NBA: New York Knicks' All-Time starting 5
One of the original founding teams of the NBA in 1946, the New York Knicks are one of the biggest franchises in the league. They play their home games at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden.
The Knickerbockers were very successful during their early years in the league, making the playoffs in ten straight seasons from 1946 to 1956. They even made it into three straight NBA Finals from 1951 to 1953 but failed to win a title.
After a pretty rough stretch in the late 50s and the entire 60s, the Knicks had their golden years in the 1970s as they won their only two NBA championships. Since then, the Knicks had not won a title but have been a consistent playoff team during the Patrick Ewing era.
Bad management has resulted in the Knicks being a laughing stock for about two decades now. Nevertheless, they are still a storied franchise that produced many great players and Hall of Famers throughout its history. Here are the five players who made the New York Knicks’ all-time starting five.
Forward – Dave DeBusschere
An underrated player and legend, Dave DeBusschere played for the Knicks for just six seasons but he made a lot of impact. He was a five-time All-Star in New York and helped the team win two NBA championships in 1970 and 1973.
DeBusschere was also one of the best defensive players in the league during his time with the Knicks, making the All-NBA Defensive First Team six times. He even made the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. His short time with the team means he is not on most of the Knicks franchise leaderboards but ranks seventh in rebounds.
Honourable Mention: Forward – Bill Bradley
A true Knicks legend, Bill Bradley spent his entire ten-year NBA career with the Knicks. He was an integral part of the two championship-winning teams of the 70s. He was an All-Star in 1973 and he ranks tenth in the Knicks all-time scoring list.