“We are very happy to have reached an agreement with Nate,” Walsh said. “Nate established himself as one of the top reserves in the game last season and we expect him to play a key role for us this season.”

Robinson, 5-9, 180-pounds, averaged career-highs of 17.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 29.9 minutes in a career-high 74 games during the 2008-09 season and finished third in the voting for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. The Seattle, WA-native was also the winner of the 2009 Sprite Slam Dunk competition at NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix and joined Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Harold Miner and Jason Richardson as the only two-time winners of the competition. Robinson first won the award at the 2006 dunk contest in Houston.

Robinson has career averages of 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 282 career games over four NBA seasons all with New York. The University of Washington product was originally drafted following his junior season by the Phoenix Suns with the 21st overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft, before having his draft rights traded to New York on draft night.

 

Sims, 6-11, 245-pounds, was undrafted out of the University of Michigan and has played a total of 13 minutes in four NBA games with Indiana and Phoenix over the last two seasons. The Roslindale, MA-native was signed as a free agent by Indiana on Oct. 2, 2007 and played in three games last season with the Pacers before being waived on Dec. 19, 2007. Sims spent the remainder of the 2007-08 season and the beginning of this 2008-09 campaign with the NBA Development League’s Iowa Energy. He signed two 10-day contracts with the Phoenix Suns beginning on Jan. 20, 2009 and appeared in one game for the Suns this season.

Cheikh Samb’s 10-day contract had expired and the club elected not to re-sign him. The Knicks roster stands at 14 players.

 

NY Waterway captains and deckhands instinctively reacted when they saw U.S. Airways Flight 1549 plunge into the Hudson River last Thursday. The commercial commuter ferries responded within two minutes pulling 142 of the 155 passengers from the jet’s wings and life rafts.

At tonight’s game versus the Phoenix Suns, three NY Waterway rescuers and owner, Arthur Imperatore, Sr., will accept the City Spirit Award at Madison Square Garden on behalf of the 14 vessels involved. The rescuers are: Brittany Catanzaro, 20, of Fairview, NJ, a NY Waterway ferry captain of the MV Thomas Kean, Jose Torres, 38, of Union City, NJ, acrew member on vessel George Washington, and Alan Warren, 35, of Hazlet, NJ, Director of Marine Operations. They will donate the award money to Camp Sunshine, a retreat in Casco, ME for kids with life threatening illnesses and their families.

To nominate your hero, or to read more about this month’s winners and other past winners, please visitnyknicks.com.