Iman Shumpert got his start in the NBA with the New York Knicks, and he made a name for himself before moving on to multiple other teams and even winning a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He had a successful career, but if Shumpert could go back in time and speak with his former self, he’d give him very specific advice.
“If I could tell my younger self something? I would’ve told myself to be a diva. I should have threw my hands up and down, like y’all need to trade me somewhere where I could play point guard. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like I still had a great career. I got to play on a championship team. Got to play in the championship multiple times which just don’t happen for a lot of guys. On my personal development side, I suffered because every year, I had to conform to whatever they wanted me to be,” Shumpert said.
Iman Shumpert feels like the Knicks stunted his growth and wishes he demanded a trade from New York earlier in his career 😬
(via @allinhq_ / https://t.co/4IblZYYYHH) pic.twitter.com/f1ZJ5em4ce
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 12, 2025
They might be one of the most storied and beloved NBA franchises in history, but Shumpert feels that the Knicks didn’t provide him with the opportunity to grow.
In fact, he feels that they stunted his growth and held him back, which is a pretty big and shocking claim.
Shumpert wishes he had stood his ground and demanded more.
That’s a hard task, especially for a rookie player who is fighting for minutes.
After several seasons with the Knicks, Shumpert moved on to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets.
He is very proud of everything he did during his ten years in the league, but he wishes it had started in a slightly different way.
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