SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Whether it was on the football field or on the basketball court, New York Knicks guard Miles McBride learned at an early age the process that it takes to be successful in sports.
Those principles still apply to the 2019 Moeller High School graduate who is thriving for the No. 3 seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference as March concludes.
"As I told him it's all about being patient," said Walt McBride, the father of the third-year NBA player. "He has that understanding. That's helped a long way."
On Wednesday night, McBride tied a career-high with 29 points including a career-high nine 3-pointers in New York's 145-101 win over host Toronto. He also had seven assists.
"Nothing that Miles does surprises me," Moeller basketball coach Carl Kremer said. "He is that perfect example of when preparation meets opportunity. We're so proud of him."
It was just 10 days ago that McBride, a former West Virginia University star, scored a career-high 29 points in the Knicks' 119-112 win at Golden State.
McBride's defense on Stephen Curry garnered headlines. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau spoke at length after the game about the former Moeller star.
"You could see how efficiently he was shooting the ball in practice and usually that's a sign that in time that will transfer to the games," Thibodeau told the media. "In fairness to him, he was never really in the rotation. Sometimes he would be in and then he'd be out and it's not easy to handle that. But he never complained, always ready. There's a defensive component to him. He's a two-way player and the shooting is just huge."
His father, a former Xavier University basketball player and Cincinnati-area high school basketball head coach, keeps close tabs on Knicks games. He watches upcoming opponents and looks for who Miles may guard. He'll send a text message to his son before, during or after games with his analysis.
McBride's success this month coincides with the Knicks, who have won seven of their past eight games. He scored 26 points in a win over Brooklyn on March 23. He had 13 points, five rebounds and four assists against Detroit Monday night.
"When your team has confidence in you, you're not tight," Walt McBride said. "You can get there and just play. They all have an understanding of the game. They enjoy playing with each other. They share the ball."
McBride, nicknamed "Deuce" since the third grade, was also recognized on ESPN.com this week when he made an inbound pass off Detroit's Malachi Flynn for an easy layup at Madison Square Garden Monday night.
His basketball IQ and his team-first mentality are common themes. In grade school, McBride played against older classmates. His aptitude in sports was easily recognized.
Kremer said McBride always cared about his teammates and coaches while being a role model at school.
McBride values being from Cincinnati including at Moeller, where he won back-to-back Division I basketball state titles in 2018 and 2019, and before that Cardinal Pacelli School. He plans to host another youth basketball camp at Moeller this summer, according to his family. It's yet another connection to his hometown and alma mater.
It was at Moeller where McBride took the phone call from the Knicks during the 2021 draft. He keeps photos of that moment with his family pinned to his X account.
Nearly four years prior to experience, McBride weighed college scholarship opportunities in football and hoops early in his junior year in the fall of 2017. At the time, he believed both sports could be in his future before he eventually focused on basketball.
But his approach then in high school like today hasn't changed. He takes full advantage of each opportunity.
“I am just trying to wait it out and be patient," said McBride.
