The New York Knicks haven’t had a winning season since going 48-34 in the 2000-01 season. According to Forbes.com the Knickerbocker organization is the most valuable in the NBA at over $600 million. However, in a fan’s perspective they are pathetic. There hasn’t been anything to root for since Isiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury arrived.
To cheer up those Knicks fans I’m going turn back the clock and take a look at one of my all-time favorite players in the NBA, John Starks. Starks was never drafted in the NBA. He started his pro career playing in the CBA and the WBL before signing with the Golden State Warriors. In 1990 he left the Warrior team to tryout for the New York Knicks where he was introduced to Patrick Ewing. And when I say introduced I mean it. In a practice, Starks tried to dunk on Ewing, but Ewing threw him down causing Starks to twist his knee. His knee was not able to heal right away, so because of certain rules in the NBA the Knicks were forced to keep him on the roster. Maybe this happened for a reason, because Starks spent eight solid years with the Knicks and turned out to be a very effective player.
Starks most famous play came against the Bulls in a playoff game in 1993 when he took off from the baseline and dunked over Horace Grant and Michael Jordan. The youtube clip below highlights this play and many others throughout his career. In 1997, Starks was given the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. He gladly accepted his role on the bench as he mentored future all-star Allan Houston who had taken his starting position. If you are a fan of John Starks you’ll love reading his book, John Starks, My Life. If you are interested, you can order it on his official website. If not, enjoy these clips:
Comments
Got something to say?








