The 30 Biggest Fails in New York Knicks History

Image via Complex Original

Date: Summer 2010

The Knicks did everything they could to clear space for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, and Amar'e Stoudemire. They got one out of the five, but clearly, it wasn't supposed to work that way. New York thought their world famous city and arena were more important than winning. Donnie Walsh unloaded damn near everybody from the Isiah Thomas era to make room.

We all know how the movie ends. The Heat and Pat the Rat ended up with Bosh, Wade, and James while Johnson signed an enormous deal with the Hawks (although the Knicks are probably better off without Iso Joe). The Knicks were left with a consolation prize in STAT and lots of cap room for one more max player. They then used that extra money to add Anthony and Billups (who they then flipped for Tyson Chandler), but to no avail. Seriously, you're going to send Isiah Thomas to recruit somebody? That's like having DeSagana Diop teach free throws. It's still the same old Knicks.

Date: 2/21/1990

Rod Strickland was unhappy as Mark Jackson's backup, so the Knicks decided to trade him to San Antonio for veteran Maurice Cheeks. At the time, it looked like a good deal. Strickland was known to have immense talent, but his ego always seemed to get in the way. The Spurs got a taste when he sat out the first 24 games of the '91-'92 season over his contract, didn't get what he wanted, and eventually signed with Portland during the offseason. This seemingly "good" move became a failure because the young Mark Jackson didn't respond well to Mo Cheeks being his backup and was dealt for Doc Rivers and the infamous Charles Smith. Rod went on to a successful 17-year career and was one of the better floor generals during a good part of that stretch.

Date: 1989-1998

Michael Jordan and the Bulls tormented the Knicks and their fans for nearly a decade. This rivalry goes back to Jordan and Ewing's college days when the two faced off during the 1982 National Championship Game, and, like every subsequent occasion, Mike got the best of Pat. Other than the Pistons, the Knicks were the Bulls' toughest obstacle on their way to six championships. MJ always got up to play at the Garden because of the stage and the fact that New York never backed down. During that nine-year stretch, the Knicks were only able to beat Chicago one time in the playoffs and that's when Jordan retired. When he returned to the Mecca, His Airness dropped 55 in front of a dizzy Garden crowd.

Date: 10/7/1977

Lest you think the Knicks only started to make soul-crushing, head-scratching moves in the 2000s, recall that the team traded Walt "Clyde" Frazier—the coolest player in basketball history. You could argue that the move made sense from a basketball standpoint; Clyde was 31 and on the decline, and the player they essentially traded him for, Jim Cleamons, was 28, and... Actually, you can't even make that argument, not even close. In his first season in Cleveland, Clyde played 51 games, and averaged 16 points and 4 assists. In three seasons in New York, Cleamons played a lot more games, but not nearly as well. Plus, Clyde off the court >>> Cleamons on it.

Date: 2/22/2011

The Knicks traded Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Timofey Mozgov for Carmelo Anthony. That was their entire starting five, minus STAT. The deal was supposed to couple two stars in the nation's biggest market to revive an organization and a city thirsty for relevancy. To make matters worse, the Knicks signed Melo to a huge extension, paying him $20 million per over the next three seasons. So far, it has been met with mixed reviews. Sure, Anthony went on to win the scoring title, but what else has he done? Anthony and Stoudemire have yet to gel like their counterparts in Miami. Carmelo's playoff record currently stands at 23-42. That's not superstar material if you ask us.

Date: 6/16/2004

This was just stupid. How do you fire the man who is not only the voice of your franchise, but the voice of the entire fucking league for a generation of fans? How do you do it? If you're really prone to failure (like the James Dolan Knicks), that's how. Upset that Albert would occasionally veer off script and describe the mid-'00s Knicks as they were (namely, that they sucked), Dolan fired the guy who had called Knicks games for 37 years, and who'd been the voice of the NBA Finals throughout the early '90s. Keep in mind that the Knicks had re-hired Albert after he'd pleaded guilty to sexual assault. So let's see: Biting = OK; saying that perhaps this whole Anfernee Hardaway, Shandon Anderson, Keith Van Horn thing ain't working out = not OK?

Date: 1/7/2013

Hey Melo, you hungry? No? Well, back in January of last year, KG suggested he might have a delicious snack that he’d be willing to share. Kevin Garnett allegedly told Carmelo Anthony that his wife, La La Vasquez, tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios during a midgame spat. Now listen, we’ll never know what exactly was said between KG and Melo on that fateful Monday night in MSG. Garnett’s affinity for getting under the skin of his opponents is legendarily infuriating. But we do know that after the 102-96 Knicks loss, Melo was more than ready to have a friendly chat with Mr. Garnett...outside the Celtics' bus.

Date: 2008-2012

D'Antoni tried like hell to win with his style of ball. When he came across Jeremy Lin, Mike rode him until the wheels fell off. Can you blame him? His system needs a point guard and when he had Felton, Billups, or Lin, he found some success. They couldn't save him, though. His unwillingness to preach defense (he was forced to hire a defensive coordinator) and adjust to his personnel led to his exile. He was never the right fit for New York, regardless of the mess he walked into. D'Antoni was hired after the Thomas era by Donnie Walsh to run a team that was rebuilding on the fly. A coach of his stature wasn't right for the job. At the time, a first-time head coach, like Tom Thibodeau or even Mark Jackson, was needed. After an 8-16 start to the 2011-12 season followed by four straight losses right after the All-Star break, Mike was put out of his misery and was replaced by Mike Woodson.

Date: 2010-Present

The Knicks are back. Those were Amar'e's first words at his first press conference as a Knick. He should've said, "Same ol' Knicks." Mike D'Antoni talked the Knicks' front office into giving him an uninsured five-year, $100 million deal. The signing didn't seem like a bust until Carmelo Anthony came into town taking away STAT's lightning. The two haven't meshed well, and Amar'e didn't help by injuring his back during a pregame dunk before Game 2 last year against Boston and cutting his hand when he punched a fire extinguisher case after Game 2 against Miami. Stoudemire refuses or doesn't know how to box out and he has no desire to play defense, especially if he's in foul trouble. To be fair, Amar'e has had a rough year with the lockout, a coaching change, and the death of his older brother Hazell. After acquiring the two stars, the Knicks have won one playoff series in their years "together."

Date: 6/26/2002

Antonio was an explosive player for the early part of his career. But in true Knicks fashion, they acquired him the season after he ruptured his patella tendon. Guess who they traded? Marcus Camby and a just drafted Nene. At the beginning of the 2002-03 season, in a preseason game versus the Suns, Antonio cracked his kneecap while coming down awkward after a dunk. He returned for the 2003-04 season, but was never the same. He battled several knee injuries and only played in 18 games for New York that year. Camby and Nene went on to find success in Denver, with Camby in particular reviving his career with the Nuggets, winning a Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2007. 

Date: 1999-2003

Scott Layden's father is way cooler than him. His father is former Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden who co-hosted the 1989 classic, Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers with Marv Albert. What relevance does that have? Well, Scott worked for the Jazz before he took the Knicks job during the 1999-2000 season and he tried to bring every bum Utah had while he was there to New York. He acquired Howard Eisley and Shannon Anderson's hefty contracts in exchange for Glen Rice and Mugsy Bogues' contracts, which were significantly smaller. This deal set the Knicks back for years to come.

Many blame Layden for drafting Frederic Weis and trading Patrick Ewing, but neither were his fault. Weis was drafted by interim GM Ed Tapscott and Ewing wanted to be traded. What Layden got in return for Pat was his fault. Instead of letting his contract expire, Layden brought in more money, making matters worse. He was responsible for the McDyess trade, drafting Mike Sweetney, and two European players that shall forever remain nameless. With this track record, it's no coincidence the Knicks got significantly worse each year during his reign.

Date: 9/22/1992

The Knicks traded Mark Jackson because they felt they needed a small forward instead of a Hall of Fame caliber point guard that was from New York and played in the city his entire life. That small forward was Charles Smith (yes, he's on this list, too).

Jackson was traded because of his immaturity. When the Knicks shipped Rod Strickland the the Spurs for Mo Cheeks, Mark Jax made the offense on the move, and rightfully so. Cheeks was the all-time career steals leader and was an NBA champion with tons of experience. Mark eventually lost his starting job to him and was dealt to the Clippers for Smith, Doc Rivers, and Bo Kimble. This lit a fire into Jackson and years later, he came back to terrorize the Knicks along with Reggie Miller, leading the Pacers to the Finals in 2000.

Date: 7/28/1995

It was possibly the most mismatched coaching hire in sports history. Larry Brown was a Hall of Famer and very, very old school, and he'd just led his current team to its second consecutive Finals appearance (his third Finals appearance in five years). Of course he left that Detroit Pistons team acrimoniously, as Brown has tended to do always done throughout his career. What's a good landing spot for a cranky coach who'd spent the previous two years guiding a squad of pro's pros veterans like Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, and Chauncey Billups? The most dysfunctional team in the L, featuring such team-first exemplars as Stephon Marbury (who Brown had already beefed with at the previous summer's Olympics), Jerome James, and Eddy Curry. Not surprisingly, it resulted in a then franchise-worst 23-59 record (which, amazingly, featured a six-game winning streak—to go with two five-game, two six-game, one seven-game, one nine-game, and one ten-game losing skids) and the "hiring" of Isiah Thomas to right the ship. You know it's a bad year when they hire Isiah Thomas to right the ship. Not that Brown cared too much. He'd signed a 5-year $50+ million dollar deal with the Knicks, and walked away with an undisclosed (albeit likely sizable) chunk of that cash when he was fired. 

Date: 4/20/2013-5/18/2013

Following a solid regular season which saw the New York Knicks finish with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 54-28, it seemed as though the team was capable of big things once the playoffs rolled around. Then, one disaster after another led to their slow and steady demise which culminated in the Knicks getting bounced in the semifinals.

It all started when J.R. Smith got himself suspended from a potential series-clinching Game 4 first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden after elbowing Jason Terry in the face with New York up by 19 with a little over 7 minutes remaining in Game 3. The Knicks followed that boneheaded move with another one in Game 5 when the players strolled in, rocking all black because they were attending the C's "funeral." There were so many problems with this gesture. First, their head coach Mike Woodson knew nothing about it until the following morning. Second, it came less than one month after the Boston Marathon bombings. Third, they ended up losing the game! Eventually, the Knicks won the series in six games, but that was just the silver lining.

In their semifinal matchup against the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks looked incredibly overmatched and were especially susceptible to Indiana's big man in the paint, Roy Hibbert. In what became the lasting memory of yet another failed playoff run, Hibbert absolutely stuffed Carmelo Anthony's one-handed dunk attempt. SMH. 

Date: 6/7/1993

The original "not two, not three, not four..." It's easy to forget that the Knicks were actually the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in 1993, with home court advantage against Jordan and the Bulls in the last year of their first threepeat. The Knicks won the first two games of the Conference Finals in New York; Chicago then won two on their own home court. And, if not for an epic series of layup fails (or epic series of missed foul calls), the Knicks would've returned to the Chi with a 3-2 lead. But then Charles Smith couldn't flush a two-foot gimme. Or the putback. Or the putback to the putback. Or the putback to the putback to the putback. And so it goes.

Date: 6/27/1994

This one is particularly painful for Knicks fans of a certain age. In the early to mid '90s, John Starks represented everything Knicks fans loved about their team—and everything everybody else hated about them. Feisty, high-strung, and possessing a snarl that cropped up when he got particularly amped, Starks was a borderline dirty player who was totally unafraid of anybody. He'd come from humble beginnings (he was undrafted out of college, and while his fellow pros were playing McDonald's All-Star games, he was stocking groceries at Safeway), and it showed in the relentlessness with which he played. He headbutted Reggie Miller. He tried to fight Michael Jordan. Unfortunately for Knicks fans, that fearlessness also applied to shot selection. In Game 7 of the 1994 Finals, Starks shot 2-8 through three quarters, then almost single-handedly torpedoed the Knicks' playoff run, shooting 0-10 in the 4th quarter. It was undoubtedly a fail, but one committed by one of the most beloved Knicks of all time, which made it forgivable—if not, sadly, forgettable.

Date: 7/10/2013; 1/22/2013

Sigh. "How did we get here?" Knicks fans have been asking themselves a lot of that lately. Maybe we should ask Andrea Bargnani, aka "The Great White Hope." In a trade that sent Marcus Camby and Steve Novak to Penn Station, the Knickerbockers acquired center/forward Bargnani from the Toronto Raptors in return. Instead of the versatile, 7-foot big man that the Knicks hoped for, they got this. The Dunk Heard 'Round the World got Bargs sidelined indefinitely with a torn elbow ligament. Bargnani's failed dunk is the epitome of New York's failed 2013-14 season.

Date: 6/1/1994

Ah, Knicks fans. What can we say about Knicks fans that hasn't already been said about hemorrhoids and chronic premature ejaculators? Ha! We kid (kinda sorta). But even the most partisan 'Bockers backer has to admit that there are a couple of characteristics common to many Knick faithful: a burning passion for the game and a tendency to have an overly rosy view of the team's future. Uber-fan Spike Lee was guilty of both in the Eastern Conference Finals Game 5, when he goaded Reggie Miller into one of the greatest performances in Playoffs history.

Would Miller have gone off for 25 points in the 4th quarter without Spike egging him on? Possibly, but it wouldn't have constituted a Knicks fail if he hadn't. And it provided further ammo to the feeling in the early '90s that everybody—aside from their fans and the players themselves—hated the Knicks. 

Date: 2004-2008

This marriage was supposed to work. The Coney Island product was a legend in the playgrounds of New York since he was 12 years old and had the skills to justify the label. When the trade was announced during the 2004 All-Star Game, Knicks fans rejoiced. Those same folks would soon turn that smile upside down. The trade that sent Antonio McDyess (another failed experiment), Charlie Ward, and two first round picks for Stephon and Penny soon became a disaster. Marbury was only worried about his stats and making All-Star teams, not winning. He was caught up in the sexual harassment case and testified to having sex with an intern in his car. He also testified against Isiah Thomas, which led to an altercation on a team flight and ultimately Starbury's departure.

Date: 2001

Six years, $100 million. That's all that really should be said. That contract crippled the franchise and it sucked because Allan was a good guy. That had nothing to do with the fact that his one-dimensional game was not worth even a fraction of all that scratch. Houston had one of the purest shots in the game, but played little to no defense and shrunk in the biggest games. His $20 million a year salary made him untradeable, so New York was stuck with an overpaid "franchise" player nobody wanted. His contract was so bad, the NBA introduced the amnesty clause. The clause allowed teams to waive a player, so the contract wouldn't count towards the luxury tax threshold. The rule was tweaked in the new CBA of 2011-2012, allowing teams to waive one bad contract and said contract won't count towards the salary cap or the luxury tax. Three years after signing that huge deal, Allan injured his knee and was forced to retire in 2005. His contract counted towards the salary cap until 2007.

Date: 2/25/2014

We always knew Ray had questionable shot selection, but damn. Early this morning, Knicks point guard (and reigning Krispy Kreme Champion), Raymond Felton was arrested on 3 counts of criminal possession of a weapon. This news comes hours after Dirk Nowitzki’s heart breaking buzzer beater to seal the game in a 110-108 Knicks loss.

New York is tough on gun charges, too. According to SI’s Michael McCann, “...if he possessed the gun, he's guilty and a judge would sentence him to at least three and a half years behind bars...” Knicks fans have to be numb to bad news at this point, but in lieu of New York’s abhorrent season, this one has to hurt. Even though the loss of a starting point guard kills any team’s hopes for success, Felton’s arrest is a humiliating blow to the whole organization.

Date: 2006-2010, 2011-2012

We will never understand the Knicks' love affair with Jared Jeffries. D'Antoni loved him because he's so "versatile," but that's not as bad as the ridiculous contract Isiah gave him. Larry Brown wanted some defense, so Thomas made it happen—sort of. He gave this man a 5-year deal worth $30 million, which pretty much handicapped the Knicks from making any other moves. Then, Donnie Walsh unloaded his contract on the Houston Rockets in order to make room for the free agents of the 2010 summer. Oh, and the only way they could get rid of him was to throw in Jordan Hill, their first round pick in 2009. When Mike D'Antoni stepped in as coach he took a liking to Jared's hustle, so when his contract was up with Houston, Mike had the Knicks sign him to the veteran's minimum. His second stint wasn't pretty. Knicks fans booed him constantly and it all came to a head when he stumbled and bumbled in the closing seconds of Game 2. Jeffries never averaged more than 4 points and 4 rebounds in both stints in New York.

Date: 2005-2010

Straight out of high school, Eddy Curry had potential. He had the size, the low post moves, and the youth, but his weight and motor were always an issue. Zeke thought he could fix him and mortgaged the Knicks' future on the young big man. Thomas traded Jermaine Jackson, Tim Thomas, Mike Sweetney, two unprotected first round picks, and two second round picks for Curry and Antonio Davis. He then signed Eddy to a six-year/$60 million dollar deal with a player option for the final year. Oh, and those two first rounders sent to Chicago turned into LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah. Along with his lack of production, Eddy has had many personal and legal troubles as well. His former girlfriend and their daughter were murdered in 2009, Eddy and his fam were tied-up and robbed at gunpoint, and his limo driver tried to extort him by saying Curry made sexual advances at him. Hard to go through all that and still perform in the media capital of the world.

Date: 2005-2009 

Five years/$30 million. Let's say that again. Five years/$30 million. Isiah Thomas signed Jerome after his magical playoff run with the Sonics in '05 when he averaged 12 points and 7 rebounds in 11 games. Problem was, Isiah failed to take into account the fact that James was 29 years old, and had NEVER AVERAGED MORE THAN 6 POINTS PER GAME OR 17 MINUTES PLAYED PER GAME up to that point in his career.

After he signed the deal, Jerome showed up to camp out of shape and was injured for half the season, putting the likes of Oliver Miller to shame. As soon as his bloated contract became tradeable, the Knicks dealt him to Chicago for two other overpaid players in Tim Thomas and Larry Hughes. During his four years with New York, James played in only 90 games, putting up stats so paltry we dare not type them. Needless to say, there were no magical playoff runs during the Knicks' Jerome James era.

Date: N/A

We'll talk about all of J.R. Smith's shenanigans as a member of the New York Knicks, but do you have a couple of hours to spare? Yeah, let's just highlight our favorites. After getting bounced from the 2014 NBA Playoffs, it was revealed that Smith was dealing with a fluid buildup in his left knee. Red flag, right? Well, this is the Knicks organization we're talking about. Two months later, New York resigned J.R. to a three-year, $18 million contract and shortly thereafter, they were rewarded for their decision when Swish opted to have surgery to repair the damage done to that same knee. And just like that, their costly investment was going to miss anywhere from three to four months. But that isn't even the worst part? J.R. admitted that he purposely delayed his knee surgery in an effort to successful sign a new deal with Knicks.

This season, J.R. has paired his costly decisions in crunchtime with the inexplicable tendency of untying his opponents' shoelaces. Clearly, Smith is the gift that keeps on giving, whether you like the gift or not. 

Date: 6/30/1999

The Knicks were feeling themselves after they made the Finals in '99. How much? They decided to skip the Draft that year. "New players? The fuck we need new players for, we just made the Finals!" OK, the Knicks didn't actually take the '99 Draft off, but the player they picked with the 15th selection in the first round that year, Frederic Weis, never played a single minute for New York or any other NBA team, so the Knicks could've saved some scratch and just blown off the trip to D.C. for the Draft that year altogether.

The 'Bockers could've had a younger Metta World Peace, who went at No. 16, Andrei Kirilenko at No. 24, or Manu Ginobili at No. 57. Shit, James Posey (No. 18) and Kenny Thomas (No. 22) would've helped; Knicks fans would've loved Jeff Foster (No. 21). Instead, they got a guy victimized for the most emasculating dunk in hoops history. On second thought, maybe they were better off with Weis not getting any burn after all. 

Date: 4/29/2001-5/06/2012

In 2003, the NBA adopted a best of 7 format for first round playoff series, and it proved to be the perfect showcase for the particular ineptitude of the James Dolan-era Knicks. It's not like Dolan and Isiah and company made the playoffs very much, but when they did—in 2004, 2011, and 2012—they were so clearly overmatched that they set a record for playoff failure. After taking a 2-1 lead on the Raptors in the 2001 Eastern Conference First Round, the Knicks dropped two to Toronto and were eliminated from the Playoffs. In 2004, a 39-43 record landed the Knicks the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference (sidebar: the Eastern Conference really, really sucked back then)—and a sweep at the hands of the New Jersey Nets. In 2011, a 42-40 record landed the Knicks the six seed and a date with the Celtics in the first round—who promptly swept them as well. And then, in 2012, New York dropped the first three to run their Playoffs losing streak to an NBA-record 13.

Date: 2003-2008

Zeke is responsible for a good chunk of this list. Jerome James? Steve Francis? Eddy Curry? Take your pick. Dolan should've noticed that Thomas ran the CBA into the ground due to over-spending, but no, he still hired him as President of Basketball Operations. For some odd reason, the Knicks had high hopes with Isiah making all the basketball decisions, but those same hopes soon turned into a nightmare five years too long. He was applauded when he brought Starbury back home, hired Lenny Wilkens, and made the playoffs in his first year. The "success" of his first year on the job was short-lived. New York got off to a slow start during the 2004-2005 season and Lenny was replaced by assistant Herb Williams. Herb was replaced the next year with another Hall of Fame coach by the name of Larry Brown. Zeke signed Larry to a record-breaking deal, giving him $10 million a year for five seasons. During Larry's first and only year, the Knicks went 29-59 and teamed up Marbury with Steve Francis (LMAO!). Brown was fired and replaced by Thomas.

That didn't change much as the Knicks continued to struggle. Unbelievably, James Dolan decided to give Isiah an extension in 2007 amidst a sexual harassment lawsuit by a former employee. It was over after that. Thomas acquired Z-Bo and his enormous contract while signing Jerome James and Jared Jeffries to ridiculous contracts putting the Knicks deeper in debt. Then again, perhaps decision-making isn't the chief quality of a dude who threw his own daughter under the bus.

Date: 2006

Former employee Anucha Brown Sanders filed a lawsuit against Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden claiming wrongful termination and sexual harassment. She claimed that when she approached owner James Dolan about Thomas' inappropriate sexual advances, Dolan fired her in retaliation. The lawsuit dragged on for about a year and in 2007 the jury ruled in Anucha's favor. The trial lasted for three weeks and she was awarded $11.5 million. Thomas kept his job for one more season and remains friends with Dolan till this very day. The rest of the NBA hated the Knicks in the '90s because they were jackasses on the court—but Knicks fans loved their guys. In the '00s the Knicks were pathetic douchebag jackasses off the court—and Knicks fans just wished they'd go away.

Date: 1999-Present

James Dolan doesn't know what he has. He has the keys to one of American sports' most beloved franchises in a basketball crazed city. Yes, the Yankees have all those championships and the Giants have always been in the mix, but make no mistake—New York is a Knicks town. Since he took over in 1999 (N.Y. made it to the Finals that year), the Knicks have been a laughingstock. They posted eight straight losing seasons from 2001-2002 to 2009-2010. Dolan was responsible for bringing Isiah Thomas to town and cherished their friendship so much that he stood by his buddy in the midst of an embarrassing sexual harassment suit in 2006. Dolan was the man behind the Melo trade, giving away 80% of a starting five for a guy that doesn't make people better. Donnie Walsh was so disgusted with Dolan's meddling ways, he walked out the door; leaving the franchise he helped resurrect. Knicks fans, take note: There's a band called JD and the Straight Shot. Go buy their records, it might be the only way to save your team.