Knicks Legends Night

It was a nice night at the Garden... Well not the actual game.. The Knicks blew a 10 point 4th quarter lead and lost to the Orlando Magic 106-102... but at halftime, the Knicks honored 7 of the greats to wear the orange and blue... Carl Braun, Richie Guerin, Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing and Dick McGuire... So whatever era you're from as a Knicks fan, "your guy" was honored.

I didn't grow up as a Knicks fan but I did watch many of their games thru the years. I guess of those 7 guys, the first Knick I am qualified to talk about (based on my age) is Bernard King. King had that lightning quick release and that stern "game face." I remember the battle he had in Detroit against Isiah Thomas... The back to back 50 point games in 1984. He lit up my beloved New Jersey Nets for 60 on Christmas Day of that same year. I actually listened to that game on radio, yes radio... I didn't have cable then and the home games were only on cable back in those days. The Nets won that game... but that 60 was the highest scoring game at MSG until Kobe Bryant broke that record earlier this season with 61... I also was watching as King suffered a devastating knee injury in Kansas City's Kemper Arena in 1985... That hurt the Knicks title chances. What a team they would have had with King and a young center from Georgetown named Patrick Ewing.

I won't wax poetic about Ewing... Any basketball fan knows what he meant to the Knicks... He leads the Knicks in almost every category. Who can forget Dave DeBusschere's reaction when the Knicks won the lottery and the right to pick Ewing. He was a big man with a feathery light touch on the jumper. He was the man in the middle. The Knicks were deep in the playoffs every year. Going to the Garden for a Knicks game was an event. But because Ewing never was able to bring New York a championship, I don't know if Knicks fans appreciated him while he was playing. They certainly do now.

Willis Reed and Walt Frazier did bring the NBA title to Madison Square Garden. The most memorable game of course was Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Lakers. Reed was injured and no one knew if he would play. At the last minute, Reed came through the tunnel... He hit the first two jumpers of the game and the Knicks were off and running. I would be remissed if I didn't mention that Clyde scored 36 points that night to spur the team to victory. Clyde would be quick to tell you, however... He's earned the right to brag. And no I don't remember that game in 1970... I am not that old.

Sadly, I never saw Braun, Guerin, or Dick McGuire play but they set the standard that the others kept later. What are you favorite Knicks memories?? Leave a comment.