After choking Coach PJ Carlesimo in 1997, Latrell Sprewell was in a difficult situation. The infamous incident saw the All-Star forward receiving a 68-game suspension. Despite the controversy, the New York Knicks still believed Sprewell would be a good acquisition.
In January 1999, the Knicks initiated a trade deal for Spree, sending John Starks, Chris Mills, and Terry Cummings to the Golden State Warriors in return. From the start, Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy was impressed by Sprewell, who arrived at their first meeting wearing a tank top and basketball shorts.
Advertisement
Spree struck JVG as a raw and honest person. On the court, Sprewell did not fail to deliver. More importantly, he didn’t waste the opportunity that the Knicks gave him, and Coach Van Gundy couldn’t be happier.
“Latrell, because of his competitiveness, intelligence and athletic ability, really gave us a boost defensively,” Van Gundy told Slam in 2016. “Offensively, he and [Allan] Houston, after they grew together and learned how to play together, they really complemented each other extremely well.”
“That run from when he came, those first couple of years—tremendous,” he added. “When he was running the left wing and we advanced it to him, and he was running full speed and his braids were flying and he was attacking, it was a sight to behold. The athleticism, the flare, the tenacity—it was a beautiful thing.”
Advertisement
The Knicks were right about trading for Sprewell
With a revived confidence and motivation, Sprewell immediately made an impact on the Knicks. In his first 37 games, Spree averaged 16.4 points to help NY clinch the eighth spot in the playoffs.
Sprewell’s addition brought not only a new type of excitement in New York but also made the Knicks do the unthinkable. They beat the first-seeded Miami Heat in a hard-fought five-game series in the first round and rallied all the way to the Finals, making the Knicks one of the only two eight-seeded teams to accomplish the rare feat in NBA history.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, Knicks star center Patrick Ewing was sidelined due to an injury in the Finals. Sprewell stepped up and averaged 26.0 points per game in the series. However, New York still suffered a tough loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
For Van Gundy, Sprewell’s arrival in New York was one of the best things that happened in the franchise’s history.
“He came to New York and the Knicks at the right time for himself, and the right time for the Knicks, and the city embraced him,” JVG said of Sprewell.
Advertisement
Spree had always wanted to be a Knick
As it turned out, Sprewell had long yearned to be a Knick. In fact, he even told Ewing about it.
In his first free agency back in 1996, Spree had hoped that the Knicks would recruit him, but instead, the team chose Allan Houston.
“I actually told Patrick, when I was with the Warriors, and I was a free agent, and now the Knicks didn’t pick me up, and Allan [Houston] was a free agent too, so, it was Allan and myself. I’m thinking I want to go to the Knicks,” Sprewell told MSG AM in 2020.
Advertisement
“I hope they give me a look, and they didn’t. So, I saw Patrick the next game I played, and I went up to him, and I said, ‘Hey, man, you tell the manager that I was a little ticked off that they didn’t give me a look.’ I really want to be a Knick at that point.”
In the summer of 2000, the Knicks parted ways with Ewing, but they still looked good with Sprewell as their new cornerstone player. However, Spree arrived at training camp in 2002 with a broken hand, which was reportedly caused by a fight on his yacht.
That season turned out to be Latrell’s last as a Knick. He was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the summer of 2003 for Keith Van Horn in a four-team deal.
Advertisement
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 14, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.