John Starks is a New York Knicks fan favorite for life and apparently, his vast collection of fans includes rookie RJ Barrett.
There’s always something exciting about a ballyhooed rookie coming into town. New York Knicks rookie RJ Barrett is coming into the Big Apple with big expectations and a big personality to match.
The 19-year-old wanted to play for the Knicks and now he’s scoring some points with diehard fans.
“John Starks is one of my favorite players,” Barrett told Ben Detrick of GQ. “To see what the Knicks were able to do in the past, and how the city really got behind them—you want to get back there so badly.”
Starks is a legend in Madison Square Garden. The undersized guard was undrafted out of college, but forged his place as a member of the rough-and-tumble ’90s Knicks.
Starks etched his name into Knicks history with The Dunk and even made an All-Star Game appearance in 1994. The scrappy guard will always be beloved by Knicks fans.
In addition to his days on the court, Starks has maintained a close relationship with his former team. He’s a familiar face at the Garden and does a lot of good work with the Garden of Dreams Foundation.
Perhaps Barrett will soon be one of his favorite players if all goes to plan. The third-overall pick will likely start at shooting guard as a 19-year-old rookie. Fans would love to see Barrett bring an edge to the team like Starks did way back when.
