So who else is a candidate? Steven A. Smith suggests that Larry Brown (who coached the Nets in the 80′s), Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, and current associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers, Brian Shaw would get called. Jerry Sloan’s name has been mentioned, with his former sparring partner Deron Williams saying,“I’d love to play for Coach Sloan again” .

While some of those names might lead to success, (especially that of Doc Rivers), there is one name that has been for the most part, unspoken. And that would be former Knick legend, Patrick Ewing.

Patrick said he would love to coach the Nets as far back as 2009, when the team was still in New Jersey, and what better way to bother the rival Knicks than by taking one of their own, and all-time great and turning him against them?

Feb 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Former New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing looks on during the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Ooooh, it’s a juicy scenario, and one that will grab headlines. Something that Nets owner, Mikhail Prokorov loves to do.

Prokorov loves to tweak the Knicks. We know this. We knew this ever since Prokhorov bought the team with his statement, “We will turn Knicks fans into Nets fans”. We knew this when the billboardappeared over Madison Square Garden in 2010.

Prokhorov wants his Nets to overshadow the long-time number one home team Knicks. And he will do anything to do it. He’s spent millions to sign a truckload of new players and build his team into a winner. He succeeded, to a point. They were winners in the regular season, but sputtered in the playoffs.

The danger with this scenario is that Patrick has no head coaching experience. And this hire could easily turn against them if the team flounders, but I think the Nets will at least give Ewing an interview. That alone will send shock waves through Madison Square Garden, and at least give the Nets back page mentions for at least a day.

For the record, I love the idea. Patrick has wanted to coach for many years, and yet no one has given him a shot. Now to have a shot with the Knicks’ closest rivals would be attention-grabbing and newsworthy. Short of nabbing Phil Jackson, can you come up with a more intriguing scenario?

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Hey Patrick Ewing fans, whether Patrick becomes the Nets coach or not, we’ve still got your Ewing Basketball T Shirts on sale here.

But since that time things haven’t been the same for either team.

Feb 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Former New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing looks on during the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks have been banged up and have gone only 22-20 over the course of their past 42 games, leaving serious doubts that the Knicks can beat any team in a seven game series, much less the defending champions.

The Heat on the other hand are in the middle of a historic run, winning 24 games in a row, looking like a team that can’t be beat by anyone in the  NBA in a playoff series.

Add New York Knicks legend Patrick Ewing to those impressed by what the Miami Heat are doing these days, as the Hall of Famer told ESPN’s Ian O’Connor that he doesn’t feel the Knicks luck will be  any better this postseason than it has over the past four decades.

“I don’t think anybody’s good enough to beat Miami,” Ewing told ESPNNewYork.com. “Miami’s on a roll; you’ve got three bona fide superstars on that team who are used to playing with each other, who are playing at a very high level. I don’t think anybody right now can challenge Miami in the East. I don’t really think anyone can challenge them in the West, either.”

Ewing, who made his debut as a postgame analyst on the MSG Network, said that he initially felt the Knicks could take down the Heat this season, but no longer feels that way, also telling ESPNNewYork:

“When I looked at that team on paper, the duo of Amar’e and Melo, I liked it a lot as an inside-outside punch,” Ewing said. “Even though they were both similar in a lot of ways where they both need the ball, I thought you could post Amar’e up, you could run pick-and-roll, you could hit him on the dive. And Melo can shoot the long ball, put it on the floor, and you could also post him up.”

“I thought it was good, but then it’s about the pieces you put around them. I like the team. It’s just unfortunate that Amar’e got hurt, and then when you’re playing in New York, everything is put under a microscope.”

The injuries have been a factor, but not the entire factor in what has become a mediocre team the last few months.

There is still time though for this Knicks team to put things together and make a playoff run, but as much as I would like to disagree with Ewing, I have to agree that things aren’t looking very positive for Mike Woodson’s team right now.

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T SHIRT CONTEST!

We’re giving away a free t shirt featuring one of the greatest Knicks of all time, Patrick Ewing!

Printed on 100% cotton tees, this popular t shirt design is currently sold on the TARNATION! Sports t shirts website for $20 but you can get it free, in your size, up to XXXL by entering our contest below.

You an enter the drawing as many times as you wish below. Winner will be announced on Jan 25th. Good luck!

Enter the giveaway HERE

The NBA has changed a lot since then and most say it has become softer. Superstars don’t hate each other; instead they film commercials and take pictures of Instagram together. Kevin Durant and LeBron James train together and are friends off the court. Team USA wasn’t like the Dream Team; no intense competition in practices. It seemed like it was just 12 best friends who happen to be the best basketball players in the world playing on the same team dominating everyone in their path. Some people just won’t hate each other, but there will always be friction with the best teams and cities with decades of rivalry.

I believe when the regular season is done and we head into playoff time, the four teams that will be the most dangerous will be: The Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls. These four franchises hate each other. They are the four most popular cities on the East Coast and all have superstars in their prime hungry for a title. All these teams’ windows to win are open right now. A fifth team to consider is the Brooklyn Nets, who obviously are in the early stages of a long, long rivalry with the Knicks. The Nets have also butted heads with the Celtics, so a playoff matchup between Brooklyn and Boston would be interesting but without a doubt a Nets-Knicks playoff battle would be one for the ages.

The Nets came into this season thinking they would run the Knicks out of town. After beating them in their first ever matchup, the Knicks knocked them off their pedestal with two straight wins. It’s no secret the Nets came into Brooklyn going after the Knicks fan base. They want bragging rights and want to earn their place in New York. The Nets have been one of the hottest teams in the league and are right behind the Knicks. These teams are three games into their rivalry history but it’s safe to say these two squads aren’t going out to eat on their off days together.

The last week and a half we have seen the Knicks cause -on and off the court- controversy with long-time rivals the Bulls and Celtics. We all know what happened with Carmelo and Kevin Garnett on and off the court. Boston and New York haven’t liked each other since this country was born and nothing will change that. Nothing pisses New Yorker’s off more than Paul Pierce and his 16-year-old boy beard hitting a dagger shot. The man is a Knicks killer. One rivalry that is back is the Celtics and Knicks. It might have never left but the stakes are definitely bigger now.

These aren’t Michael’s Bulls anymore. These aren’t Ewing’s Knicks anymore. The torch has been passed to Anthony and the entire Bulls team because they have been playing great without their MVP Derrick Rose. Anyway, with Nate Robinson and Steve Novak adding a little flavor in their press conferences and on the court, it will be fun to watch the Bulls and Knicks battle it out. On the court, All-Star Luol Deng seems to be Carmelo’s kryptonite and is one of the few players who get him out of his zone. Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah have had words for each other not meant for all ages. Iman Shumpert has said he respects Derrick Rose but straight out doesn’t like him. The Bulls and Knicks aren’t sending each other Christmas cards every year. They don’t like each other, just as it should be.

The Miami Heat will always be the bad guy. However ESPN and everyone wants to twist it. Two years ago these guys were the most hated team in sports, did we forget that? LeBron might have polished his image from his “Decision” but Knicks fans will always hate him. Yeah of course we wouldn’t be saying this if he came to New York, but he didn’t and now we have the right to hate him with all our heart. Dwyane Wade has always been a Knicks killer meanwhile Chandler and Jason Kidd have been Heat killers. Alonzo Mourning isn’t suiting up for the Heat anytime soon but the Miami Heat will always been on the most hated list for the Knicks.

I might have missed Magic vs. Bird. Jordan vs. Ewing. Alonzo vs. LJ. Do I wish I were 20 years old during the 90s? Of course! But I am looking forward to what this year and the future brings for the Knicks’ current rivalries. I’m looking forward to when Carmelo and Kevin Garnett see each other in the paint. When everyone in the building knows Paul Pierce is getting the ball. I want to see Carmelo topple LeBron and the Heat. I want to see Novak hit a three and point to  “Young Nathan.” I want to see a Knicks and Nets playoff go seven games and end in the Garden.

This might not be the 90s but we have all the intensity we need.

Dec. 13, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) gestures on the court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony instead has garnered more praise for the way he has become a team player and  more mature player both on and off the court.

Now judging by the past couple of seasons, the words team player and Anthony would never go together, but ‘Melo has changed as a player. He kept preaching change it during the offseason, but he has backed it up as well. Who knows what sparked the change in Anthony? The Olympics? Media Scrutiny? Watching LeBron James win a ring?

I can’t say for sure and  truthfully I don’t care why. I just know I am seeing a player locked in and doing the right thing from a team basketball perspective and I like it.

Other people have taken notice as well, including Knicks’ legend Patrick Ewing who told the Daily News’ Mitch Lawrence “Well, we all mature,” when asked about the difference between Anthony a season ago and now. “We all grow up.”

Anthony has grown up a lot. He came to New York two years ago and wasn’t exactly embracing a team-first game, not nearly as much as he does now. Ewing can see the difference, too and he attributes it all to the experience Anthony had in London at the Olympics.

“He’s leading now and I feel like the Olympics helped him as a leader,’’ Ewing told Lawrence. “It helped me when I played in the Olympics. I felt like I came back a much better leader. We all work hard, all players do. But when you’re around all those players, in that setting, and you see what kind of leaders they are, it helps you become more mature and a better leader.’’

Ewing would know all about being a leader and he is spot o about the change in Anthony.

He got to see it firsthand last night at the Garden and he got to listen to the Garden praise Anthony with M-V-P chants late in the game.

And while Anthony certainly adores that from the MSG faithful, it is the praise from a legend like Ewing that means even more.

If ‘Melo keeps it up and can lead this team to places they haven’t been to in close to 40 years, he will be hearing the praises from everyone else as well.

Follow Matt Shetler on Twitter for news, reaction and analysis from around the NBA.

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Jan. 16, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Former New York Knicks player Patrick Ewing on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Little did anyone know that Ewing wouldn’t be interested in a reunion.

The Hall of Fame center has long been in search of his first NBA head coaching opportunity, but so far, no NBA team has come calling. Ewing spent the past few seasons in Orlando as an assistant, but was let go shortly after Stan Van Gundy was let go by the Magic.

Currently unemployed, the Knicks reached out to Ewing and offered him the opportunity to coach their D-League team, the Erie BayHawks.

However Ewing turned down the offer, preferring to stay in the NBA.

A source close to Ewing, told ESPN’s Ian Begley said the Hall of Famer felt a bit slighted by the Knicks’ offer to coach the Erie Bayhawks because he has already established himself in the NBA.

“Patrick has paid his dues,” the source said. “He was a little insulted.”

The Knicks have had several coaching staff openings since Ewing began coaching, but they’ve passed over the franchise’s all-time scoring leader again and again.

Ewing has not been shy about his desire to return to New York, but that looks to be something that will never happen.

As far as the Knicks’ D-League opening, assistant general manager Allan Houston, who also serves as GM of the Erie BayHawks, told reporters on Monday that the team had settled on a coach. But Houston did not reveal who the coach was.

The Knicks also have an opening on their NBA coaching staff, but it does not appear that Ewing is a candidate, as former Bobcats assistant Lasalle Thompson is considered a leading candidate for the assistant’s job, according to two sources.

It’s always a nice story when a legend comes back home, but while that chapter of the book hasn’t totally closed, it looks to be pretty much all written.

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Thanks to your votes, the No. 2 seed in the East Region, the 1995 Knicks defeated the 1978 rather easily. So far the top two seed in the east have advanced as the 1973 squad defeated the 1951 team on Monday.

That brings us to today and another East Region battle when the No. 3 seeded 1998 Knicks, in one of Patrick Ewing’s final seasons as a dominant NBA big man; battle the No. 6 seeded 1983 Knicks. led by Bernard King.

Let’s take a look at this matchup.

1998 New York Knicks: 43-39 regular season; lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals

1983 New York Knicks: 44-38 regular season; lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals

The ’98 Knicks, behind Ewing, Allan Houston and Larry Johnson finished the season in a tie for second in the Atlantic Division. Despite their lowest winning percentage since the 1990–91 season, the team qualified for the NBA Playoffs as the seventh seed. They defeated the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs in a series that featured the famous brawl between Alonzo Mourning and Johnson. They couldn’t sustain the success though as they lost in the next round to the Indiana Pacers in five games.

The ’83 Knicks finished fourth in the Atlantic and defeated the New Jersey Nets in the first round before being swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round.

Here’s a look at how they stack up against each other.

1998 Knicks

Coach- Jeff Van Gundy

Starters

C- Charles Oakley (9.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG)

F- Larry Johnson (15.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG)

F- Chris Mills (9.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG)

G- Allan Houston (18.4 PPG)

G- Charlie Ward (7.8 PPG, 5.7 APG)

Bench- Patrick Ewing (20.8 PPG, 10.2 RPG), John Starks, Terry Cummings, Chris Childs, Buck Williams, Chris Dudley

1983 Knicks

Coach-Hubie Brown

Starters

C- Bill Cartwright (15.7 PPG, 7.2 RPG)

F- Truck Robinson (9.5 PPG, 8.1 RPG)

F- Bernard King (21.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG)

G- Trent Tucker (8.4 PPG)

G- Paul Westphal (10.0 PPG, 5.5 APG)

Bench- Sly Williams, Rory Sparrow, Louis Orr, Ed Sherod, Marvin Webster, Ernie Grunfeld

My Take: Ewing played in only 26 games during that season, so that has to account for something. With Ewing out of the lineup, only Houston, Johnson and Starks finished the season averaging double figures in scoring.

The ’83 team had a little more quality depth, being able to bring a productive big man like Williams off the bench, as well as guards like Sparrow and Orr.

There won’t be much scoring in this game as both teams were excellent defensive teams. The ’83 team allowed the fewest points per game in the league at 97.5, while the ’98 team allowed only 89.1, good for second in the NBA.

I have Ewing coming off the bench in this one since he missed most of the season, but the difference here will be whether or not Bernard King can go off against a very tough defensive team.

Never doubt what King could do with the ball in his hands and as much as I liked the ’98 squad, King could be the best player on the floor in this one.

I’m calling the first upset of the tournament.

Your Vote: Your vote is the one that counts though, so make sure you vote for the winner in the poll on the right hand side of this page. Voting is open until tomorrow afternoon and the winner will advance to the Sweet 16.

Up Next: The final East Region first round match between the No. 4 seed 1984 Knicks and the No. 5 seed 1971 Knicks.

Follow Matt Shetler on Twitter for news, reaction and analysis from around the NBA.

Just like yesterday, you the reader get to determine the winner. In our opening round game, you decided that the No. 1 seeded 1973 team, led by Walt Frazier and Willis Reed defeated the 1951 squad.

Today it’s another East Region battle between the No. 2 1995 team and the No. 7 1978 squad.

Let’s get into the matchup.

1995 New York Knicks: 55-27 regular season; lost in Eastern Conference semis

1978 New York Knicks: 43-39 regular season; lost in Eastern Conference semis

The ’95 team, one of my favorites, finished second in the Atlantic Division and went on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, before losing to Reggie Miller’s Indiana Pacers in the conference semi-finals.

The ’78 squad also finished second in the Atlantic and defeated the Cavs in the first round, but they ran into Dr. J and the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round and were swept, ending their season.

Here’s a look at how the teams stack up against one another.

1995 Knicks

Coach: Pat Riley

Starters

C- Patrick Ewing (23.9 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG)

F- Charles Oakley (10.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG)

F- Charles Smith (12.7 PPG)

G- John Starks (15.3 PPG, 5.1 APG)

G- Derek Harper (11.5 PPG, 5.7 APG)

Bench- Hubert Davis, Doc Rivers, Anthony Mason (Sixth Man of the Year), Charlie Ward, Doug Christie, Monty Williams, Herb Williams

1978 New York Knicks

Coach- Willis Reed

C- Lonnie Shelton (14.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG)

F- Spencer Haywood (13.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG)

F- Bob McAdoo (26.5 PPG, 12.8 RPG)

G- Earl Monroe (17.8 PPG, 4.8 APG)

G- Butch Beard ( 9.4 PPG, 4.3 APG)

Bench: Phil Jackson, Ray Williams, Jim McMillan, Jim Clemons, Toby Knight

My Take: The ’95 team would have their hands full with the ’78 starting five. McAdoo had a fantastic season and even though Monroe was closer to the end of his career, he was still a force to be dealt with. Yet I don’t know if the ’78 squad could deal with the physical play that Riley’s Knicks would bring. Between the physical play and the outstanding depth of the ’95 squad, I have to give them a slight edge, but this will be a close game.

At the end of the day, the key to the ’95 team winning or losing could be how well Starks shoots the ball. If he’s hot the ’95 team wins, but we all know that he could shoot the Knicks out of a game as easily as he could win won for them.

Your Vote: Your vote is the one that counts though, so make sure you vote for the winner in the poll on the right hand side of this page. Voting is open until tomorrow afternoon and the winner will advance to the Sweet 16.

Up Next: Tomorrow’s matchup will be another first round game in the East Region between No. 3 1998 Knicks vs. No. 6 1983 Knicks.

Follow Matt Shetler on Twitter for news, reaction and analysis from around the NBA.

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Jan. 16, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Former New York Knicks player Patrick Ewing on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

The former New York Knick great, Patrick Ewing turned 50 on Sunday. We followed his career since day one, and are waiting for him to get an opportunity to coach an NBA team, because we think the passion he brings is reason enough to get him a reasonable offer.

Arguably, he was one of the greatest Knick players ever, and team leader for over a decade. But the kind of leadership Patrick offered can sometimes be underrated.

Tommy Dee of theknicksblog.com wrote that Ewing was not appreciated until after he retired, and blames the media, saying,

“Patrick’s relationship with the media was cantankerous and before the age of social media and a wide range of information gathering, fans relied on the papers to tell the story. Patrick was moody and rarely outgoing. He was sensitive and didn’t open up about himself. That’s just who he was and yet somehow that made him a bad person despite it never making him a bad teammate. The guy was a warrior.”

The word “Warrior” is apt for Patrick. In fact, looking at the NBA encyclopedia, it’s the first word in his listing–

“Warrior. That is the one-word description often applied to Patrick Ewing. He was indefatigable and relentless in pursuit of an NBA championship despite being denied on an annual basis. Bold predictions did not always materialize and some took them as empty promises, while others as a will to succeed.”

An NCAA champion with the Georgetown Hoyas, Patrick came so close to becoming an NBA champion as well. In 1994, he led the Knicks to the seventh game of the the NBA Finals, eventually falling to the Houston Rockets and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Patrick career averages of 21 points and 9.8 rebounds per game are impressive, but even more, he was voted an All-Star 11 times, was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1986, and voted All-NBA First Team once and six times to the Second Team All-NBA squad.

Patrick was featured as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and was a player on two gold medal-winning Olympic basketball teams, in 1984 and 1992.

But more than all the numbers, he led the Knicks back into prominence in the 1980′s and 90′s. Prominence not seen since he retired. Since then, the Knicks have been pretenders, not contenders, with the man in the middle that dominated, Patrick Ewing.

It’s a bit sad that many great players are not fully appreciated until after they retire. No disrespect to Tyson Chandler, who is a very good player in his own right, but what would Knick fans give now to have Patrick Ewing anchoring the middle of this team?

Happy 50th birthday, Patrick!

Check out our Patrick Ewing basketball t shirts. A tribute to a legend.

Story written by Doc Goodie. Doc contributes to Buckets Over Broadway and can also be found at TARNATION Sports

Jan. 16, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Former New York Knicks player Patrick Ewing on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

The former New York Knick great, Patrick Ewing turned 50 on Sunday. We followed his career since day one, and are waiting for him to get an opportunity to coach an NBA team, because we think the passion he brings is reason enough to get him a reasonable offer.

Arguably, he was one of the greatest Knick players ever, and team leader for over a decade. But the kind of leadership Patrick offered can sometimes be underrated.

Tommy Dee of theknicksblog.com wrote that Ewing was not appreciated until after he retired, and blames the media, saying,

“Patrick’s relationship with the media was cantankerous and before the age of social media and a wide range of information gathering, fans relied on the papers to tell the story. Patrick was moody and rarely outgoing. He was sensitive and didn’t open up about himself. That’s just who he was and yet somehow that made him a bad person despite it never making him a bad teammate. The guy was a warrior.”

The word “Warrior” is apt for Patrick. In fact, looking at the NBA encyclopedia, it’s the first word in his listing–

“Warrior. That is the one-word description often applied to Patrick Ewing. He was indefatigable and relentless in pursuit of an NBA championship despite being denied on an annual basis. Bold predictions did not always materialize and some took them as empty promises, while others as a will to succeed.”

An NCAA champion with the Georgetown Hoyas, Patrick came so close to becoming an NBA champion as well. In 1994, he led the Knicks to the seventh game of the the NBA Finals, eventually falling to the Houston Rockets and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Patrick career averages of 21 points and 9.8 rebounds per game are impressive, but even more, he was voted an All-Star 11 times, was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1986, and voted All-NBA First Team once and six times to the Second Team All-NBA squad.

Patrick was featured as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and was a player on two gold medal-winning Olympic basketball teams, in 1984 and 1992.

But more than all the numbers, he led the Knicks back into prominence in the 1980′s and 90′s. Prominence not seen since he retired. Since then, the Knicks have been pretenders, not contenders, with the man in the middle that dominated, Patrick Ewing.

It’s a bit sad that many great players are not fully appreciated until after they retire. No disrespect to Tyson Chandler, who is a very good player in his own right, but what would Knick fans give now to have Patrick Ewing anchoring the middle of this team?

Happy 50th birthday, Patrick!

Check out our Patrick Ewing basketball t shirts. A tribute to a legend.

Story written by Doc Goodie. Doc contributes to Buckets Over Broadway and can also be found at TARNATION Sports

But what about the losers in the lottery?

What about the teams who never got lucky enough to see their fortunes change almost overnight?

Since 1985, when the draft lottery was first instituted, there have been as many big losers as there have been winners.

Here’s a quick look at the top 10 losers in NBA draft lottery history.

10. 2010 New Jersey Nets

Apr 26, 2012; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards point guard John Wall (2) shoots a layup against the Miami Heat during the first half at the Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-US PRESSWIRE

The Nets had the best odds to win the lottery after finishing the regular season with a dismal 12-70 record, yet they had to settle for the No. 3 pick, as the Washington Wizards ended up stealing the No. 1 overall pick despite only having the fifth-best odds at doing so.

The prize turned out to be point guard John Wall. Had the Nets won that lottery, they likely don’t make a trade for Deron Williams, whom they risk losing to free agency this offseason.

9. 2009 Sacramento Kings/Washington Wizards

The Kings and Wizards were both in search of a quality power forward and had the two best odds at winning the right to draft Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, but it turned out to be the Los Angeles Clippers who won that right, with the third-best odds to do so.

Had they not won the 2009 lottery, where would Chris Paul be playing at these days? I doubt it would be for the Clippers.

8. 2008 Miami Heat

The Heat finished the 2008 season with a 15-61 record and the best chances at claiming the top pick, but ultimately they got the second pick and drafted Michael Beasley, who didn’t last long in a Miami uniform.

The Chicago Bulls had only the ninth-best odds to win, and luck was on their side, as they were able to draft Derrick Rose.

This only ranks No. 8 because we all know how well the Heat ended up, but if they win that lottery, what are the chances that LeBron James takes his talents to South Beach?

7. 1991 Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets finished the 1991 season with an NBA-worst 20-62 record, but finished with the No. 4 pick as the Charlotte Hornets moved up from the No. 5 spot to select UNLV’s Larry Johnson.

Johnson turned in a solid 10-year career in which he averaged 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds for Charlotte and the New York Knicks. It wasn’t a total loss for the Nuggets, though, as they did come out with Dikembe Mutombo with that No. 4 pick.

6. 1993 Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs were miserable in 1993, finishing with an 11-71 record but found themselves drafting No. 4, as the Orlando Magic made the biggest jump in lottery history, moving all the way to the top despite having the worst odds to do so.

The Magic ended up selecting Chris Webber, who was eventually traded for Penny Hardaway on draft night.

Dallas drafted Jamal Mashburn, who turned in a decent NBA career, but nothing like Webber orHardaway in their prime.

5. 1987 Los Angeles Clippers

This gets added to the long list of bad luck for the Clippers franchise, as they won only 12 games in 1987, but it was the San Antonio Spurs who climbed up to draft David Robinson.

The Clippers picked No. 4 that year and took Georgetown’s Reggie Williams.

4. 1996 Vancouver Grizzlies

May 23, 2012; Philadelphia, PA USA; Philadelphia 76ers former guard Allen Iverson before the start of game six against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Long before moving to Memphis, the Grizzlies had the best chance of winning the right to draft Allen Iverson after a 15-67 season in 1996.

They weren’t that lucky, as they ended up with Shareef Abdur-Rahim at No. 3. The Philadelphia 76ers ended up drafting the future Hall of Famer.

3. 1992 Minnesota Timberwolves

How would the NBA world have been different if the Wolves would have won the 1992 lottery?

They had the best odds after finishing the season 15-67, but it was the Orlando Magic who won the right to select LSU’s Shaquille O’Neal.

Instead of Shaq, Minnesota had to settle for Christian Laettner at No. 3.

2. 1985 Indiana Pacers

The very first draft lottery featured a big prize in Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing, and while the Pacers finished with the worst record in the NBA that season, it was the New York Knicks who won the right to select Ewing.

The prize for Indiana at No. 2 turned out to be Oklahoma’s Wayman Tisdale.

1. 1997 Vancouver Grizzlies/Boston Celtics

The Grizzlies finished with an NBA-worst record of 14-68 in 1997, and the Celtics weren’t far behind at 15-67. In fact, Boston actually had two chances at winning the top pick, but things didn’t quite work out well for either franchise.

The San Antonio Spurs won that lottery and drafted Tim Duncan, who became the centerpiece for four championships.

Vancouver had to settle for Antonio Daniels at No. 4, while the Celtics ended up with Chauncey Billups at No. 3 and Ron Mercer at No. 6.

Jan. 2, 2012; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing during the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-US PRESSWIRE

Ewing has interviewed for the head coaching position with the Charlotte Bobcats but it’s doubtful he will be considered for the now open Orlando job.

Back after he interviewed in Charlotte, sources close to the situation said that Ewing had a real good chance to land the job, which is good news for Ewing.

What’s bad is that more teams aren’t calling as Ewing himself feels he’s ready to be an NBA head coach after spending nearly the last decade as an NBA assistant. For some reason, though, Ewing has drawn very little interest around the league and absolutely none from the Knicks.  Whatever the hang-up may be, Ewing spent this season broadcasting his interest in a head-coaching position, and hopefully he lands the job in Charlotte.

Had you told me 20 years ago that one day Ewing would be working for Michael Jordan, I wouldn’t have believed you.

But if Ewing doesn’t land the Bobcats gig, it isn’t the worst thing in the world. While I know he wants to be a head coach, going to work for Jordan, who’s shown no ability as an executive , except the ability to run the Bobcats into the ground wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Then there’s the fact that the Bobcats roster is stripped of talent.

Possibly landing Kentucky’s Anthony Davis could be attractive, as could rookies Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo, but other than that the cupboard is bare in Charlotte. That would be the purest definition of one working his way up from the bottom.

However in today’s age of the NBA, coaches aren’t given a long period of time  to make an impact. The NBA is a win now type of league, so taking the Charlotte job could be very risky for Ewing.

Yet if he doesn’t take it, will Ewing ever get the opportunity?

It’s not a good sign that teams haven’t show interest over the years, so who knows what the future holds.

All I know is that Ewing was a leader on the court and is a leader off the court. I can’t speak for what type of X’s and O’s guy he is but if I’m a general manager looking for a leader , I don’t think I could go wrong by hiring Ewing.

Hopefully one day Ewing will get the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

Best Season as a Knick: 1989-90- 28.6 PPG, .551 FG%, .775 FT%, 10.9 Rebounds, 4.0 Blocks- 1st Team All-NBA

Patrick Ewing changed the Knick franchise when he was drafted in 1985. He gave the Knicks 15 years of quality playoff baseball. Before each season, you could almost guarantee 50 wins and a trip to the second round. There were many years where it was even better than that, but never the big one.

I truly believe Patrick Ewing would be number 1 on this list if he led the Knicks to the NBA title. Unfortunately, he never did, so he is only number 2. Despite not being number 1, I think he was the most valuable player in franchise history. He became the face of the franchise the first day he was drafted and was given ungodly expectations. People thought he was going to be Bill Russell. That is a lot of pressure.

Additionally, Ewing never had the supporting cast to get him over the top to win a championship. Who were the other great players that he played with? John Starks? Charles Oakley? Allan Houston? All exceptionally good players, but none were great. In NBA history most teams that win titles had at least two great players. Jordan had Pippen, Magic had Kareem. Malone had Stockton and the Jazz never won a title.

What hurts Ewing most in his championship quest was the Knicks losing to Houston in 1994. The Knicks were the better team, and despite not having home court, should have won that series. They were up 3-2 in the series and could not get the job done. A key reason why they did not win was because Hakeem Olajuwon out played Ewing. We know how marvellous Olajuwon was, but at that time we probably did not know just how great he was. He was a better player than Ewing, but I am sure most Knick fans at the time thought Ewing was the superior player. Olajuwon dominated Ewing in the series, leading the Rockets to the title and a NBA Finals MVP. Ewing was ok in the series, but was clearly inferior compared to Olajuwon. Olajuwon did not have any star players in his supporting case either, and if you are objective about it, Ewing probably had the better supporting cast.

In his later years, Ewing was given better talent with Allan Houston, Larry Johnson, and even Marcus Camby and Latrell Sprewell. I thought the Knicks best team in those years was the one that lost to Miami the leaving the bench series. We will all remember Ewing strolling around off the bench during the Charlie Ward/PJ Brown fight, causing him to get suspended for game six. The Knicks were up 3-1, but blew it to the Heat in a terribly disappointing 7 game series defeat. I am not saying that would have beat the Bulls, but it would have been nice to see that match up.

When the Knicks made the Finals vs. the Spurs, Ewing did not play in the series. That entire year he was injured and aging, so you truly can’t blame him for what occurred.

Ewing was never fully appreciated by the Knick fans during his career. They gave him a hard time because he never won a title and had moments where he came up short, but overall it was a phenomenal career. I think the fans actually appreciate him more now than when he was playing. After he was gone, it all went downhill for the Knicks extremely quickly. The team was awful and people missed Ewing, and finally realized just how good he was and how valuable he was to the franchise. It is a shame that he never won a title because he truly was a New York icon.

By Rob Bonanni

Best Season as a Knick: 1997-98- 15.5 PPG, 5.7 Rebounds, .485%

Whether you called him LJ, Grandma Ma, or the Antonio Cromartie of the NBA, Larry Johnson clearly made his mark on the Knicks franchise. He was never the player for the Knicks that he was with UNLV or Charlotte because of the back issues, but he was still an important part of the late 90s/early 2000 Knick teams.

The best thing about LJ was how great of a team player he was. This was a man who scored over 20 points per game in his career before coming to New York, but knew with the Knicks he would have to sacrifice his game and offensive numbers. 

His numbers did not jump out, but they always seemed better than they really were. He might only score 10 points and grab 5 rebounds, but those were most likely 10 important points and 5 important rebounds, helping contribute to a win. He would also play rock solid d on the opposing teams best offensive player.

His defense was the most underappreciated part of his game. He did not come to the team with a defensive reputation, but he clearly earned it quickly. Jeff Van Gundy would always praise him for his defensive play. He would guard big men, guards, it really did not matter.

Many thought the Knicks would become a softer team after trading Anthony Mason for LJ. Mason was a fan favorite with that tough guy attitude which was such an important part of those teams. LJ fit like a glove. He took over Mason’s role as the tough guy on the team. It was LJ that got up in Alonzo Mourning’s face resulting in the infamous Jeff Van Gundy hanging from Mourning’s leg incident. He also added more of an offensive game than Mason, without giving up the intimidating presence.

LJ always stepped up his game in the post season. He sacrificed his overall offensive numbers, but managed to make so many huge shots in post-season games. People will always point to the 4-point play against the Pacers, but there was much more than that specific moment. In many of those post-season series, he was the lone low post threat on the Knicks. Patrick Ewing was hurt for many of those series, including that series against the Pacers, and it was up to LJ to make up for his loss.

Unfortunately, LJ’s career ended when he was only 31 years old. His back finally went out on him, causing retirement. The Knicks still have not been able to replace the attributes, which he brought to the team and it has been over 10 years. Can you imagine LJ playing along side Melo and Amar’e? That would be nasty.

By Rob Bonanni

Just the name alone probably makes Knick fans want to vomit. It is unfortunate for Charles Smith that he will always be one of the most infamous Knicks. Smith was a decent player, but will always be remembered for one moment; 1993, Game 5, Bulls. Enough said. (more…)

Derek Harper might be one of the most underrated and unappreciated players who ever donned the Knicks uniform. I think people forget just how good of a player he was and how valuable he was to the early-mid 90s teams. He only played 2 1/2 years for the Knicks and is better known for his years with the Mavericks, but will always hold a significant place in the heart of Knick fans. (more…)

No, unfortunately it isn’t to give Mr. MSG cauliflower ear; Patrick wants to coach. This from ESPN.

Right now, Ewing seems to have little connecting him to the Knicks’ owners. He still spends the offseason in the area, and his children still attend New Jersey schools. Despite considering this home, he is rarely at Madison Square Garden these days and doesn’t talk with Dolan.

“I really don’t know him very well,” said Ewing, drafted by the Knicks with the first pick of the 1985 draft. “I think it’d be great if I got to know him.”

Ewing says he doesn’t want to be typecast as a big man mentor, awkwardly sitting three or four chairs down from the real decision maker, but in all honesty maybe that’s what his post playing days are meant to be. He has no philosophical game plan, we have no clue what type of basketball he’d employ on a team if he were given complete control, and with New York in win now mode the Knicks can’t take a flyer on a guy with no experience, like, say, Golden State did with Mark Jackson (for the record I believe that move will work out fine, but only if Ellis is dealt for a taller scorer). The only interesting thing about this is his connection to Dwight. That’s really all that matters. If Dwight said he’d come to New York only if they made Ewing the coach? Well, that’d be a different story.

Twitter: @BucketsOverBway

The Unstoppable Little Guy

Not sure last night could have gone worse. If you believe in this sort of thing, the Orlando Magic laid out a step by step blueprint on how to break down New York’s “defense” (high pick and rolls), but that’s only if they have the proper personnel. Unfortunately for the Knicks, the league is capped to the brim with explosive point guards able to blast off towards the rim at a moment’s notice. But hey, in a way, this is also to be expected. This team is a scattered unit of talented pieces whose main problem, apart from lack of size, is experience playing with one another. As last night showed, in a terrible loss to a Magic team that has all but erased itself from the championship contender picture, the Knicks aren’t a final product on the defensive end. It’s fun and rousing to have Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudemire on your team—and the fact that Landry Fields is still in a Knicks uniform is certainly something to give thanks for—but regardless of how this team performs from here on out, let’s save the real expectations for next season; when a bond is formed, height is acquired, and criticism is deserved.

* I don’t know how I’d live with myself if he didn’t, but thank goodness Stephen A. Smith agrees with me.

* Basketball Prospectus tries to answer the age old question of how Carmelo and Amar’e can coexist. (A part of this is for paying customers only. Super lame.)

* If Isiah Thomas isn’t masquerading around as New York’s Wizard of Oz, then what’s he actually doing with his life?

* Some interesting stats from last night’s game.

* Have the Knicks fallen far behind in the race for statistical analysis supremacy?

* The people who had an overly optimistic overreaction to the Knicks defensive performance in Miami have fallen back to Earth, just like New York’s defense!

* Ever heard of the Sheboygan Red Skins? No? Well, apparently, the Knicks are covered in their blood.

* Patrick Ewing plays a game called “Hopeful Reminiscing” and loses.

* SVG takes a little swipe at Mozgov.

* Amar’e dresses in really bright colors.

* From where they sit in Orlando, the view seems to be one with the underdog.

* It’s beginning to look grim as to whether Billups will play tonight. When he’s making plays like this it’s a shame to see him miss any time.

Is it time for Mike D'Antoni to go?

Mike D’Antoni, the mastermind behind the run & gun Phoenix Suns. He was supposed to be the savior of Gotham, the architect behind a resurgence at the Mecca. He failed, and it has fallen on Amar’e Stoudemire to lead a rebirth at the Garden. He was supposed to be the main attraction for the much hyped free agent class of 2010. He failed, and LeBron James went south. He is supposed to be the coach that leads New York back to the finals. I’m going to go ahead and call that a fail as well, since the D’Antoni experience seems to be on the fast track too nowhere.

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Amar'e needs to work on getting better post position. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Our win against the Bulls last night inspired Buckets reader Demetrios Tsamutalis to write the following:

The Knicks are just competing at a winning level. Their effort tonight against the bulls is the type of effort you need to win consistently in the NBA, especially on the road. Defensively, they are challenging shots, cutting off driving lanes, taking charges and not giving up easy layups (instead they’re making guys have to make free throws).  Offensively, they were lights out from three and while you can’t depend on shooting that well every night, they are not just settling for threes.  When teams are closing out our shooters, they have put the ball on the floor and attacked the basket.

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Imagine if these guys all were young at the same time and played together. Wait, but since Willis Reed and Patrick Ewing both played center, you can only pick one of 'em. Ay, there's the rub. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Right now ESPN.com has a great little thing where for each team in the league you can vote on who their greatest player was for each position.  For the Knicks, do you go Patrick Ewing or Willis Reed at center?  You gotta go Walt Frazier at point, and sorry, Bill Bradley, but Bernard King was unstoppable at small forward.  Shooting guard I’m inclined to go with Earl The Pearl, but I’ve never seen Richie Guerin play, so maybe he has a case?  And if the team is playing with today’s three point line and we’re thinking who’d mesh best together, maybe instead the two should be Allan Houston to stretch out the other team’s defense and keep ‘em honest.  At power forward, for some reason they list David Lee, even though he pretty much just played center.  I’m not picking him, of course, just pointing out that it’s odd that he’s in this category.  Probably you should go with Dave DeDebusschere, although I grew up worshiping at the altar of Charles Oakley, and particularly if you chose Ewing over Reed, then you need an enforcer.

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Patrick Ewing may be an assistant coach for the Magic now, but yesterday he came to watch his son play for the Knicks! That kinda made me happy. Am I just an ol' softie? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Yes, it’s just summer league, but I have to say I get a bit of a soft spot in my hear for the kids of former New York legends’ Patrick Ewing and Darryl Strawberry. Sure, Ewing Jr. and D.J. ain’t that good, and if there was a headline it was the Knicks versus Lakers with standouts Landry Fields and Derek Caracter respectively. But what can I say, I’m nostalgic. Am I the only one? If you loved their pops, do you find yourself strangely rooting for their kids to have some success too? Let your voices be heard in the poll (or if you have further thoughts, write ‘em in the comments below).

Since Dwayne Wade was concerned about how Chicago didn’t look after their former stars post-career, he should check out that we even look after our former stars’ kids!  We’ve got Pat Ewing Jr. playing for us!

As per the Knicks’ website:

New York will play five games beginning on July 11, all at Cox Pavilion. For the fifth consecutive year, all five of New York’s summer league games will be televised locally on MSG. The Knicks are scheduled to play Denver, L.A. Lakers, Toronto, Detroit and Washington during the week, with all games beginning at 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. (PT). In addition, the team will hold a two-day mini-camp at Clark High School, July 9-10, with media availability following both sessions each day.

The team’s itinerary is as follows:

Practice at Clark High School
Friday, July 9 9:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 10 9:00 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

Games at Cox Pavilion
Sunday, July 11 vs. Denver 1:00 p.m.
Monday, July 12 vs. L.A. Lakers 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 14 vs. Toronto 3:00 p.m.
Friday, July 16 vs. Detroit 1:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 17 vs. Washington 1:00 p.m.

* – all times are Pacific time zone

Orlando's Matt Barnes gets a good sniff of Joe Johnson in their series: yeah, JJ stunk (source: Yardbarker.com)

I really love Manu Ginobili, and I would’ve loved to see what he could do as a Knick, but I gotta say I was kinda glad when he recently signed a 3-year deal to stay with the Spurs.  That meant he wouldn’t be available as a huge risk out there tempting the Knicks.  If you look at the players with the 30 Biggest Salaries from this past season, you can pretty much lump ‘em into two categories: the best of the best and the obscenely overpaid injured types.  There’s a serious danger that Manu will fall into Group B.   As exciting as it’d be to see how good he could be as a team’s focal point (rather than Tim Duncan and Tony Parker being the first two options), it’s a bad bet.

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In a lottery lacking surprise,
DeBusschere drafted “The Franchise”.
But the team was a shame
Losing game after game
And from the cellar they never could rise.

Al Bianchi assembled “the Bomb Squad”
Mark Jackson, J. New, and the Hot Rod.
Traded Cartwright for Oak,
But MacLeod was a joke,
And the roster, though good, remained flawed.

Grunfeld put together some winners
Reaching the finals when league talent got thinner.
He perfected the craft
Of dodging the draft
But his teams needed “Offense for Beginners”.

Ed Tapscot was GM for a day
With a roster on the verge of decay
Instead of drafting Artest
Took the player he thought best:
A Frenchman who stayed in Marseilles.

Scott Layden had the master solution:
Trading Ewing to begin the devolution
Getting Longley and Rice,
Swapping Camby for ‘Dice
And then brilliantly maxing out Houston.

And who could forget our Isiah
At one time, a Hall of Fame playah
But as an exec
Proved an utter train wreck:
A perverted, capped-out franchise slayah.

So now there’s a savior named Donnie
Who, to undo all Isiah’d done wrong, he
Traded all of our picks
‘Till Three Thousand and Six
But still wins if he gets us LeBronie!

Back in 2001, Earl Barron played for Memphis. Both he and the Knicks thought they had a promising decade ahead of them. They were wrong. But perhaps now we can combine forces and make the Tens be OUR decade. (source: Yardbarker.com)

For those who don’t know, though I’m a born and bred New Yorker, I’ve spent the last decade-plus in Los Angeles.  While here, I’ve adopted the Clippers as my sad, pathetic little brother to encourage.  That resulted in my creating the site FullyClips.com for the FanSided Network here before I got promoted up to the big leagues and was given the Knicks’ site.  For my first post on this site, I did a piece on The Smackdown Battle For Title Of The Past Decade’s Worst NBA Franchise.  Much to Isiah Thomas’ chagrin, I gave the award to Donald Sterling’s Clippers.  Although to be fair to Isiah, he only had a few years of being in charge to screw up the Knicks, versus Sterling had the entire decade (& more).  I’m sure if Isiah had a larger time frame in which to work his (black) magic, he could’ve stunk up the joint just as poorly as The Donald did.

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(source: Yardbarker.com) Like a little girl in puppy love, New York hopes we're the one LeBron's eyeing.

Seems ESPN has launched ESPN NewYork.com today and decided to promote it by rehashing the ol’ Will LeBron James Go To New York story.  There’s a surprisingly large amount of Nothing New, mixed in with Shameless Sensationalizing, Idiotic Conclusions Based On Personal Feelings, and just Awful Math.  That said, there were maybe a couple of Intriguing Bits to me, but it might all feel redundant to y’all.  Without further ado:

Idiotic Conclusions:

The worst part was where the sportswriters speculated the percent chance of LeBron going to one team or another.  Let’s start with Mark Stein saying there’s a 10% chance that LeBron will go to Dallas.  10%???  10% means 1 in 10!  You’re going out tonight and your choosing between your ten favorite restaurants — that gives each one a really good shot at being chosen.  Thankfully, of the four other Dallas writers, they all only gave it a 1-3% chance.  I like Stein’s writing a bunch, but his thesis his based on this you-can-substitute-LeBron’s-name-with-anyone statement:

I firmly believe LeBron likes the thought of playing with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, trusts Mark Cuban to be an owner who will always spend whatever it takes to contend and loves the city of Dallas and Cowboys football

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(source: ESPN's "30 On 30")

Last night, ESPN premiered it’s most recent installation in their “30 on 30″ documentary series (inspired & led by Bill Simmons, it’s a look at 30 lesser-known stories from these past 30 years that ESPN has been in existence).  Even for a Knick fan, the Reggie Miller-centric documentary was funny, nostalgic, informative, and moving.  There’s something intriguing and different about a doc that looks back at something you lived through as opposed to introducing you to a new world you knew nothing about (although obviously for many people the doc will fall into the latter category).

First, at the time, New Yorkers (and probably most NBA fans in general) thought of Reggie Miller as the ultimate villain.  Michael Jordan was the guy who you wanted to defeat, but Reggie was the guy who you wanted to see get in an “unfortunate” car accident.  It wasn’t about what he did to the Knicks, it was about who he was and how he played.  He talked smack non-stop, played dirty, and would fake & flop to try to get non-existent calls.  And by dirty, I don’t mean physical, ‘cuz you were allowed to play darn physical at the time.  By dirty, I mean doing things when the refs weren’t looking.  Swingin’ them pointy elbows for sneak attacks whenever possible (by the way, there is no truth to the rumor that he rubbed his elbows with sandpaper to get them particularly sharp).  Read what his own sister, Cheryl, says about him in the doc:

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Move over James Cameron! The Pacers try to go for 3 Ds against Patrick Ewing in 1995. (source: ESPN's "30 On 30")

The 30 On 30 series will be premiering the Reggie Miller/Knicks documentary tonight at 9 (Eastern time) on ESPN.  If you miss it, it’ll be on ESPN2 a few hours later, and well, at all sorts of hours and channels forever afterward.  It looks pretty darn good, and for you young fans who’ve gotten used to seeing your Knicks always lose — don’t worry, the winning time refers to Indiana not New York. As they describe it on the film’s site:

Reggie Miller gave New York the finger. The whole city.

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The Good:

1. New point guard Sergio Rodriguez took over the starting gig from Chris Duhon.  Spanish Chocolate was a never-ending blur and managed an unbelievable EIGHT steals!

2. New undersized shooting guard, Eddie House, played point when Spanish Chocolate went out, which meant: Chris Duhon didn’t play at all!  Not a second!  And that was goooood.

3. The Knicks did a good job hustling and scrambling on defense, holding the Bucks to a mere 43% fg shooting.

4. Tracy McGrady did not just settle for easy jump shots and instead had a few nice drives to the hoop.  Yes, none were dunks and a couple didn’t go in, but it’s excellent that he’s not shying away from contact with the big boys.

TMac, unafraid, drives to the hole, yet the Knicks still seem to be playing in the dark

5. At halftime the fans were thrilled as the Knicks honored the 40th anniversary of the 1969-1970 championship team.

6. To show how truly stupendous that 1970 team was, the current Knicks, in an outstanding show of support, got together before the game and decided to purposely play horribly so the fans would appreciate the old-timers even more. (more…)

Carl Braun, who was chosen for five consecutive All-Star games as a member of the New York Knicks, died Wednesday of natural causes. He was 82.

Braun died in Florida, the team said. He is the second former Knicks star to die in a week. Hall of Famer Dick McGuire, Braun’s teammate, passed away Feb. 3.

“Carl Braun was the first superstar of the New York Knicks and a cornerstone of our franchise’s early success,” team president Donnie Walsh said in a statement. “Watching him play at the old Garden was a privilege for us New Yorkers in the 1940s and ’50s. He is a true legend in our sport and he will be missed.”

Braun was an All-Star from 1953 to 1957 — he missed the 1956 game because of injury — and retired as the team’s career scoring leader with 10,449 points. He’s still in fifth place on the career list behind Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed and Allan Houston.

“As a young New York Knicks fan in the ’50s, I spent hours trying to emulate Carl’s patented over-the-head shot,” NBA commissioner David Stern said. “Carl was one of the NBA’s early great shooters, an All-Star fixture on those Knicks teams and, most importantly, a great friend to all who knew him.”

Born on Sept. 25, 1927, in Brooklyn, Braun also spent two seasons as the Knicks’ player/coach before ending his career in 1961-62 with the NBA champion Boston Celtics.

Braun is survived by his wife, Joan, four daughters and six grandchildren.