Hawks co-owner Jesse Itzler, who wrote Knicks anthem, will see his NBA worlds collide again in Game 5

A native of a small town on Long Island in New York. A diehard New York Knicks fan who bleeds orange and blue and is unapologetic about it. An Atlanta Hawks minority owner.

All three describe Jesse Itzler's life, and those aspects will collide again Wednesday when the team he owns faces off against his beloved hometown team in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

With those credentials, most would assume being conflicted about team alliances is an understatement, but Itzler takes it in stride.

“When the Knicks play the other 28 teams in the league, I am a Knicks fan all day long," says Itzler, one of several minority owners of the Hawks. “But when they play the Hawks, I have to root for my new hometown team.”