“At the final hour, I just said I really owe it to the fans of New York and the New York Knicks to try to do everything I can to help us win.”DAVE CHECKETTS Just win, baby. That’s the Knicks’ new slogan. On a day the Knicks officially completed the trade for Golden State Strangler Latrell Sprewell, they made it clear that winning is the New York bottom line and they are hopeful the three-time All-Star shooting guard has changed his choking temper-tantrum ways. They’re not trying tosave the world by adding Sprewell, only themselves.

Garden president Dave Checketts admitted he agonized over the decision to grab Sprewell from the Warriors for fan favorite John Starks, classy veteran Terry Cummings and small forward Chris Mills, a deal that was finalized about 3:30 on the NBA Re-Opening Business Day.

Sprewell, on his way in from Milwaukee, missed the first practice and will not officially report to the Knicks until he meets with commissioner David Stern and Players Association head Billy Hunter.

They will give clearance to Sprewell, who is suing the league, to begin his comeback. A source last night said the meeting figures to take place today.

Sprewell, who was not available for comment, has not played since Dec. 1, 1997, when he attacked Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo, putting his hands around Carlesimo’s neck and saying, according to grievance arbitrator John Feerick’s report, “I will kill you.”

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” said Checketts, who met with Sprewell Sunday for two hours in Milwaukee along with Knick president and GM Ernie Grunfeld, Jeff Van Gundy and Ed Tapscott, the team’s VP of player personnel.

“I really believe – and Ernie and Jeff and all of us believe – that we’ve made the Knicks better and we’re going to have a chance to compete and if that turns out to be the case, then we’ll all be very happy about it.”

In the end, Checketts said you can’t really judge a player in these modern times until you walk a mile in his Nikes.

“I had to adjust my thinking about this,” Checketts said. “I hope this is a win-win arrangement. I hope he feels that we’ve given and supported and stood up for [him] and I hope he stands up for us and I hope he delivers. That he finds a safe environment, at least within the Knick organization where he can achieve his very best.”

And the Knicks are willing to take the heat. Grunfeld did say the Knicks will not entertain the thought of acquiring Dennis Rodman.

“We’ve had no contact with Rodman,” Grunfeld said. “That’s a wild rumor. There’s nothing there.”

Added Checketts, “He’s not in our plans.”

“I don’t want a team thatno one likes and I certainly don’t want a team that never wins because I guarantee you no one will like that team,” said Checketts, who knows the bottom line.

“We want to win as much as we can, we want to win championships,” Checketts said. “That’s what we strive for. Now along that path, we want to have an organization that can showplace players who are extraordinary people, people that kids can emulate. People that kids can see as role models.

“I know I’ve set myself up for this difficult issue, but that is what I aspire to. We’d like to have an organization that has pride, character and loyalty and the wins. But in New York people love winners. Winning is a priority here.

“It’s not winning at all costs, which some people have said this move is all about, it’s not about that, but it is about giving an extraordinary talent another chance and surrounding him in an organization that can help him be a part of a winner. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Checketts said he has undergone a transformation and that he is not as self-righteous as he once was.

The Knicks made it an issue several years ago with Anthony Mason that they were cleaning up the team’s image. Checketts admitted that this decision looks hypocritical.

“To make the statements I’ve made about not wanting certain players on my team or on our team, I guess it’s pretty judgmental, it’s almost self-righteous and I regret having said those things,” he said. “It’s not fair for me to judge what people have gone through.

“I did make a statement about not having [Rodman] on our club a couple of years ago, but when he was brought into Chicago and he was surrounded by a very strong coach and very strong players, he was no small part of helping them win two championships.

“At the final hour, I just said I really owe it to the fans of New York and the New York Knicks to try to do everything I can to help us win.

“This is a team that has been eliminated in the second round in each of the last four years and you just don’t get a chance to get a talent like this,” Checketts said. “This guy is an incredible basketball talent. I adjusted my thinking. I admit it.

“I’ve been through a process. It has not been easy, but I adjusted my thinking. It’s worth it. We’re going to surround him. We’re going to give him what he needs. And we’re going to hope that we can take advantage of his great talent for the fans of the Knicks.

“Last year, I saw us slipping a step behind,” Checketts said. “I don’t want to slip. I don’t want this team to slip.”

The Knicks will supply professional help to allow Sprewell to deal with his anger problems.

“I think he hopes that people judge him on what goes on in the future instead of what happened in the past,” Grunfeld said. “This makes us a better team, absolutely.”

And that is the Knicks’ bottom line.