• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, February 10, 2011

NBA Commissioner David Stern is rattling off the strong NBA franchises that have contributed to a surge in ratings for the sport, and left out one important one, given the audience he is speaking to, attendees at the ANA's TV/Everything Video Forum in New York City.

"I left out the Knicks, I apologize," Stern said, apologizing the oversight of his home court omission.

One thing Stern said he doesn't have to apologize for anymore, is the New York Knicks' performance on the court, which he said, is a pretty good thing for the sport.

"The reason it matters is America is a town of small towns, and there's no small town bigger than New York," he said, adding that he was getting tired of pedestrians yelling out to him, "Hey Commish, what do you do about the Knicks. Now I don't have to answer that question."

"In some small measure by what's going on in Madison Square Garden. And things are good in Madison Square Garden now," he said.