Los Knicks Fan Fest at Madison Square Garden was "MUY DIVERTIDO," or at least that was the opinion of dozens of pre-teens waiting in line to have their faces painted; each wearing a complimentary "Los Knicks Fan Festival" t-shirt.

The pre-Noche Latina festival, held on Sunday from 4 p.m.-7 p.m., drew fans and talent from all over; assembled to collectively celebrate Latino players, fans, and culture with sensational dance performances, exceptional music, delectable dishes, stellar audience interaction, ongoing giveaways, and access to some of the best basketball legends to ever work the rectangular court.

Bachata Heightz gave a rousing performance, urging onlookers to move their feet as the quintet entertained the crowd with powerful vocals and a tremendous stage presence. The fivesome, hailing from Washington Heights, also handed out free CDs, which included their brand new single "Dime Porque."

DJ Supreme & Marisol from La Mega 97.9 and 93.1 Amor helped keep the audience hyped, while much-loved New York Knicks alums Walt Frazier and John Starks engaged fans from the raised stage, talking sports and handing out prizes.

Streetball sharpshooter Jack "Black Jack" Ryan entertained children on the makeshift b-ball court, and Puerto Rican DJ and streetball player Bobbito Garcia connected with the fans as they competed for freebies, encouraging participants to win.

St. John's great and former NBA star Felipe López -- who Latin Post was able to catch up with -- also made an appearance at the incredible event. Lopez arrived at the event with dozens of children from his foundation, the Felipe Lopez Foundation, and each child joined in on festivities and attended the Knicks vs. Cavalier's game, where Lopez gave each Knickerbocker and Cavalier a Spanish-language introduction.

Before the introductions (and the Knicks' unfortunate loss to the Cavaliers), López disclosed a bit about his foundation, what he's been up to, and shared who he thought would take the championship this year.

"I've been working with the league....working closely with NBA Cares... they've given me the opportunity to do something that I really enjoy doing, which is working with the kids," said López, who was once given the "Player of the Year" honor by Gatorade. "I've also been working with my foundation, the Felipe Lopez Foundation, at a church in the South Bronx, where I go. I've been doing a lot of community work."

López stated that some highlights from his career include appearing on the front cover of Sports Illustrated; having the opportunity to play against Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Kerry Kittles and other basketball greats.

"It was just great competition. And, to have the opportunity to be chosen in the first round in the NBA, it's something that every single basketball player would love... it was the most memorable moment that I've ever had in basketball," the 39-year-old Dominican-born icon said to Latin Post.

López said he felt complications for Latinos in the sport happened "in waves." Being Latino, there was a "force" motivating him to move forward despite any potential adversity. López went on to say that his success in high school and college gave him a name, which he was able to use to motivate other Latinos who were interested in exploring basketball as a career.

"Being chosen to play in the NBA for five years, I would say that I was one of the first Latinos to play in the NBA for five years without having anyone else to represent us," López said, reflecting on his pro playing years during the late '90s and early 2000s. "Again, you can see how many more players we have now. They all know who I am, because some way, somehow I was an influence."

López believes he is an inspiration to current Latino players, but also gave a respectful nod to Carl Herrera, the first Venezuelan to play in the league; Andrés Guibert, the first Cuban to join the league; and Tito Horford (father to the Atlanta Hawks' Al Horford) who was the first Dominican to ever play in the NBA.

"There's a lot of people that you have to say thank you to because of their hard work ... they let us know that it was possible for us to play at the highest level. Now, look at the guys that've done an outstanding job of playing, like Al Horford... Emanuel Ginobili (Argentina; San Antonio Spurs 02-03 to present), who're winning championships... they're giving us a different stamp."

When asked who're some of his favorite players of all-time, López gave the obligatory "Michael Jordan" as a response, but followed up by saying that he loved the 1986's Lakers with Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. He named Kobe Bryant as one of his favorite, as well as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul.

"The names could go on and on because so many people have so many different styles....so many different flavors. And, if you're a real basketball junkie, you wouldn't just consider MJ out of all of them. There are a lot of guys that bring a lot of flavor to the game," López said with enthusiasm.

López said he will be rooting for the New York Knicks to take the championship, but acknowledges that it'll be a lot of hard work for the team.

Despite Sunday's loss, Noche Latina was a blast. Stars Rosie Perez, Luis Antonio Ramos, Olivia Wilde, and Ian Ziering were present at the game and got a chance to witness the Knicks wearing their Latin-inspired "Nueva York" jerseys. They also observed the talented Carrissa Peros sing the national anthem in Spanish; the Knicks City Dancers give a sultry salsa to Celia Cruz's "Quimbara"; the Maria Torres Dance Company show up and turn it out with flags from Latin nations; and heard DJ Alex Sensation from La Mega 97.9 make a fierce in-game DJ.

The chilly weather couldn't cool the heat on or off the court, nor temper the excitement experienced by the fans who took part of the first-annual Los Knicks Fan Festival, or attended Noche Latina.

Felipe López also had a message that he wanted to share with his Latino Fans:

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