Warm words flowed amid laughter and tears at the Fordham Chapel Tuesday as family, friends and acquaintances paid respects to beloved longtime Knicks color analyst John Andariese. Some themes during the funeral Mass and service were heard over and over: gentleman, classy, caring, loving.
But maybe Knicks and NBA announcer Mike Breen, who, in quoting a fan, summed up best why there was such an outpouring of love and respect for the man known as “Johnny Hoops.”
“He was one of us,” said Breen.
Andariese, who died March 13 at the age of 78 at his Florida home after a long battle with dementia, was just that.