New York Knicks: The overlooked greatness of Bernard King

Sometimes Bernard King gets lost in the shuffle when talking about the New York Knicks all-time best players. We will remind you of his greatness and determination.

Sandwiched between the New York Knicks championship era team of the early 1970s and the Patrick Ewing-led teams of the 1990s is an often-overlooked period in the mid-1980s. Those Knicks teams thrived under coach Hubie Brown. On the floor, they were led by scoring sensation Bernard King.

King has always been a special player to me personally. As a small child, I had my favorites like Bill Bradley, Walt Frazier, and Earl Monroe. I also loved Julius Erving when he was leading the New York Nets to ABA championships. For me, that golden era ended when Dr. J was shipped to Philly.

In the following years, there were players I liked to watch. Spencer Haywood, Bob McAdoo, Ray Williams, and Michael Ray Richardson come to mind. It wasn’t until King made it back to New York in 1982, that my fire was rekindled. There was also another connection I had to him years later that made me appreciate him even more.

Wearing the New York Knicks number 30 uniform, he was incredible to watch. Every game King played, had the fans at Madison Square Garden on their feet screaming from the blue seats with delight. There were times King was unstoppable with the ball in his hands. Brown knew how to utilize his talents and ride the hot-hand. From October 22, 1982, to March 23, 1985, the Bernard King magic show captivated MSG audiences.

Without going through his entire career before joining the New York Knicks, let me tell you about King’s best three seasons.