When it comes to the best New York Knicks in franchise history, three names will always be included. Those are Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, and Willis Reed. Nearly everyone would agree that those three are the best players in team history, in whichever order they’d decide to put them.
You’ll often hear people ask the question of who is the Mount Rushmore of…and end the question with something related to sports, music, or a variety of other topics. Of course, Mount Rushmore has four faces, meaning four responses would need to be given.
So if the Mount Rushmore of New York Knicks players is asked, three players can be named on the spot. It’s that fourth spot that can be challenging. Now perhaps Jalen Brunson can make his claim for that last spot on the Knicks Mount Rushmore, but he’s only two seasons deep into his tenure with the team. Give it a little more time.
Here are some of the candidates for that fourth Mount Rushmore spot in Knicks history. Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Candidates For Fourth Member Of The Knicks Mount Rushmore
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony is one of the more polarizing figures in Knicks history. Some fans of the team absolutely adore him. Others believe he was selfish and didn’t make his teammates better. Regardless, he absolutely was one of the best scorers that has ever donned the New York jersey. In his 6.5 seasons with the team, Anthony averaged 24.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. In 2012-13, he led the league in scoring averaging 28.7 points. That season, the Knicks were the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and Anthony finished third in MVP voting. It was a magical night on January 24, 2014, as Anthony dropped a franchise record of 62 points.
Dave DeBusschere
A double-double machine, Dave DeBusschere spent 5.5 seasons sporting a Knicks jersey. He was the starting power forward on both of the Knicks championship teams in 1970 and 1973. DeBusschere was an All-Star and All-Defensive First Team member in each of his five full seasons with New York. With the team, he posted averages of 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983, DeBusschere was named to both the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.
Richie Guerin
One of the first stars in team history, Richie Guerin played seven seasons with the Knicks from 1956-57 to 1962-63 (also played two games for them in 1963-64). Guerin made six All-Star and three All-NBA Second Team appearances while with the franchise. He averaged more than 20 points per outing for four straight seasons including a career-high of 29.5 in 1961-62. The 2013 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee averaged 20.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in his Knicks tenure.
Bernard King
While Bernard King played just 206 regular season and 18 playoff games for New York, he was an unstoppable force at the offensive end. It’s a shame that a devastating knee injury helped to derail what was a sensational peak for the six-foot-seven forward. Nonetheless, he won a scoring title prior to the injury in 1984-85 averaging an absurd 32.9 points per contest. King was runner-up for MVP the previous season. In both of those seasons, King made the All-NBA First Team. He dropped 60 points on Christmas Day in 1984 against the New Jersey Nets. His averages with the team consisted of 26.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, a long overdue honor.
Earl Monroe
Known by most as ‘The Pearl’, Earl Monroe joined the Knicks via trade early into the 1971-72 season. He would stay with the team through the end of his career in 1979-80, playing a large role in the Knicks second championship team in 1973. A two-time All-Star with New York, Monroe sacrificed some of his scoring numbers that he showcased for the Baltimore Bullets for the betterment of the team. He was part of one the league’s top backcourts along with Frazier for much of his time with the Knicks. His per game averages with the team included 16.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Monroe joined the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and was named to the NBA’s 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.
