An absolute warrior and defensive beast who plugged away for Georgetown for four years and the Knicks for 15, he’s a legend at both levels though he only managed an NCAA title, losing in the NBA Finals twice
FEATURED LISTS
King of the hill, top of the heap: 34 greatest players in Knicks franchise history
So close and yet so far: 26 greatest players who played in an NBA Finals but never won a title
Garden party: 22 most memorable Big East Tournament games
Mostly valuable: 17 greatest players who never earned NBA league MVP
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- All-time greatest Knicks
- Appearance in Space Jam
- As great defender who never earned Defensive Player of the Year
- As shoe entrepreneur
- Ending career with the Magic
- Never named NBA All-Star MVP
- Never named NBA league MVP
- On 1984 U.S. Olympic team
- On 1992 U.S. Olympic team
- Part of 1985 NBA draft class
- Playing in NBA Finals and not winning a title
- Suspension during 1997 Conference Semifinals
- Wearing #6 jersey for Magic
related topics
FULL archive
Locking down, shut out: 25 great NBA defenders who never earned DPOY
Defense can be an essential but thankless job in the NBA as these 25 players can attest. Each of them was renowned for their defensive ability but never enough to earn Defensive Player of the Year.
So close and yet so far: 26 greatest players who played in an NBA Finals but never won a title
We previously ran down the list of greatest players without an NBA Finals appearance. Now we tackle the players that made it at least once to the deciding series for the Larry O’Brien trophy, but weren’t victorious.
King of the hill, top of the heap: 34 greatest players in Knicks franchise history
One of the three original BAA franchises from the league’s 1946 inception that are still active to this day, the Knicks have just seven NBA Finals appearances and two titles over those 75 years, but have certainly produced numerous memorable players, the 29 greatest of which are counted down here.
Boomshakalaka!: Ranking the 27 rosters from the original NBA Jam (1993 arcade edition)
Let’s grab our roll of quarters and call dibs on next game, because we’re traveling back in time to 1993 to rank the rosters from the original arcade version of NBA Jam, on the 30th anniversary of its initial release.
Soles power: 16 notable signature basketball shoes
Many a Christmas tree featured one of these pairs of shoes under it over the years, after the 16 superstars listed below blessed the line with their donning of them and/or their name.
Saving the best for last: 21 most exciting NCAA Tournament National Finals
Which men’s NCAA Tournament games had the most excitement, star power, incredible play, and historical significance? Here, we rank the top 21
All the commissioner’s men: Nine enduring NBA conspiracy theories
Like JFK or the Beatles, Michael Jordan is so ingrained in the consciousness of American culture that he was bound to be initiated with at least one conspiracy. But he’s not the only NBA figure or team that’s inspired (relatively) crackpot theories.
Mostly valuable: 17 greatest players who never earned NBA league MVP
Whether they were stuck on non-contenders, unlucky to go up against bigger legends, or simply robbed of the award, these are the 17 greatest players to never win the NBA MVP award.
Unrewarded exhibitionists: 12 greatest players who never earned NBA All-Star Game MVP
Many of the greatest players of all time have added All-Star MVP to their list of accomplishments but these 12 legends, many of whom earned league MVP and/or Finals MVP never added the ultimate All-Star honor to their trophy case.
Second acts: 22 franchise legends who ended their career with a brief stop on an unfamiliar team
The star players on this list are indelibly linked with a single franchise where they built their legend, but closed out their career looking not-quite-right in a different jersey.
Dream interpretations: Debunking 19 myths about the 1992 U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team
It’s the 30th anniversary of their triumphant gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and the Dream Team continues to fascinate basketball fans of all ages. This includes plenty of enduring conspiracies, mistruths, and half-truths, 19 of which are debunked here.
Class consciousness: Nine greatest NBA Draft classes of the lottery era (since 1985)
Not all draft classes are created equal and these are the nine greatest since the lottery began in 1985, based on the career output of the players drafted (un-drafted free agents were not considered).
Lowered from the rafters: Seven retired NBA jerseys that were later “un-retired”
195 jerseys have been retired by an NBA franchise, ostensibly to take that number out of rotation for the rest of the team’s history. But in these seven cases, the jersey was subsequently “un-retired” for various reasons.
Gold standards: Ranking the 18 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball teams
From the original “dream team” that brought home gold from Berlin in 1936 (with James Naismith watching) to the legendary 1992 edition to the latest American champions in 2016, we rank the 18 U.S. men’s basketball teams based on both their performance at the Olympics and their roster as a whole.
Penalty box-and-one: Five NBA playoff series that were swung by player suspensions
With the stakes at their highest and teams usually evenly matched or close to it, playoff series can often swing on a single player’s availability. Here are five notable cases where a star player missed a critical postseason game due to suspension.
Order on the court: 10 people or entities who have filed notable lawsuits against the NBA
Whether it was due to anti-trust or just a lack of trust, here are ten cases where the NBA league office had to defend itself in the court of law
Lights! Camera! Shaq-tion!: 21 films that star (or prominently feature) NBA players
Many of the NBA’s biggest stars have attempted to transfer their talents to the silver screen, with results ranging from better to worst. Mostly worst. With LeBron James’ Space Jam 2 reportedly in the can, we take a look back at 21 of the most prominent examples.
Garden party: 22 most memorable Big East Tournament games
It’s the 40th anniversary of the Big East being inaugurated and as the long venerated conference has entered a new era, we count down the 22 most thrilling, impactful, or just notable games of its yearly postseason tournament.
Making a list, checking it twice: 11 notable NBA games on Christmas Day
It’s the season of giving, and on these 11 Christmas Day celebrations, the NBA reached into its big red bag and produced especially memorable games