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This may be hard for young fans of the NBA to believe, but there was a time when the Knicks were relevant. They even played on Christmas Day, usually against the Bulls. But that was a long time ago for both teams. For years the Knicks were an NBA punchline, though things did get better under coach Tom Thibodeau. As you look at this list, not surprisingly most of the guys on it are from the late 60s and early 70s. Knicks fans can only hope this list will look different five years from now. There is a pretty good chance that Jaylen Brunson will climb the list a bit. Karl-Anthony Towns has an outside shot to crack the top 10, but the New York portion of his career is getting off to a late start.
10. Dick Barnett:
Younger fans may ask, “Who’s that guy?”, but Dick was a long-time Knick and played on both the 1970 and 1973 championship teams. In Dick’s 9 years with the Knicks, he averaged 15.6 points a game. He also was a nice piece of the 1969–70 championship season. He also had a limited role in the 1972–73 championship team. I’m sure true Knicks fans will have someone else in mind for the Knicks top 10 list, but for me, his left-handed jump shot and contributions to championship teams gets Barnett the 10th slot on this list.
9. Bill Bradley:
In a nod to perceived basketball purity, Bill Bradley slides in at number nine. Bill was a key member of both Knicks championship teams. In his 10-year career with the Knicks, Bill averaged a modest 12 points per game. With the Knicks championship teams, he averaged 14 and 16 points. Bradley’s game appealed to the basketball intellect.
8. Carmelo Anthony:
For years, if you turned on Sports Center, there was a good chance you’d see a story about the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony. Usually, the story didn’t involve a Knicks victory. How much of that is Carmelo’s fault is debatable. In his 7 years with the Knicks, his line is 24–7–3. While Carmelo might not be a truly complete player, he’s still a great one.
7. Bill Cartwright:
Before Mr. Bill was a key member of Bulls championship teams, he was a high-scoring member of the New York Knicks. In his eight years with the Knicks, he missed one season completely with a foot injury and played in only 2 games the following season. In his time with the Knicks, Bill averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds. He was traded to the Bulls for another player who became a Knicks stalwart, Charles Oakley. I’m sure some fans would have Oakley on this list instead of Cartwright.
6. Dave DeBusschere:
Dave DeBusschere was also a member of both Knicks championship teams. While his stats are good, they really don’t measure his full value as a player. DeBusschere averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds per game in his years with the Knicks, but his defense and toughness greatly added to his value.
5. Bernard King:
Before Carmelo Anthony, there was Bernard King. King was also a prolific scorer and a more efficient one at that. Before Bernard blew out his knee in the 1984–85 season, he was averaging 32.9 points and shooting .534 from the field. Even after coming back from a devastating injury, King was a force to be reckoned with. In his four seasons with the Knicks, King averaged 26.5 points per game on an unreal .543 shooting percentage. Bernard’s stats were even better than I remembered.
4. Earl Monroe:
When the Knicks picked up Monroe from the Baltimore Bullets, there was some question if he could co-exist in the Knicks backcourt with Walt Frazier. Those worries proved to be baseless. Earl was part of the 1972–73 Knicks championship team. While Earl may not have been as flashy with the Knicks as he was with the Bullets, he averaged 16 points and 3.5 assists in his 9 years with the Knicks. He was truly a fan favorite.
3. Patrick Ewing:
Like the other players in his era, Patrick had the misfortune to play as a contemporary of Michael Jordan, thus no championships for Patrick. In his 15 years in a Knicks uniform, Patrick averaged 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds. In addition, his hard work and defense stood out. While Patrick’s 22 points a game are nice, keep in mind, he played in the ’90s where the game was more physical, and points were harder to come by.
2. Walt Frazier:
Walt last played in the NBA in 1980, and still, aside from his voyeuristic commercial with Keith Hernandez, he remains the coolest guy the NBA has seen. His game was on par with his cool. He was a key member of both Knicks championship teams. In his 10 years with the Knicks, he averaged 19 points and 6.3 assists per game. His stats were even better in the Knicks championship seasons. Clyde also played great defense. Clyde was pretty much everything you’d want in a guard. While Willis Reed made a dramatic entrance in game 7 of the 1970 NBA finals, Clyde had a monster game with 36 points, 9 rebounds, 19 assists, and 6 steals. That has to be one of the best playoff performances in NBA history.
1. Willis Reed:
Willis takes the number one slot by a hair. Willis’ stats were good, 18.7 points and 12.9 rebounds per game, but his toughness and leadership were also vital to the Knicks’ success. His starting game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals despite having a torn muscle in his right thigh is a sports legend. Never have four points scored at the start of an NBA playoff game been so vital.
So there it is. Honorable mentions include Charles Oakley, Allan Houston, John Starks, Richie Guerin.
Your respectful discussion is appreciated.
