Clarence who?
That was the message from Mario Hezonja after former Knicks executive Clarence Gaines Jr. ripped the small forward's defense on Twitter prior to Monday night's 124-113 loss to the Bucks.
Hezonja said he was unaware of the criticism, which he answered (unknowingly, of course) with a strong, 18-point performance while going up against Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"I don't know who Gaines is,'' Hezonja said, per the New York Post.
Gaines, who was Phil Jackson's close adviser with the Knicks, took aim at Hezonja's 'D' in light of Kevin Knox's absence due to an ankle sprain.
"If you're a @nyknicks fan & wondering why @mariohezonja couldn't EARN court time vs @celtics with @KevKnox going down it's because he's a huge liability as an individual defender," Gaines tweeted. "He couldn't match the toughness or athleticism of the C's wings."
Hezonja tripled his playing time against Boston with 30 minutes in Milwaukee, but said he doesn't pay attention to the Twitter noise.
"Social media, man,'' Hezonja said, per the Post. "I don't take it serious at all. Funny stuff. I'm not much on Twitter at all. I actually was on the plane. I'm not a guy who spends a lot of time on social media. I'm not like Enes [Kanter]. I don't give a damn about social media. My season is the focus, not the B.S. on social media."
The Croatian, who signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Knicks this summer, was drafted fifth overall by the Magic in 2015, one pick after Phil Jackson selected Kristaps Porzingis.