*This article appeared in the 2007 Joke Issue
It started at the Dean Dome and moved its way up to the Palestra. Now, the Adam Franklin show is ready to hit the road again. Destination? Madison Square Garden.
No, he's not starring for Ringling Brothers or the WWE, though his new employer is often confused with the two. ESPN.com's Andy Katz reported that the Penn fan favorite has signed a two-year deal with the New York Knicks worth $2.5 million.
According to Isiah Thomas, the Knicks' head coach and director of basketball operations, the 6-foot-6 swingman is a perfect fit for the injury-riddled team as it makes its final push for a playoff spot.
"Adam's work ethic is unparalleled," Thomas said. "We didn't want to wait for the draft because we think he can make an immediate impact."
Initially recruited to play for North Carolina by then-coach Matt Doherty, Franklin excelled on the JV team at Chapel Hill before transferring to Wharton to play for the Quakers.
He was also an important factor on UNC's varsity. The Jackie Robinson Scholar, who received the UNC Academic Excellence Recognition Award, completed Sean May's homework after practice on a regular basis, allowing the Tar Heels phenom to remain academically eligible.
Franklin set the all-time record for free-throw shooting at Penn, converting 88.9 percent from the stripe.
And while his teammates were skeptical of the record's validity - he has only shot nine free throws in his career - they admitted that he was the most underrated member of the team over the past two years.
"I don't understand why Coach Miller and Dunph didn't put him in," senior Stephen Danley said. "He's much better than Ibby."
