Mark Cannizzaro
He’s a California native, but New York blood courses through Tyson Chandler’s veins now.
The 7-foot-1 Knicks center with the Sacha Baron Cohen “Dictator’’ beard — and the centerpiece acquisition of their offseason build toward a first championship since 1973 — embodies everything we in New York crave and demand from our athletes.
As much as Chandler and the Knicks are a perfect fit, Chandler and New York are a perfect marriage.
We pride ourselves as hearty souls who grind our way through a life a bit tougher and more inconvenient than many endure elsewhere. Chandler’s play on the basketball court embodies that with the laundry list of dirty work he takes on — willingly and with a smile — every game.
Linsanity has been a cool rush the last month with the way Jeremy Lin’s emergence has changed everything for the Knicks, saved the team’s season and coach Mike D’Antoni’s job.
Carmelo Anthony is back from injury and possibly ready to assert himself as the big-time scorer and finisher he has always been.
Amar’e Stoudemire, a couple weeks removed from the tragic death of his brother, has pronounced himself ready to bounce back from a slow start to become a force again.
But it is Chandler, the defensive-minded, rebound-machine, shot-blocking human eraser in the paint, who is the glue for D’Antoni’s Knicks, which is why the coach called him the “most indispensable’’ player on the team.
Those are strong words when you consider the likes of Lin, Anthony and Stoudemire on the roster.
But Tom Lewis, Chandler’s coaching mentor from California, who met Chandler when he was 13 years old and all arms and legs on his gangly 6-foot-6 frame, understands exactly what D’Antoni means.
“What makes Tyson special and different than other basketball players is he’s not selfish,’’ Lewis, now a high school coach in California’s Orange County, told The Post Thursday. “That’s hard to find in basketball, because most of them are all out for themselves — they want to get theirs. Tyson wants to do whatever it takes for the team to win.’’
The Garden faithful has come to love that about Chandler — whether he is swallowing up an opponent’s drive to the basket with a blocked shot or steal or cleaning up a teammate’s errant shot with stick-back dunk.
His Knicks teammates feed off of it and the Garden feeds off of it. And it’s a two-way street, because that New York love elevates Chandler’s game.
“Every time I ever played in Madison Square Garden in my career I’ve always loved it,’’ Chandler said after practice. “I relished the moments, because I feel like the fans here appreciate hard work. The New York fans kind of police players here. I’ve definitely felt the love and I feel like it’s only going to grow the more I’m around them and the more they’re able to see me, because I embody what I feel like they want in a player.’’
Lewis, who texts regularly with Chandler, has watched from afar and sees a difference in Chandler.
“This is the most confident he’s ever played in his NBA career and it’s because the city appreciates him,’’ Lewis said. “He gets his confidence from the city. He feeds off that and his confidence has gone through the roof. He owes that to the city embracing him.’’
These words, uttered from Chandler yesterday, define exactly who he is as a person and a player: “I’m the type of person that never wants to let anybody down.’’
Chandler let no one down with his 15 rebounds, 13 points, four blocked shots and three steals in 31 minutes against the Cavaliers Wednesday night. He was the catalyst in a Knicks victory that looked like a loss for the first 24 minutes.
“He’s perfect for New York. He’s one of the guys who New York is going to absolutely adore, because he plays tough, he plays hard and puts his nose in there,’’ Knicks teammate Steve Novak said. “He’s banged up, he’s got two hurt wrists, a hurt ankle and a hurt who knows what else and he doesn’t miss a game. You can tell it comes from within.’’
Chandler, who won the NBA title last year as a member of the Mavericks, is the only player on the Knicks who owns a championship ring — a huge reason why the Knicks coveted him.
“He’s the one with the championship, the one with the ring,’’ D’Antoni said. “So we follow him.’’
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com
Knicks, Knicks, New York, New York, New York, New York, Tyson Chandler, Sacha Baron Cohen, Tom Lewis, California
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