The New York Knicks are as hot a team as any in the NBA. Since Carmelo Anthony's departure, the Knicks have finally seen playoff consistency under defensive guru Tom Thibodeau and hard-nosed players like Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson. Moreover, the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson and traded for OG Anunoby to give them a primary scorer and a skilled two-way wing. Perhaps in celebration, Anthony and a few Knicks legends linked up at the legendary Rucker Park for an event.
Melo, Allan Houston, Jamal Crawford, John Starks, Deuce McBride, Jacob Toppin, and Tyler Kolek were at the Rucker and posed for a star-studded photo, as shared by the account New York Basketball on X, formerly Twitter.
The Knicks' playoff struggles
The New York Knicks are in the Mecca of Basketball, as they say, but the last time they've won an NBA championship was in 1973, around 50 years ago. Their recent resurgence may strike fans as an interesting parallel to the 1990s team, which played a rough-and-tumble physical defense-first basketball, under tough big man and Knicks legend Patrick Ewing and ex-Lakers champion Pat Riley. Back then, they were serious contenders for the title year by year.
However, it was just their luck that they were in the same conference as Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls. Jordan's first retirement in 1994 was the best chance for the Knicks to win the championship, as they toppled the Bulls and the Indiana Pacers on the way to the Finals. Yet, the valiant efforts of John Starks, among others, weren't enough to overcome Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets, who won the title in seven games.
As injuries slowed down Patrick Ewing, though, the Knicks took their last gasp for the Finals with Allan Houston in 1999, although they ultimately felt Ewing's absence as the San Antonio Spurs took care of business in five games.
After years in the doldrums, fans finally have reason to celebrate every year as their team is in the contenders' conversation again. Last season was the first time the Knicks won 50 games since Carmelo Anthony lit up Madison Square Garden in 2013. They also reached the second round of the playoffs only to lose to long-time rival Pacers in seven games.
In the offseason, the Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges, as the Brooklyn Nets finally committed to a full rebuild. The addition of Bridges could help the team match the firepower of the Milwaukee Bucks or Philadelphia 76ers and send enough agile bodies to bother the Boston Celtics.
With all these deals, is the team a genuine title contender again? All fans could say for sure is that the NBA is more fun when the Knicks are winning.
