Carry On Tradition PT. 2 'King Of New York' The 2007-08 Eastern Conference roster was unveiled recently for the 57th annual NBA All-Star Game and once again the Knicks find themselves on the outside looking in. Since Allan Houston last appearance in 2001, no Knick has been selected as a starter or reserve for the league's mid-season marquee event. Much of the team's lack of success in recent years is a direct result of not having a premier player.

In today's NBA, championship caliber teams often have two All-Star players on their roster. A look back at history shows when the Knicks were contenders, not only was Patrick Ewing a perennial All-Star, but he was joined by teammates John Starks & Charles Oakley in the 1994 game. Allan Houston (a 2-time All-Star as a Knick) would also be joined by Latrell Sprewell for the 2001 contest. Houston & Sprewell would go on to lead the Knicks that season on the last meaningful playoff series at Madison Square Garden.

Prior to Patrick Ewing's arrival in 1985, there was one name that epitomized Knicks basketball. That name was "King" and his rivals, including Isiah Thomas, had universal respect for the incomparable small forward from Brooklyn, NY. Bernard King was a 3-time NBA All-Star, who played for the Knicks from 1982-1987. During his time in New York, King had legendary battles with Isiah Thomas' Pistons & Larry Bird's Celtics. King was scoring machine with a lighting quick, turnaround jumper and the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. During the 1984-85 season, King would lead the NBA in scoring with a 32.9 ppg average. He is best remembered for scoring a total of 100 points in consecutive games against the San Antonio Spurs & Dallas Mavericks. His scoring exploits would also include a 52 point game at The Garden against the Indiana Pacers and a career high, 60 points against the New Jersey Nets.

Like Ewing, Bernard King would lead his team valiantly into the playoffs, but never win a championship. During the 1984 playoffs, King's Knicks would wage an epic battle against Isiah Thomas' Pistons. In a decisive Game 5, Thomas scored an amazing 16 points in only 94 seconds en route to a 35 point & 12 assist masterpiece, but King's 44 points & 12 rebounds would best the future Knicks head coach on that night and clinch the series for the Knicks. King, who played the game with two dislocated fingers & the flu, would forever cement himself as one of the most talented & tough players to ever wear a Knicks uniform. Sadly, Bernard King would suffer a devastating knee injury that ended his Knicks career prematurely. Hubie Brown's team would struggle mightily without him and go on to win the first ever, NBA draft lottery which netted the 7-0 center from Georgetown. Injuries to both players would prevent the two superstars from playing together and leave many to wonder just how great a tandem they would have been.

As the 80's came to a close, Ewing would be joined by a new cast of characters including the 1988 Rookie of the Year, Mark Jackson and his enforcer, Charles Oakley. Under the direction of Rick Pitino, the Knicks became a scoring machine. During the 1988-89 season, the team was third in the league in scoring at 116.7 per contest. Pitino's Knicks would set a club record in 1989 by notching 21 consecutive home victories. They would also mesmerize the Garden faithful with a dazzling display of three point shooting accuracy led by Ewing's support cast, affectionately remembered as "The Bomb Squad". With Jackson orchestrating the offense, he routinely found fellow guards Rod Strickland & Trent Tucker and forwards Gerald Wilkins & Johnny Newman behind the arc.

For anyone who vividly recalls Bernard King's playing days in New York, it's appalling that King's # 30 jersey does not hang alongside Ewing's # 33 in the rafters. Even more shocking is the fact that King's former rival is leading the Knicks to possibly the worst season in franchise history. Thankfully, a look back at the 80's shows that adding one All-Star to the roster can change the direction of an organization immediately.

-Greg Hutchins