Making it in the league is an incredibly hard thing to do, It's even harder when you go undrafted. One player was able to find a way and became one of the best players for one of the most historic franchises in the NBA. 14 year NBA veteran, John Starks was a fearless, win at all cost type of player and was the heart and soul of the New York Knicks in the 1990's. Like many undrafted players he had to earn every minute on the court and when he finally had an opportunity he made the most of it by becoming a Knicks legend.
John Starks was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on August 1965 and attended Tulsa Central High School. After high school, he enrolled in Rogers State College before later transferring to Northern Oklahoma College. He would later earn a scholarship and finish his collegiate career at Oklahoma State University. From there, he had his focus set on the 1988 NBA draft but was not selected by a team. He later found an opportunity with the Golden State Warriors but did not get much time on the floor and only played in 36 games total for the season. This was due in part to the Warriors already having a shooting guard in Mitch Richmond who earned rookie of the year that season.
After being cut by the Warriors he made stints in other leagues such as the Continental Basketball Association and the World basketball League. In 1990, he tried making a return to the NBA by trying out for the New York Knicks and ended up getting injured in practice when he tried to dunk on Patrick Ewing. The knee injury he sustained and Patrick Ewing ended up being his saving grace as the Knicks were not able to release him. Starks made the most of his 2nd chance in the NBA by going from an undrafted player to a starting shooting guard on a contending team in the NBA. In his first year as a starter in the 92-93 season, Starks was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He made one of the famous plays in Knicks franchise history in his first season as a starter which was known simply as "The Dunk". The played occurred in Game 2 of the 1993 Eastern conference Finals where he drove down the baseline and threw down an emphatic dunk over Horace Grant.
In the 1993-1994 season, just his second year as a starter Starks became an All Star averaging a career high 19 points and 5.9 assists per game. It was a special season for Starks and his Knicks team as they made a run all the way to the NBA finals. John Starks played excellent in the postseason on both ends of the floor and came just a shot away from getting the Knicks a championship in Game 6. He led the Knicks dropping 27 points on 9/18 from the field but had his 3 point shot attempt blocked by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets won 86-84. The Knicks missed out on their chance to win it all after being up 3-2 and had to play a decisive Game 7 in Houston. Unfortunately for Starks, this game ended up being a infamously bad moment for his career. He shot 2-for-18 from the field, including 1-for-10 in the fourth quarter. The Rockets ended up winning the game 90-84 giving them their first ever NBA championship.
John Starks had a solid bounce back season next year averaging 15.3 points and 5.1 assists per game. He made NBA history this season by becoming the first player ever to hit 200 three pointers in a single season. over the next couple seasons, many changes took place for the Knicks as Pat Riley left for the Miami Heat after the 94-95 season. Don Nelson was hired to replace him which had a major affect on Starks' career as they tension that stemmed from his short stint on the Warriors. Nelson chose to Hubert Davis over Starks but once Nelson was fired mid season he was then placed back into the starting lineup. Nelson was replaced by Jeff Van Gundy who next season chose to start Allan Houston over Starks. Starks made the most of his new role and became a major contributor off the bench averaging 13.8 points per game. His performance in his new role earned him the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 1997.
The following season would end up being his last as a Knick as in January 1999 he was was traded back to the team he started his career with, The Golden State Warriors. Starks played for the Warriors until February 2000 where he was again traded, this time to Chicago Bulls. He played just 4 games for the Bulls and later played the last couple seasons of his career for the Utah Jazz before retiring in 2002.
John Starks was not a perennial All Star or a Hall of Famer but what makes him one of the greatest Knicks of all time was the intensity and heart he displayed on the court every night. He fought through the uncertainty and adversity of going undrafted and became a fan favorite in New York. Despite not being the most physically imposing player he brought a physicality and tough mindset that exemplified what the 1990s New York Knicks were all about.
Source: MSG Network YouTube Channel
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