Greatest New York Knicks Players Of All Time

Don’t we all want to know of the Greatest New York Knicks players of all time? Well, Knicks is one of the most spoken franchises in the NBA. It was formed in the year 1946. The team from the very beginning has had some of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. The early years of the Knicks’ were successful, as they made appearances in multiple playoffs and NBA Finals. But, it took the team several years to get its first-ever championship until the year until 1970.

Well, another one of the greatest centers of all time to play for the Knicks was, Patrick Ewing. Ewing led one of the most successful times in Knicks’ history. Those Knickerbocker teams were tough and defensive-minded and featured some of the most famous former Knicks legends ever. During the Ewing years, all-time Knicks greats like Charles Oakley, Allan Houston, and Latrell Sprewell were on the roster. Well, what makes the Players the Greatest? Why have these players chosen to be in the Greatest New York Knicks list of all time?

Well, The New York Knicks have a long and decorated history. It includes eight conference titles, two NBA Championships, and scores of great players. They’ve retired nine numbers, had a regular-season MVP, two NBA Finals MVPs, several all-stars, and numerous Hall of Famers. In this article, we’ve included the greatest 7 New York Knicks players of all time and their major contributions to the team.

List of the 7 Greatest New York Knicks Players of all time.

First Greatest New York Knicks Player of all time – Patrick Ewing

The title of Greatest Knick of All-Time, it is difficult to choose between Reed, Frazier, and Ewinge. Ultimately Ewing, because of his long term with the knicks team tends to win. Ewing’s has 11 times All-Star appearances as a Knick and that has gone to exceedthe number of seasons played by Frazier and Reed spent in a Knick uniform which is 10 times each.

He was the center of attraction of the Knicks franchise for over 15 seasons and then the team went on to the playoffs in 13 of them. The playoffs included trips to the NBA Finals in the year 1994 and the year 1999. Ewing being an amazing jump-shooter had anchored a stifling Knicks defense. All, under the guidance of Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy.

Sure, he fell short of his goal of bringing an NBA championship to New York. The big man never had the privilege of playing with one Hall of Famer.

Ewing is just one of 16 players to have compiled 20,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. He is also the Knicks’ all-time leader in many statistical categories, including minutes, points, rebounds, blocked shots, and steals.

Second Greatest New York Knicks Player – Walt Frazier

The man they called “Clyde” was the quintessence of cool, on and off the court, and always wanted the ball in his hands with the game on the line.

Walt Frazier delivered one of the greatest Game 7 performances in NBA history in the 1970 NBA Finals, pacing the Knicks to their first NBA championship with 36 points, 19 assists, seven rebounds, and five steals.

Frazier excelled in all facets of the game during his 10 seasons in New York, though his forte was defense. Willis Reed said that Clyde’s hands were so quick that he could steal the hubcaps off a moving car. The Knicks point guard was named to the NBA All-Defense First Team seven consecutive times.

Clyde had a knack for backing down his defender to get the shot he wanted and averaged over 20 points per game six times, despite having to share the ball with Monroe, Bradley, Reed, and DeBusschere. He remains the Knicks’ all-time assists leader and was an excellent rebounder for a guard, grabbing 5.9 boards per game for his career.

Third Greatest New York Knicks Player – Dick Barnett

A former basketball player with the Knicks in New York. He spent nine seasons with the New York Knicks as a shooting guard. He won a scholarship at Tennessee College as a freshman and got to play under Coach John McClendon. Because of his jump shots and ball release method, he was dubbed “Dick the Skull.” Before joining the New York Knicks, he was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals, where he spent three years before signing with the Cleveland Pipers, where he spent one year.

He then went on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers for three years, earning the nickname “Fall Back Baby” since he was the team’s sixth player yet still helped them win games. In 1965, he joined the New York Knicks and won two championships with them in 1970 and 1973, after which he was inducted into the rafters of Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame.

4. Dave DeBusschere

Dave DeBusschere’s greatness is often lost in New York Knicks lore behind the likes of Walt Frazier and Willis Reed. The power forward was the missing piece to the Knicks’ championship puzzle and the team soared after acquiring him from the Pistons during the 1968-1969 season.

DeBusschere was a rugged rebounder—averaging 11 boards per game for his career—and a tenacious defender. Once the NBA began naming an All-Defensive Team in the 1969 season, the Knicks’ power forward was selected to the team every season for the rest of his career—six in total.

He had three-point range before there was a three-point line, was named an All-Star eight times, and was an invaluable member of the 1970 and 1973 championship teams.

In the biggest game of his career—Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals—DeBusschere contributed 18 points and 17 rebounds in the Knicks’ blowout victory over the Lakers.

5. Earl Monroe

Earl “The Pearl” Monroe was a master of improvisation on the hardwood. His dazzling ball-handling and spectacular spin moves earned him the moniker “Black Jesus” on the playgrounds of Philadelphia.

Many people wondered if he could coexist with another flashy ball-handler, Walt “Clyde” Frazier when he joined the Knicks in 1971 after four-plus seasons with the Bullets. Monroe had no problem sharing the ball with his teammates and “Pearl” and “Clyde” quickly became the most sensational backcourt in the game.

During his nine seasons with the Knicks, Monroe made two All-Star appearances, averaged over 20 points per game twice, and was a key component of the Knicks 1973 championship team.

The Knicks retired his No. 15 in 1986, and he was later named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

6. Allan Houston

A former basketball player with the Knicks in New York. He spent nine seasons with the New York Knicks as a shooting guard. Allan attended Ballard High School before going on to play for the University of Tennessee, where he was coached by his father, Wade. The Detroit Pistons selected Allan in the 1993 draught. He was a member of the squad for three years, scoring at a high rate. Later in 1996, he was a free agent with the New York Knicks, with whom he had nine sessions. Later in 1996, he was a free agent with the New York Knicks, with whom he had nine sessions. At the outset of his career, he averaged around 17 points each game, helping his side reach the season’s championships.

Allan was known for his three-point shooting during his career, and he was named to the all-star team twice. He signed a one-year contract with the New York Knicks for $100 million, making him the only overpaid draught pick that season. He was dubbed the “poster boy” for the draught and was paid at least $20 million each year. Houston was a member of the United States men’s national basketball team that won the gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics. Houston was appointed as an assistant to the president for basketball operations by the New York Knicks in 2008. Houston is the Knicks’ special assistant to the general manager as of July 2019, and he was also the general manager of the Westchester Knicks, the team’s Western Conference club.

7. Harry Gallatin

Harry “the Horse” Gallatin played for the Knicks from 1948-to 1957, most of which was prior to the shot clock era, though he still managed to average an impressive 13 points and 11.9 rebounds per game for his career.

Despite being an undersized center at 6’6” and 215 pounds, Gallatin led the league in rebounding in 1953-1954 with 15.3 boards per game and grabbed 33 rebounds in a game against the Detroit Pistons in 1953—a Knicks record that still stands today.

“The Horse” was selected to seven All-Star teams and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1954 and All-NBA Second Team in 1955. He went on to coach the Knicks for a season and is enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Conclusion 

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