Cleanthony Early’s body had a lot of bounce during pregame warm-ups Sunday. He took a pass, dribbled twice and soared to the rim for an emphatic dunk. Moments later, he did it again.
The way Early was jumping around and elevating toward the rim it was hard to believe less than three months earlier the Knicks forward was lying in a hospital bed recovering from a gunshot wound to his right knee.
Early was robbed and shot outside a Queens strip club early in the morning Dec. 30. Just to be alive has Early feeling “very fortunate and very blessed.