New York Knicks: The overlooked greatness of Bernard King

Career in perspective

Although King still had a scorers touch, he was far from the dominating player New York Knicks fans saw previously. His contract expired the following summer, making him a free agent. The Knicks moved on from the 30-year-old, leaving King to sign with the Washington Bullets.

His run in New York was the best of his career. In his four years with the Knicks, King averaged 26.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

He played 874 NBA games in a 14-year career. Among his personal accomplishments are:

1977-78 NBA All-Rookie team.

Four-time all-star.

Four-time All-NBA.

Two-time All-NBA Defensive first team.

1984-85 NBA scoring champion.

Career average of 22.5 points-per-game.

Inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

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King still ranks 48th on the NBA’s all-time points list. Keep in mind, he didn’t shoot three-pointers. Who knows how great King could have been if he wasn’t robbed of his prime years?

I mentioned earlier another connection I had with King. I didn’t follow college basketball when he and Ernie Grunfeld were tearing it up at the University of Tennessee. Years later, however, I got a full education on their greatness while a student at the same Big Orange school.

Where do you think Bernard King ranks among the New York Knicks all-time greats? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.