Remembering the overachieving 1999 New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have only won two championships in franchise history, but a few teams that came up short like the 1999 squad are still legends with fans.
The 1998-99 NBA season didn’t typically start for everyone as the league was dealing with a lockout pushing the start of the season to February 1999. This odd start hurt plenty of veterans around the league because of the abbreviated training camps and time to mesh with new teammates. New York Knicks fans as usual during the 1990s had big hopes and dreams regardless of the late start but weren’t prepared for a season of struggles.
The Knicks were a veteran team with their head coach Jeff Van Gundy on the hot seat and two new members in Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby trying to fit into an already playoff-tested team. The team barely made the playoffs as an eight seed and were positioned for yet another matchup with their division rivals and top-seeded Miami Heat. Facing a one point deficit with only seconds remaining in series clinching game 5, Allan Houston converted on a legendary shot to give the Knicks an unexpected victory in Miami.
The next series against the Atlanta Hawks was forgettable only because New York dominated the number four seed in a clean sweep. The following series against the Indiana Pacers featured another rival and another incredible moment as Larry Johnson‘s four-point play in game three electrified the sold out Madison Square Garden crowd to a victory. The Knicks would finish things off in game six at home and become the first eighth seed to reach the NBA Finals.
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The Knicks would go on to lose in five games to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs but left a lasting memory amongst Knicks fans forever. In 2017, As part of the Knicks’ 70th anniversary celebrating legendary players ever to wear the orange and blue, Johnson spoke about his infamous four-point play shot with the team website.
"“I had shooting on my brain from the start I got it, I was going to be the hero or I was going to be the villain. But I was going to shoot that ball.”"
Members of the 1998-99 team joined Johnson in a particular discussion of the playoff run and his infamous shot. Kurt Thomas, Houston, Camby, and Sprewell chimed in on the team’s chemistry 20 years ago.
"“I think we did a good job sharing the ball playing unselfish basketball that was one of the reasons we were so good towards the end of the season”"
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The Knicks weren’t champions that seasons but won the hearts of fans that still talk about the team’s overachieving attitude today. New York fans will always appreciate a hard working team that is focused on fighting and trying to win.