Even though he could not deliver a
ring, Patrick Ewing is unquestionably the greatest Knick of all time. The main reason why Ewing doesn’t have a ring?
The Goddamned Bulls and Michael Jordan….
After the Knicks were swept in 91 (remember Jordan did this to Ewing?), everyone predicted the Bulls would steamroll the Knicks again. After all, the Bulls had beaten the Knicks 14 straight times, and had beaten the Knicks at home 17 straight times.
But after the Knicks stole Game 1,
the Bulls found out the Knicks were not going to be pushovers. Both teams went
back and forth, trading wins in a series so physical, the league would
eventually be forced to change the rules.
And then Game 7 arrived…
Jordan completely dominated the Knicks. He decided, with some advice from his father, he would not let the Bulls lose, and took over the game scoring 42 points. This was the first game I’ve ever watch where one player decided the game. I had never seen someone take control of the game like that before. Didn’t any of the Knicks have fathers who advised him to stop Jordan?
It was at that moment I realized the Knicks would never be able to beat the Bulls as long as Jordan was on the court, which is the reason why this game makes the list. There is nothing more frustrating as a fan than watching one guy completely ruin your season, year after year. No matter how good the Knicks were, they simply were not good enough. For much of the 90s, thanks to the Bulls, I had the same feelings Andy Roddick had after he lost to Roger Federer in the 2009 Wimbledon Final. Jordan is definitely on the Mount Rushmore of my sporting villains (along with Reggie Miller, Aaron Rogers, and that god awful Tyler Hansbrough).
The Knicks were crushed 110-81 and just like that, the season was over. The good news: The Knicks used this loss as motivation to form, perhaps the greatest Knick team in NBA history.
The bad news: The Knicks lost to the
Bulls again, including a game that will certainly be on this list...
Up Next: 13. Game 7 1952 NBA Finals
vs Minneapolis Lakers
The thing about the Knicks, as I was reading I noticed, they nearly always have a good team. I see it that, the Knicks, take their players out of their comfort zone, rather than letting the players play the positions they are use to; I believe this typically happens with their superstar players. I think that may be the only downfall with the Knicks, but they either have their superstar playing a new role or they have a lot of good players, but not leading guidance.
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