption." He is also the author of the 1999 book, "Just Ballin': The Chaotic Rise of the New York Knicks."

You can follow Frank on Twitter and Instagram @TheFrankIsola.

For more episodes of The Ariel Helwani Show, please follow the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app.

To get more from Ariel, subscribe to his YouTube channel, read his writing on Substack, watch his work for BT Sport, and follow The MMA Hour or The Ringer MMA Show.

Theme music: "Frantic" by The Lovely Feathers