The Top 5 Knicks of the Last 25 Years | NY Got Game

The Top 5 Knicks of the Last 25 Years | NY Got Game

Welcome to New York Got Game. Welcome back to another edition of New York Got Game. We’re continuing with our top 25 Knicks of the last 25 years. We’ve made it. We are here. We are down to the final five, the top five of this list. And this part of the list is going to be I hopefully hopefully some of you agree, some of you will disagree, but I think some of the best Knicks players in their history. not just in the last 25 years in their history. So, this should be a really fun one. Also, some good things that happened this past weekend. We saw Carmemelllo Anthony who you know we are absolutely going to talk about later in the show. He was inducted into the Knicks Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday night. A really good speech by Melo and I know that was a treat for a lot of Knicks fans to see. But we got more on Melo coming up later. But first, we got to start with the man who comes in at number five. That is Allan Houston. His Nick’s tenure went from 1996 to 2005. But was a nick that he qualifies for this list playing for them from 2000 to 2005. And as a Nick, he had some fantastic stats. I mean, this is one of the best shooters in Nick’s history. Averaged 19.4 points per game, 3.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and shot over 44% from the field. Now, when many people think of Alan Houston, the thing you think about is a shot of Miami. And that’s not going to qualify for this list as a moment because that was 1999. Still, I will understand that is the greatest moment in Allen Houston’s career. It is one of the greatest moments in Nick’s history. It’s one of the most iconic moments in Nick’s history. There is no doubt about that. So, for this, we’ve always talked about what’s the most iconic moment or most memorable moment that we think about with a player. And so, I know for all of you out there, it’s going to be that shot. And I don’t disagree with you. But this was a guy that also came up big for the Knicks in the early 2000s. And you really think of him as the face of that franchise as the team started going into sad but downward spiral there. You know, he was a two-time all-star in 2000 and 2001, back-to-back years. And that to me is what I think about him during this era. He made it as an all-star back-to-back seasons, especially in 2001 when he did it. He was the face of this Knicks team, had some big scoring games, dropped 50 against the Lakers one time. He’s one of the NBA’s most respected shooters of his era. He’s a player Allan Houston that is that I talk about all the time is what would he have been like if he played today? This is a guy who only I think for the high in his career average about four threes a game. If he played in today’s NBA where he’d be shooting much more from downtown with the way he could shoot. I mean he could have had numbers there that are close to Steph Curry. Not saying he would have been better than him, but Allen Houston is one of the best shooters you ever seen. One of the smoothest strokes you’ve ever seen on the court. And look, he was the offensive force of this Knicks through that early 2000 transition. And yeah, that all-star game selection in 2001, his second, it was the last one of his career. I think that solidified himself as one of the premier shooting guards in the league. And as I said, he was one of the few bright spots in a very, very difficult Knicks era. But Allan Houston also has done a great job uh around the team. Still works around the team today. see him a lot at Knicks games all the time engaging with fans, engaging with the players. So, doing a great job with the front office, but I know for a lot of Knicks, especially even younger Knicks fans, especially if you grew up just starting your Knicks fandom in the early 2000s, he’s one of your favorite players. He’s one of the best Knicks shooters, as I said, of all time. He led the team, was the face of that franchise, an absolute great. You can’t forget that iconic moment against Miami. And I’m going to bring it up because even though it doesn’t count, it was in 1999. It wasn’t in 2000 and later, is still an iconic moment. It is one that most fans of basketball, most Knicks fans will never forget where they were. I’ll never forget that. I’ll just say to y’all, I ran out my house and down the block when that shot went down, but it’s a great shot. So, salute to Allan Houston. One of the best Knicks coming in at number five. At number four, we got Amari Starttomire. Now, not a long Nick tenure from 2010 to 2015, but with Amare, he came here when nobody else wanted to come, right? He came to the Knicks when nobody wanted to come. And I get it. In 2010, the Knicks struck out. They were supposed to try to get big free agents. It was all this thing about them getting LeBron James. You know, could they bring Chris Bosch? Could they get together? Obviously, they went to Miami. But Amari Starttomire gets a lot of credit for me for wanting to come to the Knicks and turning them around at that time. And look, the stats are not amazing. He was never the same as he was in Phoenix. 17.3 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game, did shoot over 50% from the field, but he was an NBA All-Star in 2011. A fantastic season right in his first season with the Knicks in 2010 2011 season. He was named to the AllNBA second team in that year. And listen, he put the Knicks back on the map cuz like I said, nobody wanted to come here. I understood it was disappointing. The Knicks didn’t get the guys they thought he would, but he came and he was playing like an MVP before injuries slowed him down. And for me, when I think about Amari in a Knicks uniform, it’s hard for me to not think about that 2010 2011 season because his most iconic Knicks moment in my eyes was what he did over a stretch of games. If you remember those nine straight 30 plus point games he had in December of 2010 of that season that set a Knicks franchise record and it was an amazing feat of dominance during that time. How he played in the pick and roll with Raymond Felton was tremendous. A lot of ferocity. He declared that the Knicks were back when he signed with the Knicks. And listen, he he brought him back. He brought them back to respectability. He was part of that 2012 2013 team. Although it was very injury riddled, he brought him back to respectability and a lot has to be said about Amari. Now, very short-lived era of good Knicks basketball in the early part of the 2010s and then the Knicks went back down a bit, but he was a huge part of Carmelo Anthony eventually coming to the Big Apple. He’s the one that set the tone for that. It was unfortunate that his career was pretty much derailed by injuries after the microfacture surgery that he had on his knee and all of that stuff. But what he brought to the Knicks, how he energized the fan base back in that 2010 2011 seasons, what a fun season you got to think about if you were a Nick fan in terms of just rooting for that team and seeing that upward trajectory. You wish it had lasted longer. But listen, whenever Amari is at the Garden, he does come back. You’ve seen him back the last couple of playoff runs for the Knicks. He gets a good cheer from the crowd, gets a good evation. New York fans absolutely appreciate what he did coming here in 2010 when a lot of other people did not want to. That man came here and it was a short time, but he absolutely brought the Knicks back. Coming in at number three, this is a very polarizing Nick as Julius Randle, but yes, Julius Randle is third on this list of top 25 Knicks over the last 25 years. And he is a 5-year run with the Knicks from 2019 to 2024. But like Amare, he’s another guy that came here on a free agent contract, left New Orleans, came to the Knicks, and was a huge part of where the Knicks are right now. Huge. absolutely huge into where the Knicks are right now. The Knicks where they are as a franchise, they would not be here without Julius Randall who improved his game. Listen, I understand Julius Randle wasn’t perfect. I understand he didn’t get it done the way fans would have liked in the playoffs. But as a regular season player, oh, he did his thing. 21.2 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, 4.7 assists. His game absolutely blossomed and flourished under Tom Tibido. two-time AllNBA, which is wildly impressive. We haven’t said that for too many people on this list. Three-time all-star. He was the NBA’s most improved player during that 202021 season in which he was fantastic and ended the Knicks playoff drought. And this is where he gets a lot of credit. Knicks, they had a playoff drought. He gave them a presence of 20 points, 10 rebounds every single night. Was it perfect? No. Sometimes were there turnovers that made you scratch your head or maybe want to pull your hair out? Absolutely. Did you have frustrations with him in the playoffs? Yes. Now granted, I think that 2021 playoff season, he didn’t have much help around him and he was not a number one option. He was miscast as that during that season, but he he showed up. He showed up and he’s a huge part of why Jaylen Brunson’s here. We’ll obviously get to him later, but when you look at the numbers for Julius Randall in his five seasons, it’s one of the better stretches you’ve seen from a Knicks player, period. He was a really good Nick. I think sometimes an underappreciated Nick. Wasn’t perfect, but he was a really good Nick. When you talk about the last 25 years, you’re not going to see that many stretches of five years with numbers better than Julius Randall. Like I said, two-time AllNBA, three-time all-star, most improved player of the year in 2021. And when I think about 2021, speaking about that, during that regular season, I mean, he had a stretch where he was given almost 30 every night cuz he had to. Shot making was improved. Now, he had regressed to the mean a bit the next year, but he carried the Knicks to the four seed that year. I think his iconic moment was against Dallas. 44 points, 10 boards, seven assists against the Mavericks, his hometown team. And listen, he gave what he lot gave what he could. He gave a lot to this Knicks franchise. Obviously was eventually traded for Carl Anthony Towns. But again, I I I understand where people are with Julius Randall and some of the frustrations. was a very polarizing player. But I think if you look at this as appreciating what he brought to New York, especially coming in a time in 2019 when again the Knicks again struck out on free agents. This is where he’s very Amari like 2019. We know the Knicks were trying to get Kevin Durant. They were trying to get Kyrie Irving. That didn’t happen and they end up with Julius Randle and that was looked at as h they struck out again. But Julius Randle wanted to be here and he was a huge huge part of that turnaround. So, whatever happens to the Knicks from this point forward, you know, you’re going to have to give credit to some of the guys that laid the foundation. He was a lay the foundation guy. Like him or not, he was a lay the foundation guy, and you got to put some respect on his name for what he did with the Knicks. All right, coming in at number two, it’s a man who just recently got inducted into the Hall of Fame. That is Carmelo Anthony. and Melo. I’m going to do something different with Melo than we have for everybody else who’s on this list. And because he just recently got inducted into the Hall of Fame, we got a little something that we put together for Carmelo Anthony. Brooklyn born, Baltimore raised, but forever New York. Carmelo Anthony was never just a star player. He was the soul of a city that needed something to believe in. When Melo arrived in a blockbuster trade back in 2011, Madison Square Garden erupted like it had been waiting just for him. He was a superstar who understood the pressure, the bright lights, and the expectation that comes with putting on a Knicks jersey. In an era where hope was in short supply for the Knicks, Melo brought it back. The 2012 2013 season, 54 wins, an Atlantic Division title, and a playoff series victory was the best the franchise had seen in over a decade. He reignited the mecca and reminded the league that basketball still lives at the Garden. And who can’t forget January 24th, 2014. 62 points against Charlotte, a franchise record. The highest scoring performance in MSG history. That night, Melo wasn’t just a Nick. He was New York. Statistically, the resume, it speaks for itself. 10th all time in scoring with more than 28,000 points, 10 all-star selections, six AllNBA teams, and three Olympic gold medals to help bring glory back to Team USA. There was never a doubt Melo is a first ballot hall of famer, but for New Yorkers, it goes beyond the numbers. Melo embodied the culture, the swagger, the work ethic, the love for the city that never sleeps. He made the Garden Electric. He gave fans something to be proud of. And that’s why the next step is clear. His number seven should hang forever in the rafters of Madison Square Garden alongside Euing Reed Frasier Monroe. Because what Melo did, putting the franchise on his back and bringing it back to national relevance that deserves to be honored for generations to come. Carmelo Anony’s legacy isn’t just in the points that he scored. is the hope he restored, the fire that he brought to the Garden, and the connection that he made with an entire city. Springfield may have given him his proper place in the Hall of Fame, but in New York, he’s been immortal all along. Knicks fans love Melo. I mean, you just heard the numbers we talked about through his career, but with the Knicks averaged over 24 points per game, seven rebounds per game, 3.2 to assist, shot over 44% from the field. And you talked about his 10 all-stars appearances in his career seven times. Seven of those came with the Knicks from 2011 to 2017. He was the scoring champion in that 2012 2013 season. Led the Knicks to 54 wins. That was their best season in nearly 20 years. And that is one of the most fun seasons in Knicks basketball. I mean, he’s the face of Knicks basketball in the 2010s. There’s no doubt about that. brought playoff credibility back to MSG. We know about his most iconic moment. Now, I think this one’s debatable. 62 points versus Charlotte is one. You could talk about the Easter Sunday game against the Bulls. I mean, because those threes that he hit were huge and that was a fantastic game. So, if you want to go either one, I am fine with that. 62 points obviously set the Knicks all-time single game scoring record and the Garden was absolutely electric that night because that’s one of the best shooting displays that we’ve seen in franchise history. So Melo had a lot of good moments that Nicks fans love. He is an all-time great. I think there’s been a lot of debate about whether his numbers should go up or not, but you see the love he gets when he comes back to the Garden. I think he deserves to be up there. He defines an error. You cannot tell the story of New York Knicks basketball without talking about Carmelo Anthony. I understand he didn’t get past the second round. I understand that maybe he didn’t deliver in the way that people thought. He wasn’t the perfect lead star, but man, he was a man, he was a really good and fun player to watch. I mean, he was a bucket getter. I think he’s better than that. I think sometimes people reduce him to that. He was a much better player than that. But when I talk to a lot of other Nicks fans, some content creators out, we’ve had some discussions about this. Look, you got to give the man his respect. He deserves to be up there in the rafters for what he did as a Nick. I think when you the way I always look at it is when you think about a player and you know this happens more so in baseball than it does basketball, but do you think about them in what jersey? And I think when you think about Carmelo Anthony, look, there’s an argument that Denver should retire his number two, although he wore the same number there that Nicole Yokic wears now. But I think when you think about Carmelo Anthony, you’re going to think about him as a nick. And for all the things that was talked about in the video we just showed you, he really embodied the culture of the city. He’s really at one with the city. Still does that to this day. And I think that’s what’s been really dope about Carmelo Anthony and just how connected he is still with the fan base and and all the love. Wish things had I was saying this for a lot of Knicks on this list. Wish things had ended differently or ended a little bit better. But Carmemelllo Anthony, salute to you, man. One of the legendary Knicks and uh hopefully soon we’ll be talking about his name and number going up in the rafters there at MSG. All right, so here we are. Number one spot. I think everybody knows who this is. And what’s amazing about this person, the person is Jaylen Brunson. He’s got the number one spot is that he’s done this in a very short time to be the top nick of the last 25 years. This is only from 2022 that Jaylen Brunson has done this. This is not a long time. This is not a large body of work. And some of you may say, well, hey, Dex, how can you have him over Carmelo Anthony? How could you have even over Julius Randall? He didn’t have the time. Time is a factor here, but it’s about what you did in your time. I don’t think anybody has done more with their time, been more efficient with their time in a Knicks uniform in the last 25 years other than Jaylen Russ averaging over 24 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, over 48% from the field, 40% three-point shooter. This is a guy who’s a second round pick. This is a guy who some people, including fellow media members, thought the Knicks overpaid. I was not one of those people that felt that way. I thought the Knicks clearly paid Jaylen Brunson when they signed him to that four-year contract away from the Dallas Mavericks. Did I think Jaylen Brunson would reach the heights that he has reached thus far? No. I thought he’d be very good. I thought he could be a borderline all-star player, but he’s been better than that last two seasons. AllNBA second team. last two seasons, both all-star appearances. He led the Knicks this past season, 2025, to back-to-back playoff series wins for the first time since the ‘9s. He is the clear leader of this team. He got the captain designation last summer. You’ve seen him guide the Knicks through multiple deep playoff runs. He very quickly has become the undisputed leader, the face in this franchise. And nobody is going to dispute that. Nobody. There’s no disputing on this. He’s already placed himself as one of the great Knicks of all time. I think he’s the second best Knicks point guard of all time behind Walai Frasier and he’s right up there in the top and he hasn’t won. If Jaylen Brunson is to win a championship New York, I mean, he will have legendary status. You’re talking about him possibly passing Patrick Huing. Yeah, I’m letting that sink in for a little bit. This is how good this guy has been in a short period of time. And it’s not just the numbers in the regular season. you also believe in him and trust him in the playoffs because he’s been clutch. He’s shown up when it’s mattered the most. Now look, in a short period of time, we’re already can have debates about what’s his most iconic Knicks moment. Is it the 47 point masterpiece that we saw against Philadelphia in the 2024 playoffs? Remember game four, Knicks get that win 97 to 92 and Jaylen Brunson is clutching that game in the fourth quarter. Gave them a 3 to1 series lead. set a new Knicks postseason scoring record with those 47 points. I mean, that to me was the one where he sealed cemented his status as the Garden Superstar. Like, that was the moment, right? But you might say to me, “Hey, Dex, nah, you know what? I’m going with what happened in the Pistons series, game six, series, clinching bucket, crossing over Sarah Thompson, and hitting that three. I mean, that’s his biggest shot. There’s no doubt about that. It’s a great next moment.” And it’s one where I think if you’ve been watching the Knicks or covering the Knicks, you’re like, “Oh, Jaylen Brunson took it.” Yeah, it would go in. That’s how good he’s been. That’s how clutch he’s been. That’s how he has revitalized this team in this way. We talked about Julius Randle bringing in, but Jaylen Brunson’s the guy that took him over the top to where the Knicks are contenders, to where people believe in the Knicks. There’s still Jaylen Brunson doubters out there. But this guy has proven everybody wrong at every level from high school to college to coming into the NBA second round pick. People saying that he’s undersized, can’t do this, can’t do that. I’ve seen this man answer all the questions. The last thing for him to do now is lead this team to the finals and win a championship. Some people still don’t think he can be the best player on a championship team. I tend to disagree. think has a lot to do with the pieces that are around him. But make no mistake about it, Jaylen Brunson is an all-time great Nick. If his career ended today, not wishing anything bad on Jaylen Brunson, but if his career ended today, he’s already up there in I don’t know where you want to put him. Top 10, top eight Knicks, he’s already up there. He’s been that good. And we should appreciate how good he’s been for this team in this very short period of time. And I understand for some of you it might be a small sample size, but man, Jaylen Brunson has been good. And the scary part about all this is he’s in his prime and we might not have seen the best yet. The best might be yet to come. But I think if you’re a Knicks fan, if you’re a true Knicks fan, you were like, man, this is a guy in leading my team that I have confidence in. I’ve made this comparison before in other shows. There’s a Jeter-like quality to him. And I’m no Yankee fan, but there’s something about this guy in the clutch in the big moment that understands this in his leadership that I think is has the ability for Knicks fans to trust there. It’s been great. You can look at the numbers. You can look at the playoff moments and the legend of Brunson is going to grow, but I don’t think there’s been anybody more impactful. I don’t think there’s been any more body better in a Knicks uniform in the last 25 years other than the captain, the current captain of the New York Knicks, Jaylen Brunson. All right, that’s our list. Top 25 all done. Took us some weeks. Got us through the rough days of the off season, but we had some content to talk about. It was a lot of fun. Let me know what you think of the list. Did you agree? Did you disagree? Who would you had at number one? Why? If you’re going to tell me something, you got to also say why. Let me know why you’re going to do that as well. We’re going to be back with a lot more great content in the coming weeks. We’re going to be doing some video breakdowns. I know a lot of you have liked that. We’re going to be doing some dives into some of the Knicks role players. Training camp is right around the corner. Knicks media day September 23rd. We’ll be back with a lot of Knicks content. The Knicks are going to be playing a preseason game in Abu Dhabi. So, Nick’s basketball is right here. It’s right around the corner. Off season feels long when you don’t have some basketball, but we are about to be right back at it once again with a lot of new things coming your way on New York Got Game. That’s going to do it for this episode. Special thanks to my entire crew working here. Associate producer Nick Federico, producer Eric Block, editor Eduardo Guerrero. I’m Dexter Henry. We’ll catch you next time on another edition of New YorkGame. And thanks for watching New YorkGame. Boom. Shark locker.

In the final installment of our Top 25 Knicks Since 2000 series, host Dexter Henry counts down the Top 5 players of the last 25 years — the superstars, leaders, and icons who defined modern Knicks basketball. These are the players who delivered MVP-caliber seasons, unforgettable Garden moments, and playoff heroics that still live in Knicks lore. Who takes the top spot? Who rounds out the Top 5? And did your favorite player make it? Tune in as we break down the careers, stats, and iconic moments that set these five apart from the rest.

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