New York Knicks: 5 most notable No. 11’s in team history

5. Rod Strickland

Rod Strickland donned the jersey number through his very short but impressive tenure with the Knicks during the late 1980s. New York surprisingly drafted Strickland out of DePaul University in 1988 after already selecting rookie of the year and starting point guard Mark Jackson in 1987.

Strickland was forced to serve as the backup and eventually found playing time alongside Jackson in an odd two-point guard backcourt scenario to give both talented ball-handlers more minutes.

Strickland only started 10 of the 132 games played with the Knicks until he was traded midway through the 1989-90 season to the San Antonio Spurs. Statistically, Strickland’s best years were with other teams over his 17 seasons in the NBAm earning All-NBA Second Team honors with the Washington Bullets in 1998 as the league’s assist leader.

Strickland had a solid overall NBA career, but still many Knicks fans wonder if his career could have been even better if he stayed in New York instead of Jackson. The Knicks have always lacked stability at the point guard position and Strickland’s effective longevity in the league would have looked great alongside franchise center Patrick Ewing. The No. 11 would probably be hanging right next to No. 33 inside Madison Square Garden.