Roger Mason did his best work this year in Manhattan board rooms as the key face of the union’s nine-player executive board. He would now like to show New Yorkers more on the basketball court.
Mason is a free agent guard and, with a very small time window for signings and coach Mike D’Antoni’s blessing, there’s a chance Mason could return to the Knicks for the veterans’ minimum. D’Antoni told Mason after last season he regretted not playing him more until the end of the campaign.
“Man, New York fans have embraced me,’’ Mason told The Post regarding his visible role during the lockout negotiations. “Last year I didn’t show them a fraction of who I am as a ballplayer and I want that opportunity, for sure.’’
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Mason, Chris Paul and Theo Ratliff were on the final conference call at 1 a.m. yesterday morning, when the owners’ tinkered proposal was explained to the executive board and approved.
“I’m so happy for the fans,’’ Mason said. “One thing this process has shown is how important they are to basketball. It’s a sense of relief for all the other people affected, the concession workers, restaurants by the arenas [and] the NBA teams that have such an impact on their economy.’’
As a free agent, Mason could have played in Europe without insurance issues, but felt an obligation to stay.
“It was such a long fight,’’ Mason said. “I’m very, very proud of all the hard work and time the guys put in.’’
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Had nothing came of yesterday — and negotiations nearly broke off — the antitrust lawsuit would have proceeded and the season may have been dead.
“I think Christmas was a day if we couldn’t have a season by then, there was a very strong chance of not having one,’’ Mason said. “People really start paying attention then — it’s the start of a lot of national TV attention. We knew how important that date was.’’