Now at 31-years old, the discussion of where Carmelo Anthony ranks among other New York Knicks greats needs to happen immediately.
By Robby Sabo
Finally though, he came to the Mecca.
On Feb. 22, 2011, Carmelo Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks for Danillo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, a 2014 first-round draft pick, and additional picks and cash considerations.
At last, and per his long-awaited request, Melo had finally returned “home” (whether Donnie Walsh liked it or not). And of course, nobody can capture such a moment better than Madison Square Garden:
After a decent start to the 2010-11 season that saw Amar’e Stoudemire up in the top handful of NBA MVP candidates under Mike D’Antoni, Anthony and Chauncey Billups couldn’t get the Knicks over the hump in the playoffs (swept by Boston Celtics in first round).
Since then, Stoudemire fizzled out due to a phenomenal amount of injuries and New York could never truly operate as one functional unit. Whether it was STAT for a few seasons, or even Jeremy Lin for one magical spring, Melo chugged along as the star of the Big Apple with very little help.
Aside from one 54-win season in 2012-13 under the leadership of Mike Woodson, Anthony’s Knicks have been incredibly disappointing.
The energizing hope swirling around the Garden on that much anticipated night Anthony made his Knicks debut is now nowhere to be found. Instead, questions about Anthony’s leadership and iso-dominant game come to the forefront.
2015-16, up to this point, has been different.
Melo is playing some of the best team ball of his career. His 3.7 assists per game are the second highest of his career, while he’s also assisting on 20 percent of his teammates baskets.
Under Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher, Anthony is morphing into the leader most thought was never possible.
For his work with the Knicks Melo undoubtedly deserves to fall in the Top 10 in franchise history. The only question remaining surrounds his actual ranking.
Here are the Top 10 New York Knicks of all-time:
Notables
- Richie Guerin, G
- Allan Houston, SG
- John Starks, SG
- Charles Oakley, PF
- Bob McAdoo, F/C
- Jerry Lucas, C
- Harry Gallatin, F/C
- Carl Braun, G
- Anthony Mason, F
- Mark Jackson, PG
One glance at the notables section has you immediately realizing this list is a solid one.
The toughest guy to leave off was Richie Guerin. The 6’4” guard is a Basketball Hall of Famer who averaged 20.1 points per contest during his eight seasons in New York.
Guys like Allan Houston, John Starks and Charles Oakley are always tough to leave off due to such sentimental value they brought to the table during some of the best times for the organization.
All this section does is prove the list’s legitimacy. Now let’s get on with the Top 10 New York Knicks of all-time:
10. Dick Barnett, SG
- 1965-74
- 15.8 PPG, 2.8 APG
- Member of 1970 and 1973 Championship Teams
- 8th in franchise history with 9,942 points
- No. 12 jersey retired
Dick Barnett, the lefty with the strange jumper, was often the forgotten man on both Knicks Championship squads.
His shot was something out of fiction. Curling down and propelling himself up only to have his legs pop up in a frog-like motion had most questioning why the Knicks would ever let him touch the ball. 9,942 points later in nine seasons with New York and Barnett is absolutely entrenched in Knicks history forever.
9. Bill Bradley, F
- 1967-77
- 12.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.4 APG
- Member of 1970 and 1973 Championship Teams
- 3rd in franchise history with 742 games played
- No. 24 jersey retired, Basketball Hall of Famer
“Mr. President,” as his teammates called him, actually fulfilled the nickname in becoming one of the more established politicians any former professional athlete could dream of.
He was a key cog in both Knicks titles and often pointed to as the glue who held the group together. What made Bill Bradley so special was his all-around game. While he wasn’t flashy or dominant in one particular aspect of the game, there wasn’t a thing the man couldn’t do.
8. Carmelo Anthony, F
- 2011-Active
- 25.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 3.1 APG
- 3rd in franchise history with 25.6 points per game
Carmelo Anthony, the man of the hour, comes in at the No. 8 spot.
However, he has much more work to do, and if his recent play is any indication he’ll be rapidly climbing up the list.
Though he’s only played 564 career games for the Knicks, he’s already fifth in franchise history with 557 three-point field goals and closing in on the Top 10 in points (7,733).
And oh yeah, he’s only 32nd in NBA history with an amazing 21,703 career points.
Literally the only aspect holding Anthony back from the top five on the list is time and lack of team success. His only true winning season in New York came in 2012-13 when he led the Knicks to a stellar 54-28 mark (bounced by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs).
His first two seasons saw the Knicks finish barely above .500 and bow out harmlessly in the first round.
With young Kristaps Porzingis now in the fold as his running-mate, things are looking up for the 31-year old Melo’s future with the organization.
7. Dick McGuire, PG
- 1949-57
- 8.0 PPG, 5.7 APG, 4.2 PPG
- 9th in franchise history with 5.7 assists per game
- No. 15 jersey retired, Basketball Hall of Famer
“Tricky Dick” – yes that was actually the man’s nickname – was the first true Knickerbocker.
Of course those eight points per game won’t blow anybody away, but remember the era for which the guy played in. It was a completely different game when the NBA officially opened for business and Dick McGuire was balling.
6. Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe, SG
- 1971-80
- 16.2 PPG, 3.5 APG
- 7th in franchise history with 9,679 career points
- Member of 1973 Championship Team
- No. 15 jersey retired, Basketball Hall of Famer
When Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) described Earl “The Pearl” Monroe in the 1998 motion picture He’s Got Game, it was enough to give any old-school Knicks fan chills from head to toe.
Pearl’s game was often described as poetry in motion. His shot, his flow, his handles – they were all ahead of his time.
What ranks him high in Knicks history, however, was his willingness to come to New York and share the big stage with his point guard. He gave up individual accolades for a chance to win, and that’s just what he did in 1973 with the Knicks.
5. Bernard King, G/F
- 1982-87
- 26.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG
- 2nd in franchise history with 26.5 points per game
- Basketball Hall of Famer
There was only one shame as it related to Bernard King: the absolute crime it was his Knicks career was so short. Only a severe knee injury separated the great King from becoming, quite possibly, the best Knicks player of all-time.
At the height of his career he was downright scary.
In 1984-85 he led the NBA in scoring with a cool 32.9 points per game while being named to the All-NBA team that season and the one prior. The man could shoot it from the outside, get up-and-down in transition faster than anybody his size, and straight bully defenders in the paint.
He even paved the way in the playoffs for New York. In 1983-84 he helped New York shock the Detroit Pistons in the first round, and then take the eventual champion Boston Celtics to a 7th Game a round later.
Bernard King is quite possibly the scariest Knicks player of all-time.
4. Dave DeBusschere, F
- 1968-74
- 16.0 PPG, 10.7 RPG
- 6th in franchise history with 10.7 rebounds per game
- Member of 1970 and 1973 Championship Teams
- No. 22 jersey retired, Basketball Hall of Famer
Truly, the final piece of the puzzle to one of the prettiest basketball units of all-time (1969-70 Knicks) was Dave DeBusschere.
Acquiring DeBusschere from Detroit provided Red Holzman with a grind it out type big man who can do all the little things a championship team needed to get over the top.
Oh yeah, he could also score (as his career 16 points per game with New York proves).
His mark of 30.2 in the category of defensive win shares ranks him fifth in Knicks history. But that’s only one of the many categories DeBusschere finds his name littered among the all-time leaders in many categories for the organization.
3. Willis Reed, C
- 1964-74
- 18.7 PPG, 12.9 RPG
- 3rd in franchise history with 12,183 career points
- Member of 1970 and 1973 Championship Teams
- No. 19 jersey retired, Basketball Hall of Famer
He was known simply as “The Captain.” This was long before Derek Jeter, so Willis Reed was the top dog in the Big Apple.
Nothing exemplified his uncanny leadership abilities more than Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. You know what happened. Playing on one-leg Reed decided to come out of the tunnel in heroic fashion. His two early buckets were enough to put the game away right there and then.
Only Bill Russell truly stood in Reed’s way of having a truly legendary NBA career. Even still, being named a one-time NBA MVP (1969-70) and two-time NBA Finals MVP (1970, 1973) ain’t too shabby.
2. Patrick Ewing, C
- 1985-2000
- 22.8 PPG, 10.4 RPG
- 1st in franchise history with 23,665 career points
- Member of 1994 and 1999 Eastern Conference Champions
- No. 33 jersey retired, Basketball Hall of Famer
Once you get to the top two Knicks there ever was, it becomes very tricky. In fact, the No. 1 and 2 spots are completely interchangeable many would argue.
It can easily be argued Patrick Ewing is the greatest Knick of all-time, but on this list he comes in at No. 2.
Ewing is the all-time Knicks leader in points (22,665), rebounds (10,759), blocks (2,758), games (1,039), and a plethora of many other categories. He virtually played his entire career in the Big Apple and ushered in one of the more beloved Knicks eras in history.
Teaming up with other big-hearted Knicks like Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and John Starks, Ewing and company brought the pain each and every night in an extremely tough Eastern Conference.
If not for Michael Jordan, Ewing would hands-down be the top Knicks player ever. One thing is for sure, he was the most under-appreciated Knicks superstar there ever was.
1. Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier, PG
- 1967-77
- 19.3 PPG, 6.3 APG, 6.1 RPG
- 1st in franchise history with 4,791 assists
- Member of 1970 and 1973 Championship Teams
- No. 10 jersey retired, Basketball Hall of Famer
Walt “Clyde” Frazier is the greatest New York Knicks player of them all. Not only does rank first in assists (4,791) in franchise history, but he was an incredible scorer and rebounder for his position.
Frazier was the best Knicks player on both championship teams (1970, 1973). Although Willis Reed took the hardware home in the form of a regular season MVP and two NBA Finals MVPs, it was Frazier who truly ran the show and acted as the pulse of the team.
Take Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals for example. All Frazier did was pour in 36 points, 19 assists, and seven rebounds in leading the Knicks to their first title.
Hats off to Clyde, as he “dished and swished” his way to a most legendary status.