David Lee. (Anthony J. Causi)
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In an alternate basketball universe, David Lee is going on his ninth season as a Knick. In an alternate universe, he has been longtime orange-and-blue teammates with Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, Danilo Gallinari, Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler.
In an alternate universe, the Knicks never traded away 2009, 2010 and 2012 first-round picks for cap space; and team president Donnie Walsh was given word in 2008 LeBron James was using the Knicks, had no intentions of signing there and was plotting a super team in South Beach.
In an alternate universe, Lee finished his sixth straight year on Friday running a kids basketball camp in Chappaqua.
Actually, that universe is this one.
Lee was in town this week, running his annual week-long Westchester camp. He has missed just one day — to sign his Knicks contract in 2009. Lee recalls being a kid in St. Louis, attending Larry Hughes’ camp. Hughes showed for an hour.
“I vowed if I was ever lucky enough to have my own camp, I’d be there,” Lee said.
Lee also played a couple of times the past week at Rucker Park in Harlem in an EBC Classic game, testing his surgically repaired hip.
Lee won’t be a bench player on a minutes restriction this season. He is a Warrior in the truest sense — perhaps closer to an NBA Finals appearance than any current Knick.
In the summer of 2010, Lee rented his Westchester apartment to Amar’e Stoudemire shortly after the Knicks lavished their marquee free-agent signing with a five-year, $100 million contract.
Lee was shown the door that summer in a sign-and-trade for Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike and Rony Turiaf. They are just three of the whopping 80 players who have been on the Knicks roster since the 2008-09 season when owner James Dolan began a get-under-the-cap quest to land James and instead got “MRI” Stoudemire.
Like others, Lee wonders what would have happened had the Knicks valued him as a budding star, had they valued the young members of the 2008-09 cast instead of dismantling a club that got off to the Knicks’ first winning start in ages with a 6-3 start. The club was 6-5 when the axe dropped on Nov. 21 and Crawford, Randolph and Tim Thomas were shipped.
For all their myriad maneuverings since 2008, the Knicks have captured one playoff series. As they enter 2013-14 with a revised 14-man roster, it could be the final season before starting all over again — if Carmelo Anthony bolts. The Knicks are considered in many circles no better than the fifth-best team in the East, which could mean another first-round exit.
“It is interesting to look back, to see if we went another way in the win column if they kept guys together,” Lee said. “I look back at my career here and there’s nothing but positive memories. It was a little bit out of my control, the winning and losing. The first couple of years, I was a backup guy, then when I was captain of the team the last couple of years, we started breaking down the team.
“I don’t want to say I was underappreciated,” Lee added. “The Knicks took a chance, and part of getting Amar’e was to use it as bridge to get a guy like LeBron and Carmelo. They got that done. Amare’s a heckuva player. It’s unfortunate what’s happened with some of his injuries. Hopefully he gets healthy because I know how much he loves the game and loves being in New York.”
The Mark Jackson-coached Warriors have added Andre Iguodala to a young, solid cast that took the Spurs to six games in the second round despite Lee’s hip injury.
“I think if we’re healthy we have a chance to win that series,” Lee said. “I wasn’t able to be me. [Stephen] Curry was also limited.
“We’ve put ourselves in a great spot, we made improvements. We’re still not in the top three most-talented rosters in the West. But if we can keep the same attitude and approach, I think we have a chance to be as good as anyone in the West when it’s all said and done.”
Lee made the All-Star Game in February, joining Randolph on the squad. But his most impressive exploit was returning from his torn hip in Game 6 of the first round vs. Denver. He was deemed out for the season after in Game 1 in his first-ever playoff game.
“Just wanted to show a little toughness for the team,” Lee said.
He played limited but inspiring minutes in the second round, too.
“He set the tone in our locker room all season long, playing through bumps and bruises and helping the team grind out 47 wins,” a person close to Jackson said. “We had incredible chemistry this past season and he was a big reason for that, keeping the locker room loose and spending a lot of time with his teammates off the floor to build unity. Just a great teammate and leader.”
As the Warriors made their way to Pepsi Arena or Game 1, Lee said aloud, “This is the longest bus ride of my career.” Everyone understood the symbolism of the remark.
It’s been a long, winding ride for the Knicks, too, since November 2008. And nobody’s sure where it is headed.
marc.berman@nypost.com