Stars love themselves some good spotlight time, and the New York Knicks have always been able to grant them that attention and exposure.
After 73½ seasons in the NBA, the New York Knicks have established themselves as a cornerstone of a franchise for the NBA. Whether it is due to their level of basketball play, or more recently, for their media attention and drama, the Knicks have always been one of the league’s top priorities.
To be honest, can you blame the NBA for wanting to have a strong presence in the greatest city in the world? A good basketball team in New York means more and more social media exposure, leading to an endless flow of cash at the registers.
Regardless of the affluence the Knicks bring to the entire league, fans of every team always seem to have the Knicks right at the tip of their tongue. The Knicks lose, they talk about it. The Knicks win, they still talk about it.
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Even though the New York Knicks have struggled with recruiting players in the most recent parts of one’s memory, that is not the case at all for the team’s past and quite hopefully, future. Players have always wanted to play in Madison Square Garden and signing for the Knicks gave them that opportunity long-term.
Due to recent organizational feeble-mindedness, stars have kept their distance from the New York Knicks throughout this past decade, with no major free agency signings. In fact, Julius Randle became by far the best player to sign for the New York Knicks during the 2010s. Yikes.
The Knicks can boast a wide variety of superstars in their history books. Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed are some of the first names that come to mind when reminiscing Knicks history.
As we take a quick history at some of the more forgotten stars to wear a Knicks jersey, some Hall-of-Famers and numerous All-Stars appear to slip people’s minds and not instantly link them with New York.
Honorable mentions: Anfernee Hardaway, Xavier McDaniel, Derrick Rose, DeAndre Jordan, Trevor Ariza, Michael Beasley, Doc Rivers