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From the hallowed grounds of Madison Square Garden to the electrifying moments on the court, the Knicks have built a legacy that stands as a testament to the grit, determination, and skill of their players. Their talents and personalities resonated with the Knicks faithful, making them instant fan favorites who will be remembered and revered for years to come. Let’s take a look at the 25 best players to don a Knicks jersey:
25. Larry Johnson
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“Grandmama” is what Larry Johnson became known as during his playing career, but don’t let the name fool you. Johnson was an absolute beast on the court. The brutish forward was a tremendous athlete who bounced off the floor with relative ease. In the open court, Johnson had the speed and strength to take it coast-to-coast at will. With the Hornets, Johnson was one of the most feared forwards in the game for his ability to attack the basket and finish with authority.
By the time Johnson joined the Knicks, he had already evolved into an outside shooter. While his physical tools dwindled, he began relying on his shooting touch which eventually extended beyond the arc. Johnson famously knocked down a four-point play in the closing seconds of Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals which powered the Knicks to a series win.
24. Stephon Marbury
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Marbury was New York’s first big acquisition in the post-Ewing era. With the Suns placing Marbury on the block following a tumultuous patch, the Knicks jumped at the chance to acquire a former two-time All-Star who was still just 26 years old. It was Marbury’s fourth team in seven years, but the NY native still had plenty left in the tank. Despite never earning an All-Star nod with the Knicks, Marbury was a productive player who averaged 18.2 PPG and 7.0 APG during his tenure.
At his peak, Marbury was a dynamic guard who could go toe-to-toe with the league’s best. He showed flashes of his former self in spurts in New York, though his ego eventually led to his downfall. Public feuds with two head coaches (Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas) led to the city of New York turning on the lifelong Knicks fan. Marbury’s latter half of his career was a bit shaky, but he was a uniquely gifted player who deserves recognition.
23. Walt Bellamy
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The No. 1 overall pick in the 1961 NBA Draft enjoyed a successful 14-year career in the league. Bellamy played for seven teams, spending four years with the Knicks from 1966-69. Bellamy finished his career as one of 11 players in NBA history to record at least 20,000 points and 14,000 rebounds. To this day, Bellamy holds the record for the most games played in a single season (88).
Bellamy was a tremendous athlete. He was an All-State receiver in high school and could have gone pro in any number of sports. The 6-foot-11 Hall of Famer helped the U.S. basketball team capture gold in the 1960 Summer Olympics — a full year before he was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. He was the complete package down low with his ability to score, rebound and defend. In an era filled with all-time great big men — Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate Thurmond, etc. — Bellamy held his own and was always up to the task.
22. Allan Houston
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With apologies to J.R. Smith and Steve Novak, the most recognizable sharpshooter in Knicks history is Allan Houston. Knowing the team needed an outside threat to help clear the lane for Patrick Ewing, the Knicks signed Houston who had spent the previous three seasons with the Detroit Pistons. Houston was twice an All-Star in New York. He was a career 40-percent three-point shooter who averaged over 20 PPG from 2000-04.
Houston was primed to reach superstardom, and the Knicks’ front office recognized this. In 2001, the team signed the superb scorer to a lucrative $100 million contract which made him one of the highest paid players in the league. While he was incredibly talented, Houston simply couldn’t stay healthy after signing the deal. Injuries cost him the latter part of his career, and he eventually retired after the ’05 season.
21. Amar’e Stoudemire
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Stoudemire was the NBA’s first unofficial small ball five before it became a trendy position 10 years later. In Phoenix, Stoudemire took advantage of his size and athleticism by toggling between positions to exploit matchups. He had a great handle for his size. His range eventually stretched out near the three-point line. Additionally, the six-time All-Star was more than willing to take defenders off the bounce en route to the cup.
When he arrived in New York in 2011, fans believed they had acquired their new franchise star. Stoudemire proved them right for the first couple of months of his Knicks tenure. By midseason, Amar’e had solidified himself as a legitimate MVP candidate. Then, Carmelo Anthony came to town. And while the Knicks flourished with Anthony as the main focal point, Stoudemire took a bit of a backseat from then on. Stoudemire would end up playing five years with the Knicks and was named an All-Star and All-NBA Second-Team selection.
20. Spencer Haywood
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Haywood is one of two former Knick Hall of Famers who attended the University of Detroit-Mercy. The 6-foot-8 big man played for the Knicks from ’76-’79 after kicking off his legendary career with the Denver Rockets and the Seattle SuperSonics. Haywood hit the ground running as a rookie in Denver, leading the league in scoring and rebounds en route to being named league MVP in the ABA. Moving to the NBA didn’t slow down Haywood at all.
In five seasons with Seattle, Haywood was a two-time All-Star, two-time First-Team All-NBA, and two-time Second-Team All-NBA selection. Many Knicks fans hoped Haywood’s tenure with the Knicks had fared better. Though he was no longer an All-NBA caliber player, Haywood averaged 18 points and nearly nine rebounds per game over four years with the team. He was a special talent, there’s no disputing that. Haywood was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
19. John Starks
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John Starks epitomized the Knicks culture of the 90s. At one point, Starks had been kicked out of junior college and began working as a clerk at a Safeway super market. After finally earning a scholarship to Oklahoma State University, Starks went undrafted out of college. He played in the Continental Basketball Association and World Basketball League before earning a shot to make the New York Knicks roster. Starks reportedly got injured during practice trying to dunk over Patrick Ewing, and the team was unable to release him while he rehabbed the injury.
As a result, Starks attributes Ewing as the reason he was able to stick with the club. Starks went from bagging groceries to trading baskets and elbows with Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller. The 6-foot-3 Starks was routinely outmatched in size at the 2-guard position but never backed down from a challenge. Though he had some memorable playoff blunders, Starks was a skilled sparkplug who hit countless big shots over his Knicks tenure.
18. Latrell Sprewell
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Latrell Sprewell was the best player on the most recent Knicks team to reach the NBA Finals. Seeing as nominal star Patrick Ewing was nursing an injury throughout a majority of the 1999 NBA postseason, the enigmatic Sprewell took the reins with Ewing on the mend and led the 8-seeded Knicks on an improbable run through the Eastern Conference. Even though he started in just eight of 20 playoff games, Sprewell was the team’s leading scorer in the postseason and a two-way threat on a nightly basis.
He made some troubling decisions over his career which may have ultimately limited his potential as a player. Still, he made quite a career for himself as a former four-time All-Star. In 1994, the NBA recognized Sprewell as one of the five best players in the league, naming him to the All-NBA First-team alongside four Hall of Famers: John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, and David Robinson.
17. Mark Jackson
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Before his illustrious broadcasting career began, Mark Jackson was elite at dishing the rock. Jackson was the consummate point guard who could really pass the ball. He had an immense understanding of defensive coverages and tendencies and controlled the game like a quarterback in football. Jackson was regularly among the league leaders in assists throughout his career. As a rookie in New York, Jackson averaged 10.6 APG. When Jackson retired, the only player in NBA history with more career assists was (current all-time leader) John Stockton.
As defenses began to sag off the pure point guard in favor of playing passing lanes, Jackson developed the ability to punish smaller guards on the block and knock down a few jumpers from the outside. In his sophomore year with the Knicks, Jackson averaged a career-high 16.9 PPG and finished 13th in the league in made threes. His durability played a big part in his success as a player. Jackson played 81 or more games in 12-of-17 seasons and missed more than 10 games just once (2004, his final season).
16. Bob McAdoo
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McAdoo landed with the Knicks when he was 25 years old and five seasons into his NBA career. While he was only a member of the team for roughly two seasons, McAdoo was undoubtedly one of the most gifted players to ever don a Knicks uniform. In 1978 — his only full season with the club — McAdoo led the team in scoring (26.5), rebounds (12.8), and blocks (1.6) while helping put an end to a two-year playoff drought for New York.
McAdoo was traded twice in the span of a year — once to the Celtics, and again to the Pistons. In his earlier years, McAdoo was an absolute force on the interior. He won the scoring title three straight years in Buffalo and is arguably the greatest player in Braves/Clippers franchise history.
15. Willie Naulls
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Willie Naulls began gaining notoriety at his alma mater UCLA, where he was named an All-American after 1956 and left the school as the program’s all-time leading scorer. He spent the first half of his rookie season with the Hawks (the team that drafted him) but was traded to the New York Knicks after just 19 games in St. Louis. Naulls would spend the majority of his career with the Knicks, earning four All-Star nods from ’58-’62.
The 6-foot-6 Naulls was a deadeye outside shooter and tenacious rebounder. He used his length and leaping ability to create offensive opportunities and control the glass on both ends. In five full seasons with the Knicks, Naulls averaged 20.9 PPG and 12.3 RPG while converting 83-percent of his free throw attempts. Naulls was never able to capture a title with the Knicks, but he would end up winning three championships as a member of the Boston Celtics at the end of his career.
14. Julius Randle
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Randle suffered the ultimate setback to begin his career, enduring a broken leg in his first game causing him to miss the remainder of his rookie season with the Lakers. He showed some promise in the following years with LA, and posted some impressive statistical seasons in New Orleans — but both teams were willing to part with the 6-foot-8 bruiser. Two team’s trash ended up being the Knicks’ treasure. Randle was sensational in Year 2 with New York, averaging 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG en route to winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
2023 was another excellent season for Randle. The talented forward set a new career-high for PPG (25.1), while earning All-NBA Third-team honors. He’s been named an All-Star in three of five seasons with the Knicks. In the playoffs, Randle helped the Knicks win their first postseason series in over a decade. In a few years time, Randle might crack the top 10 of this list.
13. Jalen Brunson
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It’s been just two years since he arrived in New York and Jalen Brunson has already established himself as one of the great free-agent signings in Knicks history. In fact, acquiring Brunson in the 2022 offseason was one of the savviest moves for any team in recent memory. The Knicks lured the crafty guard away from the Mavericks with promises of a bigger role as the team’s primary ball handler. Brunson has flourished in New York. He was the driving force and leading scorer during New York’s 2023 playoff run.
He took another big step in Year 2 with the team. Brunson was named an All-Star for the first time in his career in ’24. Prior to his arrival, the Knicks hadn’t been relevant for at least 10 years. In Brunson’s first year, the Knicks won a playoff series for the first time since 2013. They were a few plays away from making the Eastern Conference Finals in ’24. None of this would be possible if it weren’t for Brunson’s ascension into stardom.
12. Charles Oakley
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As tough and rugged as they come, Oakley helped define the Knicks of the 90s. Alongside superstar center Patrick Ewing, Oakley helped form one-half of the most feared frontcourt in basketball. Oak wasn’t a terribly skilled player or gifted scorer. However, he was an integral part of the Knicks culture. The 6-foot-8 Oakley was a walking double-double who averaged 10 points and 10 points for a decade playing with the Knicks.
The fact of the matter is, that the Knicks were a better ball club whenever Oakley was on the floor. He set the tone with his tough (some might call it “dirty”) style of play. They made the playoffs every year he was with the team as he provided excellent defense and unselfishness to a ball club that was predicated on those two attributes. Oak was the perfect running mate for Ewing, and an ideal power forward for one of the best eras in Knicks history.
11. Richie Guerin
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Before Richie Guerin led the St. Louis (later moved to Atlanta) Hawks to eight consecutive playoff appearances as the head coach, he was an exceptional player in his own right. Guerin played for the Hawks from ’64-’70, but spent the first eight years of his career with the Knicks. At 6-foot-4, Guerin was a scoring combo guard who could score and pass. In 1962, Guerin finished the season sixth in PPG (29.5) and fourth in APG (6.9) — both were career-high marks.
At one point, Guerin held the record for most assists in a game (21) before it was broken by John Stockton. The shifty guard put pressure on opposing defenses with his ability to knock down outside shots, finish around the rim, and set up teammates for open looks. It’s not a surprise that Guerin ended up becoming an excellent coach following his playing career.
10. Richard McGuire
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When talking about the long list of great New York Knick point guards, we can’t forget seven-time All-Star Richard McGuire (usually known by a different first name). “Tricky” was a quintessential point who looked to set up teammates rather than search for his own points. He was a stabilizing force at the helm for eight years with the Knicks. New York had just one losing season (35-37 in ’56) throughout McGuire’s entire tenure.
As a result of his success with the Knicks, McGuire was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. He’s joined by his brother, Al (a former Marquette coach), as the only pair of brothers in the Hall of Fame. His playmaking ability and court savvy would shape the way guards approached the game.
9. Harry Gallatin
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During the infant years of the Knicks franchise, Harry Gallatin was the clear star of the team. A Truman State University product, Gallatin joined the Knicks in 1948 and almost instantly became the team’s best player. He would go on to make seven-straight All-Star teams from ’51-’57 solidifying himself as one of the top players in the league. Nicknamed “The Horse”, Gallatin was an undersized center at 6-foot-6, but made up for his lack of height with incredible physical strength.
The Knicks were one of the top teams in the NBA during the early 50s thanks to Gallatin’s contributions. Unfortunately, the team could never quite get over the hump. Gallatin and the Knicks lost in the NBA Finals three consecutive years from ’51-’53. Still, he was the franchise’s first great player and one of the most important figures in team history. He added an NBA Coach of the Year award in 1963 (coaching the Hawks) and was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991.
8. Bill Bradley
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A sudden growth spurt in high school vaulted Bradley to become the unanimous top player in the country. He boasted exceptional length and an advanced feel for the game at a young age. He didn’t make his NBA debut until 1968 — two years after he was initially drafted — because he was studying at Oxford to be a Rhodes Scholar. The wait was well worth it. Bradley played all 10 of his NBA seasons with the Knicks and was a productive all-around forward who impacted the game in a number of different facets.
Bradley segued his success as a basketball player into a career in politics. He served as a U.S. Senator for the state of New Jersey from ’79-’87. Bradley campaigned for the Democratic nomination in the 2000 Presidential Election but lost out to Al Gore. Additionally, Bradley became an author. Since retiring, he has penned seven non-fiction books. His impact off the court may have been even more significant than what he did on it.
7. Dave DeBusschere
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The Michigan native attended the University of Detroit-Mercy where he became the big man on campus. After averaging nearly 25 points per contest over three collegiate seasons, the Detroit Pistons made DeBusschere their first pick in the 1962 NBA Draft. DeBusschere was able to live out his dream of playing for his hometown team. He played for the Pistons for six years and was named an NBA All-Star in each of the final three seasons.
In 1968, DeBusschere was traded from his home team to the New York Knicks for Walt Bellamy. This deal may have swung two titles in the Knicks’ favor. DeBusschere was a key component on both title-winning Knicks squads, providing scoring, toughness, and defense. An excellent rebounder for his position, DeBusschere averaged 15.6 PPG and 11.6 RPG in 86 playoff games with New York.
6. Earl Monroe
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Earl Monroe is a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and has the game plus the accolades to back it up. Monroe was a highly creative individual. He was exceptionally quick and could break free from defenders at a moment’s notice. Monroe had a self-described “playground” style which leaned heavily on one-on-one basketball. At the time, no player was better at scoring in isolation than “The Pearl”.
After spending the first half of his career as a Baltimore Bullet, Monroe was traded to the Knicks in 1971. He would join forces with one of his old rivals, Walt Frazier, to create one of the most dynamic backcourts in basketball history. Monroe helped the team win two titles, and was named an All-Star twice with the Knicks. He was a member of the team until 1980 when he officially retired from the game.
5. Carmelo Anthony
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One of the great pure scorers in NBA history, Carmelo Anthony was a bonafide star in New York. He had the swagger and cerebral mindset to thrive in New York. Most importantly, he had the game to back it up. After being acquired from the Denver Nuggets in a mega-deal, Anthony helped resurrect a Knicks franchise that had been dormant for years. In his first three seasons with the Knicks, New York reached the postseason each year — peaking with a 54-win campaign in 2013.
Anthony’s ability to toggle effortlessly between being a low-post threat and a three-point bomber created nightmare matchups for teams in the Eastern Conference. Surrounded by a caravan of long-range specialists, the Knicks rained triples from Madison Square Garden during Anthony’s reign. Melo’s offensive ability knew no bounds. He has already cracked the top-10 all-time scoring list and will leap a few more names before his career is over.
4. Bernard King
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Before Melo was shipped to NY, the best wing scorer in franchise history was Bernard King. King played just 224 games for the Knickerbockers, but made a lasting impact in the short amount of time he was with the team. Who can forget when King poured in 60 points on Christmas Day 1984 versus the Nets? That season, King became the first-ever New York Knick to capture the NBA’s scoring title (32.9 PPG).
Only five people in NBA history have ever averaged 40 PPG in a single playoff series — Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Rick Barry, and King. King achieved this feat in ’84 when he led the Knicks to a five-game series victory over Detroit (featuring famed “Bad Boy” Pistons members Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and Vinnie Johnson) with a staggering 42.6 PPG average. As the kids say these days, King was a “walking bucket”.
3. Willis Reed
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Reed solidified his status as a Knicks legend in his first trip to the Finals with the team. In the 1970 NBA Finals, the Knicks were battling the mighty Los Angeles Lakers in an epic matchup. Reed was expected to miss Game 7 due to a severe thigh injury — which kept him out of the game prior. To the surprise of everyone in attendance, Reed (met with thunderous applause by the New York crowd) jogged out onto the court during warmups with the intention of playing. Reed started the game for the Knicks and made his first two field goal attempts of the game.
He would finish the game with just four points, but the effect he had on his teammates and the fans powered the Knicks to a Game 7 victory. Reed was named Finals MVP. He won the award again three years later when the Knicks won their second NBA Championship. Reed played for the Knicks for 11 seasons and then coached the club for an additional two years.
2. Patrick Ewing
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Fortune favored the Knicks in 1985 when the team landed the No. 1 overall pick in the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery. It was a major coup for a team that was just a year removed from losing a brutal 7-game series to the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics. The Knicks reloaded in a big way by selecting an All-American from Georgetown who would eventually become the greatest center in franchise history. The Knicks were Ewing’s team from 1984-2000, as the Jamaican-born 7-footer made New York one of the Eastern Conference powerhouses despite never having a reliable second option on the roster.
His turnaround jumper from the post was an unblockable shot when you consider the height at which Ewing released the ball. The Knicks reached two NBA Finals during Ewing’s career, ultimately losing both chances. Ewing earned the reputation of no-showing big games. In reality, the Knicks would have never been in a big game in the first place if it weren’t for Ewing.
1. Walt Frazier
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The Knicks have two titles in their franchise history and have “Clyde” to thank for each of them. While Willis Reed and other role players were integral during their championship runs, Frazier was the engine that made the Knicks go. A superb ball handler with an array of moves far ahead of his time, Frazier was as much of an entertainer as he was a supremely talented basketball player.
Frazier has all of the accolades to back up his flashy style of play. In a decade with the Knicks, Frazier notched seven All-Star nods, six All-NBA selections, seven All-Defensive selections, an All-Star game MVP, and, of course, those two NBA titles. He is undoubtedly the best Knicks guard of all time and deserves serious consideration as the best player in franchise history.
