The New York Knicks are one of three charter members of the Basketball Association of America still in existence. But who are their 25 best players?
The New York Knicks were founded as a charter member of the Basketball Association of America, a forerunner to the modern NBA, in 1946 and are one of three of the original 11 franchises still in operation, along with the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors, who originally played in Philadelphia.
The Knicks have just two championships in their 69 seasons, but have had lengthy periods where they were contenders for the crown.
New York played in three straight NBA Finals from 1951-53, losing each time under coach Joe Lapchick, the legendary St. John’s coach who Knicks owner Ned Irish persuaded to try the pro game.
That stretch was soon followed by a period where New York made the playoffs just once in 10 seasons before rising to challenge again in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
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The Knicks won their first title in 1970, reached the Finals in 1972 and won again in 1973, the franchise’s last championship.
It would be 21 years before New York made another appearance in the Finals, where they lost in 1994 and again in 1999.
The new century has brought only five playoff appearances—three coming from 2010-11 through 2012-13, the last time the Knicks made the postseason.
The team has won 60 games just twice, hitting the mark in 1969-70 and again in 1992-93. In 2014-15, the Knicks stumbled through the franchise’s first 60-loss season, finishing 17-65.
In all, New York has qualified for the postseason 42 times in 70 years with a winning percentage of .493 (2,701-2,774).
The Knicks have run through 19 personnel decision-makers, none who served longer than Irish, who ran the club from 1946-57.
Ernie Grunfeld served as the general manager from April 1991 through April 1999. Eddie Donovan (January 1965-March 1970) and Red Holzman (March 1970-April 1975) are the only others to serve at least five years in the post.
Current team president Phil Jackson assumed his post in March 2014.
The Knicks are one of the few teams to never have had an Executive of the Year recipient since the award began in 1972-73.
There have been 27 different coaches patrol the sidelines in the various iterations of Madison Square Garden, where the team has played since its inception.
Holzman, a Hall of Famer named one of the top 10 coaches in NBA history during the 50th anniversary celebration in 1996, is the winningest coach in franchise history, with a record of 613-484 in 14 seasons from 1967-77 and 1978-82.
Holzman was 54-43 in the playoffs and led the team to both of its titles.
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Lapchick was 326-247 in nine seasons (1947-56), going 30-30 in the playoffs. Jeff Van Gundy posted a mark of 248-172 from 1996-2001, going 37-32 in the postseason, and Pat Riley went 223-104 from 1991-95, including a 35-28 playoff mark.
Last season, the Knicks were 32-50 under Derek Fisher, who was fired Feb. 8, 2016, after less than two seasons on the job, and interim coach Kurt Rambis, who went 9-19.
Former Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek will become the franchise’s 28th head coach after he was hired on June 3, 2016.
Holzman was the NBA Coach of the Year in 1969-70 and Riley won the honor in 1992-93.
New York has had the No. 1 overall choice in the NBA Draft on four occasions. They selected Art Heyman of Duke in 1963, Jim Barnes of Texas Western in 1964, Cazzie Russell from Michigan in 1966 and in 1985 selected Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing.
Here are the 25 best players in the history of the New York Knicks. Players had to have appeared in 150 games and averaged a minimum of 20 minutes per game for the team to qualify for this list.
Next: Big Cat Played Big
The New York Knicks got a good one when they selected Santa Clara forward Kenny Sears with the fourth overall pick in the 1955 NBA Draft.
Sears was a two-time All-Star for New York, leading the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1958-59 and 1959-60 and placing fourth as a rookie in 1955-56.
His contract expired after the 1960-61 season, however, and Sears jumped to the San Francisco Saints of the new American Basketball League.
The Saints were on shaky financial footing and Sears opted to rejoin the Knicks in May 1962 in exchange for an antitrust suit filed by the team and the NBA being dismissed.
His return didn’t last long—in December 1962, Sears and Willie Naulls were traded to the San Francisco Warriors in exchange for Tom Gola.
In parts of seven seasons with the Knicks, he averaged 16.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 32.1 minutes per game, shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 82.5 percent at the line.
He retired after the 1963-64 season.
Next: New York Was A Career Saver For Spree
Latrell Sprewell spent most of the 1997-98 season and an extended offseason in basketball purgatory after having been suspended for a year–an NBA record at the time–for what commissioner David Stern called a “premeditated attack” on his coach, P.J. Carlesimo of the Golden State Warriors.
Sprewell sat out the final 68 games of the season and was looking for a fresh start after an arbitrator reduced the penalty.
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All Sprewell did was serve as the linchpin for a Knicks team that made an unprecedented run in the shortened 1998-99 season from the eighth seed to the NBA Finals.
The San Antonio Spurs topped New York in five games, even as Sprewell averaged 26.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 44.2 minutes a game in the series. He shot .410/2-for-7/.842.
Sprewell was an All-Star in 2001 for the Knicks and the durable swingman was fifth in the NBA in minutes per game in 2001-02.
In July 2003, Sprewell was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a four-team deal in which the Knicks acquired Keith Van Horn from the Philadelphia 76ers, with the Atlanta Hawks also part of the trade.
In five seasons in New York, Sprewell averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 39.1 minutes per game on .418/.349/.819 shooting.
He had averaged 17.8 points a game as a senior at Alabama before the Warriors selected him with the 24th pick in the 1992 NBA Draft.
He was a steal. A three-time All-Star for Golden State, Sprewell led the NBA in minutes per game in 1993-94, a season in which he was named both All-NBA and All-Defensive.
He played his final two NBA seasons with the Timberwolves, eventually retiring after being unsatisfied with the contract offers he had received as a free agent in 2005.
Sprewell is 10th in NBA history with an average of 38.6 minutes per game.
Next: S.T.A.T. Made A Splash Early On
Amar’e Stoudemire earned a Rookie of the Year award and was a five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection when he agreed to terms with the New York Knicks as a free agent in July 2010.
He was acquired from the Phoenix Suns in a sign-and-trade deal, with a 2012 second-round pick and a trade exception going the other way.
Stoudemire delivered early in New York, earning a 2011 All-Star bid and All-NBA status in 2010-11.
But his knees, which had begun to deteriorate while he was still with the Suns, limited his effectiveness later on as he transitioned into a reserve role, finally being waived in February 2015 after the parties agreed to buy out his contract.
In parts of five seasons in New York, Stoudemire averaged 17.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes per game, shooting .518/.319/.775.
He was selected ninth overall by Phoenix out of Cypress Creek High School in Orlando, Fla., in the 2002 NBA Draft and was a standout with the Suns.
After being waived by New York, Stoudemire signed with the Dallas Mavericks two days later.
He signed with the Miami Heat as a free agent in July 2015 and appeared in 52 games, averaging 5.8 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game on .566/—/.746 shooting.
Stoudemire returned to the Knicks on July 26, 2016, to announce his retirement after 14 NBA seasons. He is 29th in NBA history with a field-goal percentage of .537.
Next: Bells Produced Big Numbers
The New York Knicks went big in November 1965 when they traded Johnny Green, Johnny Egan and Jim Barnes to the Baltimore Bullets in exchange for four-time All-Star Walt Bellamy.
The center was fifth in the NBA in minutes and rebounds per game in 1965-66, but never again achieved All-Star status.
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In parts of four seasons with the Knicks, Bellamy averaged 18.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 37 minutes per game, shooting 52.2 percent from the floor and 63.8 percent from the free-throw line.
He was the first overall pick by the expansion Chicago Packers out of Indiana in the 1961 NBA Draft and was the Rookie of the Year in 1961-62 and was a four-time All-Star with the franchise that would become the Bullets.
Bellamy was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in February 1970 and was selected by the New Orleans Jazz in their May 1974 expansion draft. He played in just one game for New Orleans before he was waived and opted to retire.
Bellamy is 37th in NBA history with 38,940 minutes played, 11th with 14,241 rebounds, 34th with 20,941 points, 22nd with an average of 37.3 minutes per game and seventh with an average of 13.7 rebounds per game.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993, Bellamy died Nov. 2, 2013, in College Park, Ga., at the age of 74.
Next: The Pearl Dramatically Changed His Game
Earl Monroe was a scoring star for the Baltimore Bullets, a ball-dominant points machine who had dragged a 42-win team to the NBA Finals in 1971.
The New York Knicks, looking for help in the backcourt, acquired Monroe in a November 1971 trade in exchange for Dave Stallworth, Mike Riordan and cash.
would create problems in New York’s precise offensive flow.
Those doubts were put to rest as Monroe moved to the off guard spot and played his role, helping the Knicks to back-to-back NBA Finals in 1972 and 1973, winning the title in the latter appearance.
Monroe was a two-time All-Star in New York, named in 1975 and 1977, even as his numbers declined in the different system.
He was limited in the 1972 NBA Finals by the knee trouble that marred his career in its later stages, averaging 6.8 points, 2.6 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game and managing to shoot just 27.9 percent in the five-game loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Healthier for the rematch with the Lakers in 1973, Monroe put up 16.0 points, 4.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 32.0 minutes a game, shooting a sizzling 53.1 percent as the Knicks won their second title in five games.
He spent parts of nine seasons in New York, retiring after the 1979-80 season. He averaged 16.2 points, 3.5 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 29.4 minutes per game, shooting .478/—/.821.
Monroe was the second overall pick in the 1967 NBA Draft, taken by the Bullets out of Winston-Salem State, where he averaged 41.5 points per game on 60.7 percent shooting as a senior.
With Baltimore, Monroe was the Rookie of the Year in 1967-68, a two-time All-Star and an All-NBA selection in 1968-69, when he was second in the league in scoring after finishing fifth as a rookie.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990.
Next: Action A Hometown Star
Brooklyn prep star Mark Jackson was a reserve on St. John’s 1985 Final Four team who blossomed into an All-American as a senior, averaging nearly 19 points and more than six assists per game.
The New York Knicks took the point guard with the 18th overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft.
Jackson was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1987-88 and an All-Star in 1989, finishing third in the league in both minutes per game and assists as a rookie.
In September 1992, the Knicks sent Jackson with a second-round pick in 1995 to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a three-team trade, also dealing a first-round selection in 1993 to the Orlando Magic and acquiring Doc Rivers, Charles Smith and Bo Kimble from L.A.
As it turns out, Jackson wasn’t done in New York, however. In February 2001, he was reacquired along with Muggsy Bogues from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Chris Childs and a first-round pick in 2001.
His stay was short-lived, however. On draft night in 2002, Jackson was traded with Marcus Camby and the rights to seventh overall pick Nene to the Denver Nuggets for Antonio McDyess, the rights to No. 25 overall selection Frank Williams and a 2003 second-rounder.
In parts of seven seasons with the Knicks, Jackson averaged 11.1 points, eight assists, four rebounds and 1.4 steals in 30.7 minutes per game, shooting .456/.319/.743.
He was traded to the Indiana Pacers in June 1994 and to Denver in June 1996 before being sent back to the Pacers in February 1997. He led the NBA in assists in 1996-97, playing for both teams.
In August 2000, Jackson signed with Toronto as a free agent.
After leaving New York the second time, he was waived by the Nuggets in September 2002 and signed five days later with the Utah Jazz. He signed as a free agent with the Houston Rockets in January 2004 and played the remainder of his final NBA season there.
Jackson is 20th in NBA history with 1,296 games, 36th with 39,121 minutes played, fourth with 10,334 assists, 30th with 1,608 steals and 15th with an average of eight assists per game.
He coached the Golden State Warriors from 2011-14, going 121-109 in the regular season and 9-10 in the playoffs.
Next: Mase Made Amazing Transformation
Little was expected when the New York Knicks signed forward Anthony Mason as a free agent in July 1991.
It was hard to heap a lot of expectations on a guy who in the previous two seasons had played in 24 NBA games, logging 129 minutes and scoring 47 points.
Mason had spent most of the previous season in the Continental Basketball Association and also played in Venezuela before signing with the Knicks. As it turns out, his days on the fringes of pro basketball were done.
He emerged as a valuable bench piece for the next four seasons before earning a starting role in 1995-96, when he led the NBA in minutes and minutes per game while also finishing fourth in field goal percentage.
That came on the heels of Mason being named the Sixth Man of the Year in 1994-95.
Mason bounced back from a two-game suspension late in the 1993-94 season to help the Knicks reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years.
Coming off the bench in the series, Mason put up 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 29.3 minutes in the series, shooting .468/—/.640 in the seven-game loss to the Houston Rockets.
In July 1996, the Knicks traded Mason and Brad Lohaus to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for All-Star Larry Johnson.
In five seasons in New York, Mason averaged 9.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 31.7 minutes per game, shooting .528/0-for-2/.681.
Mason put up big numbers as a senior at Tennessee State, averaging 28.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and he was taken in the third round of the 1988 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers.
Mason spent the 1988-89 season in Turkey and Portland renounced his rights in June 1989. He was signed by the New Jersey Nets in September 1989, appearing in just 21 games and being waived at the end of the preseason in October 1990.
He played in three games with the Denver Nuggets after signing the first of two 10-day contracts in December 1990.
Mason was named All-Defensive and All-NBA in 1996-97 with the Hornets, while also leading the NBA in minutes per game and finishing third in rebounding.
Charlotte dealt Mason to the Miami Heat in August 2000.
He made his lone All-Star Game appearance for Miami in 2001 before signing with the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent in October 2001.
Mason retired after the Bucks bought out the remainder of his contract in October 2003.
He died from congestive heart failure on Feb. 28, 2015, at just 48 years of age.
Next: Houston Was A Problem For Defenses
Allan Houston‘s timing was perfect. The former first-round pick had a breakout season for the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks were ready to pounce, signing Houston to a seven-year, $56 million free-agent deal in July 1996.
Houston proved it was money well spent, earning All-Star bids for the Knicks in 2000 and 2001 and developing into a smooth scoring threat from the wing.
He was fourth in the NBA in three-pointers in 2002-03, while also leading the league in free-throw shooting, and in 1999-2000, Houston finished fifth in three-point shooting.
In 1999, Houston was one of the leaders of New York’s run to the NBA Finals after qualifying for the playoffs as a No. 8 seed in the lockout-shortened campaign.
He averaged 21.6 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds in a whopping 44.4 minutes per game, shooting .427/2-for-12/.923 in a five-game loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
But his knees began to betray him in 2003 and Houston was out of the league by October 2005, when he retired.
He attempted comebacks with New York in both 2007 and 2008, ending the first after 10 days and the second was finished in less than a month when he was waived near the end of the preseason in October 2008.
In nine seasons with the Knicks, Houston averaged 18.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 36.1 minutes per game, shooting .444/.399/.872.
An All-American as a senior at Tennessee, where he averaged 22.3 points per game in his final season, Houston was taken 11th overall by the Pistons in the 1993 NBA Draft.
He is 34th in NBA history with 1,305 three-pointers, 31st with a .402 three-point percentage and 32nd with an .863 mark from the free-throw line.
Next: Luke Finished Hall Of Fame Career In Big Apple
Jerry Lucas already had a Hall of Fame resume but wanted a ring. The New York Knicks were willing to try and oblige him, sending former No. 1 overall pick Cazzie Russell to the San Francisco Warriors in May 1971 for the seven-time All-Star.
Lucas was fifth in the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1971-72, but was mostly a role player with the Knicks, helping them to two NBA Finals.
In 1972, Lucas averaged 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists in 46.6 minutes per game as New York lost to the
in five games, shooting 50 percent from the floor and going 12-for-15 at the line.
He played a lesser role in 1973, averaging 7.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 18.4 minutes a game as the Knicks beat the Lakers in five games. Lucas shot 40.5 percent from the field and was 4-for-5 at the foul line.
Lucas retired after the 1973-74 season.
In three years with New York, he averaged 11 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 29.7 minutes per game, shooting 50.2 percent from the floor and 77.3 percent at the free-throw line.
Taken as a territorial selection by the Cincinnati Royals out of Ohio State in the 1962 NBA Draft, Lucas played one season with the Cleveland Pipers of the old American Basketball League before joining the Royals in 1963.
He was the Rookie of the Year in 1963-64, a six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA selection in Cincinnati.
He was traded to the Warriors in October 1969 and was an All-Star once more with San Francisco.
Lucas is 16th in NBA history with 12,942 rebounds, eighth with an average of 38.8 minutes per game and fourth with an average of 15.6 rebounds per game.
A member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996, Lucas was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.
Next: Rescued From The Bush Leagues
John Starks came to the New York Knicks training camp expected to be nothing more than scrimmage fodder after he was signed in October 1990 after playing the previous year in the Continental Basketball Association and spending a summer in the World Basketball League.
Starks attempted to dunk on center Patrick Ewing during practice and injured his knee, preventing the Knicks from releasing him. By the time he was healthy, Trent Tucker was out with an injury and Starks had his chance.
He made the most of it.
Starks was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 1996-97, was an All-Star in 1994 and made the All-Defensive team in 1992-93. He also led the NBA in 3-pointers in 1994-95.
He also helped the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1994, where they lost to the Houston Rockets in seven games. Starks averaged 17.7 points, 5.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 41.9 minutes per game in the series, shooting .368/.320/.769.
He spent nearly a decade in New York before he was traded with Terry Cummings and Chris Mills to the Golden State Warriors in January 1999 in exchange for Latrell Sprewell.
In eight seasons with the Knicks, Starks averaged 14.1 points, 4.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 28.7 minutes per game, shooting .423/.345/.769.
Undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 1988, he signed with the Warriors in October of that year, appearing in only 36 games before he was released in June 1989.
After going back to Golden State, he was traded in February 2000 as part of a three-team deal, ending up with the Chicago Bulls. In August 2000, he signed as a free agent with the Utah Jazz and retired after the 2001-02 season.
Starks is 48h in NBA history with 1,222 3-pointers.
Next: Mr. Bill Betrayed By A Bad Foot
Bill Cartwright was a two-time All-American at San Francisco, arguably the school’s best big man since Bill Russell, and averaged more than 24 points and nearly 16 rebounds per game as a senior.
The New York Knicks, in the market for a center, made Cartwright the third overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft.
, Cartwright was an All-Star in 1980, finishing fourth in the NBA in minutes per game.
But a balky left foot derailed his promising career, ultimately costing him the entire 1984-85 season and all but two games in 1985-86.
Cartwright returned for two more seasons before he was traded on the eve of the NBA Draft in June 1988 with first- and third-round picks in 1988 to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Charles Oakley and first- and third-round selections in 1988.
In eight seasons with the Knicks, Cartwright averaged 16.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and a block in 31.3 minutes per game, shooting .552/0-for-2/.784.
Cartwright was part of three championship teams in Chicago before signing as an unrestricted free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics in September 1994. Limited to 29 games, he retired at the end of the 1994-95 season.
Cartwright was later coach of the Bulls for parts of three seasons from 2001-03, posting a record of 51-100.
He currently coaches a professional team in Japan and is also head coach for the Mexican men’s national team.
Cartwright is 42nd in NBA history with a field-goal percentage of .525.
Next: Former MVP Filled It Up
The New York Knicks tried to make a splash in December 1976, acquiring former NBA MVP Bob McAdoo and Tom McMillen from the Buffalo Braves in exchange for John Gianelli and cash.
McAdoo was a two-time All-Star with the Knicks, finishing fifth in the NBA in minutes per game in 1976-77, placing fourth in scoring in 1977-78 and fifth in 1976-77 and also finishing fifth in rebounding in 1976-77.
and three first-round picks in 1979.
In parts of three seasons with New York, McAdoo averaged 26.7 points, 12 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 steals in 39.8 minutes per game, shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 71.6 percent from the line.
Taken second overall out of North Carolina by Buffalo in the 1972 NBA Draft, McAdoo was Rookie of the Year in 1972-73 and MVP in 1974-75, leading the NBA in scoring three times while with the Braves.
In September 1979, McAdoo was sent to the Detroit Pistons as part of the compensation for Boston signing free agent M.L. Carr.
He was waived by Detroit in March 1981 and signed with the New Jersey Nets two days later. In December 1981, McAdoo was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and was with them for championships in 1982 and 1985.
In January 1986, McAdoo signed with the Philadelphia 76ers before jumping to Italy for the remainder of his career, retiring in 1993 at age 41.
He is 28th in NBA history with an average of 22.1 points per game.
McAdoo was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Next: Oak Did The Dirty Work For A Decade
Charles Oakley had been an All-Rookie pick with the Chicago Bulls and was already a premier rebounder when the New York Knicks acquired him on the eve of the 1988 NBA Draft along with first- and third-round picks in 1988 in exchange for Bill Cartwright and first- and third-round selections in 1988.
Oakley was an All-Star in 1994 and a two-time All-Defensive selection while with the Knicks, finishing third in the NBA in rebounding in 1990-91.
Part of the New York squad that lost to the
in seven games in the 1994 NBA Finals, Oakley averaged 11 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 40.7 minutes per game in the series, shooting .484/—/15-for-18.
On draft night in 1998, Oakley was traded with the rights to second-round pick Sean Marks to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Marcus Camby.
In 10 seasons with the Knicks, he averaged 10.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.0 minutes per game, shooting .493/.220/.782.
Taken ninth overall out of Virginia Union by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1985 NBA Draft, Oakley was traded to the Bulls on draft night. In July 2001, the Raptors dealt him back to Chicago and in October 2002, he signed with the Washington Wizards.
In March 2004, Oakley signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Rockets, who waived him in April of that year, ending his career.
He is 24th in NBA history with 1,282 games, 29th with 40,280 minutes played and 21st with 12,205 rebounds.
Next: The Camby Man A Defensive Standout
Marcus Camby was thought to be a rising star when the New York Knicks traded Charles Oakley and the rights to second-round pick Sean Marks to the Toronto Raptors to acquire the big man on draft night in 1998.
Camby fell into a backup role initially before assuming the starting job in 2000 when Patrick Ewing was traded. But injuries limited his effectiveness during his stay with the Knicks.
He started three of the five games in the 1999 NBA Finals for New York, which lost to the
in the series. Camby averaged 9.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and two blocks in 27 minutes per game, shooting .500/—/6-for-8.
On draft night in 2002, Camby was traded with Mark Jackson and the rights to seventh overall pick Nene to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Antonio McDyess, the rights to No. 25 overall pick Frank Williams and a second-round pick in 2003.
A decade later, Camby would be back, however, acquired from the Houston Rockets in July 2012 in exchange for Toney Douglas, Josh Harrellson, Jerome Jordan and two future second-round picks.
But a 38-year-old Camby struggled to stay healthy and in July 2013 was traded with Quentin Richardson, Steve Novak, second-round picks in 2014 and 2017 and a first-round selection in 2016 to Toronto in exchange for Andrea Bargnani as part of a sign-and-trade deal.
In five seasons with the Knicks, Camby averaged 9.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 26.6 minutes per game, shooting .491/2-for-11/.637.
The second overall pick by Toronto out of Massachusetts in the 1996 NBA Draft, he led the NBA in blocks in 1997-98.
Camby’s career blossomed in Denver, where he was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07 and a four-time All-Defensive selection. He led the NBA in blocks three times for the Nuggets.
In June 2008, Camby was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2010 and to Houston in March 2012.
In July 2013, he was waived by the Raptors and signed with Houston two weeks later. Waived before the start of the season in October 2013, Camby opted to retire.
He is 42nd in NBA history with 9,513 rebounds, 12th with 2,331 blocked shots and 14th with an average of 2.4 blocks per game.
Next: Tricky Dick A Star For Knicks
Dick McGuire was a New York prep legend who was a standout at St. John’s and he stayed close to home when the New York Knicks selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 1949 Basketball Association of America draft.
McGuire was an instant hit on Broadway, a five-time All-Star in New York who was an All-NBA selection in 1950-51.
He was second in the NBA in assists in 1949-50 and 1950-51, third three times (1951-52, 1953-54 and 1954-55) and fourth in 1952-53.
McGuire was also the floor leader for the Knicks teams that went to three straight NBA Finals.
He averaged 4.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in a seven-game loss to the Rochester Royals in 1951, shooting 32.4 percent from the floor and 7-for-18 at the line. In a seven-game loss to the Minneapolis Lakers in 1952, McGuire averaged 9.3 points, 4.7 assists and 4.4 rebounds on 45.5 percent shooting and hit 60 percent from the free-throw line.
New York went down in five games to the Lakers in 1953 with McGuire averaging 5.6 points per game, shooting 7-for-18 from the floor and 66.7 percent at the line.
In April 1957, McGuire was traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons for a first-round pick in 1958.
In eight seasons with the Knicks, he averaged eight points, 5.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game, shooting 38 percent from the floor and 63.2 percent from the free-throw line.
He was an All-Star twice more with the Pistons, who moved to Detroit shortly after McGuire was acquired.
He also coached the Pistons for parts of four seasons, becoming a player-coach in December 1959 before retiring as a player at the conclusion of the 1959-60 season. He resigned in April 1963 with a 122-158 record and was 8-13 in the playoffs.
McGuire returned to New York to coach the Knicks in November 1965 and was fired in November 1967. In parts of three seasons, New York was 75-102 in the regular-season and 1-3 in the postseason.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993, McGuire died Feb. 3, 2010, in Huntington, N.Y., at the age of 84.
Next: Scoring Threat Via The Marines
The New York Knicks had to wait two years for their second-round selection from Iona in the 1954 NBA Draft to join the club, but Richie Guerin was worth the wait.
A native of the Bronx, Guerin spent two years in the U.S. Marine Corps before signing with the Knicks in 1956. He was a six-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA selection for New York.
Guerin was second in the NBA in free-throw shooting in 1962-63, fourth in minutes per game in 1961-62 and was third in assists in 1959-60, placing fourth in both 1958-59 and 1961-62.
In October 1963, he was traded to the St. Louis Hawks for cash and a second-round pick in 1964.
In parts of eight seasons with the Knicks, Guerin averaged 20.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 35.2 minutes per game, shooting 41.2 percent from the floor and 77.9 percent at the free-throw line.
After his trade to St. Louis, Guerin became player-coach of the Hawks in December 1964, retiring as a player in 1967. He returned as a player in 1968 and played two more seasons, retiring for good after the 1969-70 season.
Guerin was the NBA Coach of the Year with St. Louis in 1967-68 and resigned to become general manager of the Hawks after the 1971-72 season. He was 327-291 in parts of eight seasons there, going 26-34 in the playoffs.
He served as Atlanta’s GM until August 1973.
Guerin was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Next: An Early Backcourt Star
The New York Knicks picked up one of their first stars when they signed Colgate guard Carl Braun before the 1947-48 season.
Braun was an All-Basketball Association of America pick in 1947-48, finishing third in the league in field-goal percentage that season.
His career took a two-year hiatus while he served in the U.S. Army, but he returned with a vengeance in 1952, named to five All-Star appearances and earning All-NBA honors in 1953-54.
He finished third in the league in free-throw shooting in 1953-54, was fourth in both 1953-53 and 1957-58 and fifth in 1955-56 and, after taking over the point guard duties late in his career, finished fifth in the NBA in assists in both 1957-58 and 1958-59.
Braun was part of the 1953 NBA Finals team that lost to the Minneapolis Lakers, averaging 14.8 points per game on 32.9 percent shooting and was at 81.3 percent from the foul line in the five-game series.
Braun also served as a player-coach for New York from 1959-61, going 40-87. He was fired as coach and waived as a player in May 1961.
In 12 seasons with the Knicks, he averaged 14.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game, shooting 38.3 percent from the field and 80.4 percent at the line.
Six days after his release, he signed with the Boston Celtics, winning an NBA title before retiring after the 1961-62 season.
Braun died Feb. 10, 2010, in Stuart, Fla., at the age of 82.
Next: Defensive Presence And An All-Star
When Tyson Chandler agreed to terms on a free-agent deal and was acquired from the Dallas Mavericks after the lockout ended in December 2011, the New York Knicks knew they were getting an All-Defensive performer.
A three-team sign-and-trade brought Chandler, Giorgos Printezis and Ahmad Nivins to the Knicks from Dallas, while New York sent Andy Rautins to the Mavericks and Ronny Turiaf, cash and a second-round pick in 2013 to the Washington Wizards.
Chandler paid immediate dividends, being named Defensive Player of the Year in 2011-12. He was also an All-NBA pick in 2011-12, was a two time-All Defensive player and was an All-Star in 2013.
Chandler led the NBA in field-goal percentage as well in 2011-12.
On the eve of the 2014 NBA Draft, Chandler was traded with Raymond Felton back to the Mavericks in exchange for Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin, Samuel Dalembert, Wayne Ellington and two second-round picks in 2014.
But in three seasons in New York, Chandler averaged 10.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game, shooting .638/0-for-3/.679.
Chandler was the second overall pick out of Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2001 NBA Draft and was traded to the Chicago Bulls on draft night.
In July 2006, he was dealt to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets and in July 2009, Chandler was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats.
In July 2010, Chandler was sent to the Mavericks, where he was named All-Defensive and helped Dallas win the 2011 NBA title.
Chandler signed a free-agent deal with the Phoenix Suns in July 2015 and averaged 7.2 points and 8.7 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game on .583/0-for-1/.620 shooting in the first year of the four-year, $52 million contract that runs through 2018-19.
He is 49th in NBA history with 9,137 rebounds and third with a field-goal percentage of .591.
Next: Defensive Stopper For Title Teams
Dave DeBusschere had been a three-time All-Star at the point the New York Knicks made a huge deal in December 1968, trading Walt Bellamy and Howard Komives to the Detroit Pistons to get the power forward.
DeBusschere went on to five more All-Star berths with the Knicks, earning All-NBA honors in 1968-69 and being named to five All-Defensive teams while helping New York to its only two NBA titles.
He averaged 19.0 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 38.1 minutes per game as the Knicks beat the
in seven games in the 1970 NBA Finals, shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and hitting 13-of-18 from the foul line.
New York lost to the Lakers in the 1972 NBA Finals, with DeBusschere averaging 10.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.2 minutes per game in the five-game series, shooting 37.5 percent from the field and going 4-for-9 at the line.
When the Knicks beat Los Angeles for the title in 1973, DeBusschere averaged 15.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and two assists in 35.4 minutes per game in the five-game series, shooting 44 percent from the floor and hitting 12-of-15 at the stripe.
He retired after the 1973-74 season to accept a job as general manager of the ABA’s New York Nets.
In parts of six seasons with the Knicks, DeBusschere averaged 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 36.7 minutes per game, shooting 43.9 percent from the floor and 71.6 percent at the line.
DeBusschere was a territorial pick by the Pistons out of the University of Detroit in the 1962 NBA Draft and became the youngest coach in NBA history when he was named player-coach in November 1964. He resigned as coach in March 1967, going 79-143 in parts of three seasons.
He also played two seasons (1962-63) with the Chicago White Sox as a pitcher, going 3-4 with a 2.90 ERA in 36 games.
DeBusschere is 41st in NBA history with 9,618 rebounds and 26th with an average of 11.0 rebounds per game.
He ran the Nets from May 1974 through May 1975, when he was named commissioner of the ABA for what would be its final season. He was later GM of the Knicks from May 1982-January 1986.
DeBusschere was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983 and was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time team in 1996.
He was felled by a heart attack and died at a New York hospital on May 14, 2003, at the age of 62.
Next: The Horse Was The NBA’s First Iron Man
Harry Gallatin had starred at Northeast Missouri State (now known as Truman State) and Ned Irish of the New York Knicks wanted him.
Ignoring NBA rules that stipulated a player had to be four years out of high school, Gallatin—who had played only two years of college basketball—signed with the Knicks after being selected in the 1948 Basketball Association of America Draft.
Gallatin missed eight games in his rookie season and never missed another in his career and was a seven-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection for New York, leading the NBA in rebounding in 1953-54.
He was second in the league in field-goal percentage in 1951-52, third in 1952-53 and fifth in 1950-51 and finished second in rebounding in 1954-55 and third in both 1950-51 and 1952-53.
Gallatin averaged 10.9 points and 1.3 assists per game in the seven-game loss to the Rochester Royals in the 1951 NBA Finals, shooting 34.7 percent from the floor and 72.2 percent at the line.
In the 1952 NBA Finals, Gallatin averaged 9.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and an assist in the seven-game loss to the Minneapolis Lakers on 41.8 percent shooting while hitting 76.7 percent from the free-throw line.
He averaged 9.0 points a game, shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the stripe in a five-game loss to the Lakers in the 1953 NBA Finals.
In April 1957, Gallatin was traded with Nathaniel Clifton and Dick Atha to the Fort Wayne Pistons in exchange for Mel Hutchins and Charlie Tyra.
In nine seasons with New York, Gallatin averaged 12.7 points and 12.1 rebounds in 32.6 minutes per game, shooting 40.1 percent from the field and 77.2 percent at the line.
After one season with the Pistons, who had moved to Detroit, he retired.
He immediately became head coach at Southern Illinois, posting a record of 79-35, before taking over as coach of the St. Louis Hawks in March 1962.
Fired in December 1964, Gallatin had a record of 111-82 in parts of three seasons, going 12-11 in the playoffs and earning Coach of the Year honors in 1962-63.
He was hired to coach the Knicks in January 1965 and fired in November of the same year, with a record of 25-38 in parts of two seasons.
He returned to the collegiate ranks, where he was 19-31 in three seasons at SIU Edwardsville.
Gallatin is 18th in NBA history with an average of 11.9 rebounds per game and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.
He died Oct. 7, 2015, in Edwardsville, Ill., at the age of 88.
Next: Melo A Scoring Champ
The New York Knicks rocked the NBA world in February 2011 when they acquired four-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets in a three-team deal.
The Knicks got Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams from Denver and also picked up Corey Brewer from the Minnesota Timberwolves, while sending out Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, cash, second-round picks in 2012 and 2013 and a first-round selection in 2014 to the Nuggets and Eddy Curry, Anthony Randolph and cash to Minnesota.
Since coming to the Knicks, Anthony has made five more All-Star appearances and has been named All-NBA twice. He also finished third in the 2012-13 MVP voting.
Anthony led the NBA in scoring in 2012-13 and in minutes per game in 2013-14. He was second in scoring in 2013-14 and third in 2010-11.
Bouncing back from a knee injury that cut short the previous season, Anthony averaged 21.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 35.1 minutes per game in 2015-16, appearing in 72 games and shooting .434/.339/.829.
In parts of six seasons in New York, Anthony has averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 36.3 minutes per game on .444/.371/.830 shooting.
Anthony was the third overall selection from Syracuse by Denver in the 2003 NBA Draft and was a four-time All-NBA pick with the Nuggets.
He is 29th in NBA history with 22,497 points, 37th with an average of 36.4 minutes per game and 13th with an average of 24.9 points per game.
He signed a five-year, $124 million deal as a free agent in July 2014 that includes an early termination option before the final year in 2018-19.
Next: B Lit Up Broadway In The 1980s
The New York Knicks brought Brooklyn prep legend Bernard King home in an October 1982 trade, acquiring the All-Star from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Micheal Ray Richardson and a fifth-round pick in 1984.
He gave a star turn when he came to Manhattan.
He led the NBA in scoring in 1984-85 and was fifth in 1983-84.
But a devastating knee injury in March 1985 changed his career, costing him the entire 1985-86 campaign and all but six games in 1986-87.
In October 1987, King signed as a free agent with the Washington Bullets.
In parts of four seasons in New York, King averaged 26.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 34.7 minutes per game, shooting .543/1-for-20/.761.
Selected seventh overall out of Tennessee by the New Jersey Nets in the 1977 NBA Draft, King was an All-Rookie selection in 1977-78 before being traded to the Utah Jazz in October 1979.
Legal issues plagued King with the Jazz and in September 1980, he was dealt to Golden State.
King revived his career with a 1982 All-Star selection and an All-NBA nod in 1981-82.
With the Bullets, King was an All-Star in 1991 and All-NBA in 1990-91 before being waived by Washington in January 1993 after missing all of the 1991-92 season with more knee problems.
He signed with the Nets in February 1993 and played the rest of the season before retiring.
King is 43rd in NBA history with 19,655 points and 24th with an average of 22.5 points per game.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
Next: Clyde Ran The Offense And The Defense
Walt Frazier was a mid-major star at Southern Illinois, where he averaged more than 18 points and almost 12 rebounds per game as a senior, and the New York Knicks took at shot on the 6-foot-4, 200-pound athlete with the fifth overall pick in the 1967 NBA Draft.
He wound up becoming their point guard for the next decade.
An All-Rookie pick as a reserve in 1967-68, Frazier grabbed the reins at the point the following season and went on to become a seven-time All-Star and MVP of the 1975 All-Star Game, a six-time All-NBA selection and a seven-time All-Defensive pick and finished fourth in the MVP voting in 1969-70, when he was second in the league in assists.
He was third in the NBA in 1968-69, fourth in 1973-74 and fifth in 1970-71, also finishing third in minutes per game in 1975-76, fourth in 1970-71 and fifth in 1973-74 and 1974-75. When the steal category came into existence, he was second in that category in 1974-75.
He averaged 17.6 points, 10.4 assists and 7.7 rebounds in 43.1 minutes per game in the 1970 NBA Finals, shooting 54.1 percent from the floor and 75.6 percent from the line in New York’s seven-game win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the 1972 NBA Finals, he averaged 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in 45.4 minutes per game on 58.5 percent shooting from the floor and 70.4 percent accuracy at the stripe, but the Lakers won in five games.
Frazier put up 16.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the five-game win over Los Angeles in the 1973 NBA Finals, shooting 47.9 percent from the field and going 13-for-20 at the foul line.
His end with the Knicks was an awkward one, awarded in October 1977 to the Cleveland Cavaliers as compensation for New York’s signing of veteran free agent Jim Cleamons.
In 10 seasons with the Knicks, Frazier averaged 19.3 points, 6.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 38.2 minutes per game, shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 78.3 percent at the line.
Frazier was slowed by injuries in Cleveland and retired after he was waived in October 1979.
He is 21st in NBA history with an average of 37.5 minutes per game.
Frazier was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987 and was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.
Next: The Captain Was More Than Just A Moment
Willis Reed was a monster at Grambling, averaging almost 27 points and more than 21 rebounds per game as a senior, and the New York Knicks opened the second round of the 1964 NBA Draft by selecting the big man.
Good call.
Reed is most famous for his Game 7 heroics in the 1970 NBA Finals against the
, when he came out of the tunnel despite a torn thigh muscle and scored the first two baskets of the game for the Knicks on his first two shots.
But he was so much more than just that one moment. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1964-65 and the league MVP in 1969-70 and was picked for seven All-Star Games, winning MVP honors in 1970, as well as earning five All-NBA selections and an All-Defensive nod in 1969-70.
Reed was second in the MVP voting in 1968-69 and fourth in 1970-71.
He was third in the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1968-69 and fifth in 1966-67 and fifth in rebounding in 1964-65.
He played in six of the seven games of the 1970 NBA Finals, still averaging 23 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 37.7 minutes per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and 58.8 percent at the line while earning Finals MVP honors.
Reed was injured and did not play in the 1972 NBA Finals, won by the Lakers in five games.
But in the 1973 NBA Finals, Reed averaged 16.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30 minutes per game, shooting 49.3 percent from the floor and 8-for-9 at the line en route to his second Finals MVP award in a five-game victory over Los Angeles.
Injuries, however, forced Reed into retirement after the 1973-74 season.
In 10 seasons with the Knicks, Reed averaged 18.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks in 35.5 minutes per game, shooting 47.6 percent from the floor and 74.7 percent from the foul line.
Reed later coached the Knicks from 1977 through November 1978, going 49-47 in parts of two seasons and posting a 2-4 playoff record.
In February 1988, he was named coach of the New Jersey Nets, stepping down after the 1988-89 season after going 33-77. He was later GM in New Jersey from May 1990 through June 1996.
Reed also coached at Creighton for four seasons from 1981-85, going 52-65.
He is 11th in NBA history with an average of 12.9 rebounds per game.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982, Reed was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.
Next: Big Pat Lived Up To His Billing
The New York Knicks winning the first NBA Draft Lottery in May 1985 set off wild celebrations in Manhattan. And why not? The winning draw put the Knicks in line to draft Georgetown sensation Patrick Ewing, the national player of the year.
Ewing was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1985-86, an 11-time All-Star, a seven-time All-NBA selection and three-time All-Defensive pick during his time in New York, finishing fourth in the MVP voting three times (1988-89, 1992-93 and 1994-95) and fifth three times (1989-90, 1991-92 and 1993-94).
He was third in the NBA in scoring in 1989-90 and placed fifth in 1990-91, while also finishing fourth in rebounding in 1994-95 and fifth three different seasons. Ewing was second in blocks in 1989-90, third three times and fourth in 1991-92. He finished fourth in the league in field-goal percentage in 1988-89, as well.
In the 1994 NBA Finals, Ewing averaged 18.9 points, 12.4 rebounds, 4.3 blocks, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 44 minutes per game, shooting .363/1-for-5/.714 in a seven-game loss to the Houston Rockets.
He missed the 1999 NBA Finals, a five-game loss to the San Antonio Spurs, with an Achilles injury.
In a massive four-team trade in September 2000, the Knicks traded Ewing to the Seattle SuperSonics, also sending Chris Dudley and a first-round pick in 2001 to the Phoenix Suns while acquiring Glen Rice, Travis Knight and a first-round selection in 2001 from the Los Angeles Lakers; Luc Longley from Phoenix; and Vernon Maxwell, Lazaro Borrell, Vladimir Stepania, two 2001 second-rounders and a 2002 first-rounder from the Sonics.
In 15 seasons with New York, Ewing averaged 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, two assists and a steal in 36.2 minutes per game, shooting .508/.156/.742.
He signed with the Orlando Magic as a free agent in July 2001 and retired in September 2002.
He is 40th in NBA history with 1,183 games, 28th with 40,594 minutes played, 24th with 11,607 rebounds, seventh with 2,894 blocked shots, 21st with 24,815 points, 39th with an average of 21.0 points per game, 50th with an average of 9.8 rebounds per game and 12th with an average of 2.4 blocks per game.
Next: NBA: 25 Greatest Scorers of All-Time
Currently an assistant coach with the Charlotte Hornets, Ewing was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team while still active in 1996 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.