The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All

by Paul Knepper

The Knicks of the 1990s competed like champions but fell short of their goal. An eclectic group who took divergent, in many cases fascinating paths to New York, they forged an identity as a rugged, relentless squad. Led by a superstar center Patrick Ewing and two captivating coaches--Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy--they played David to the Chicago Bulls' Goliath. Despite not winning a championship, they were embraced as champions by New Yorkers and their rivalries with the Bulls, Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat defined NBA basketball for a decade. Drawing on original interviews with players, coaches and others, this narrative rediscovers the brilliance of the Knicks, Ewing and his colorful supporting cast--Charles Oakley, John Starks, Larry Johnson and Latrell Sprewell--in the glory days of Madison Square Garden.

Genres: Sports, Basketball

298 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2020

About the author

Paul Knepper was a New York Knicks featured columnist for Bleacher Report. His first book was The Knicks of the Nineties: Ewing, Oakley, Starks, and the Brawlers That Almost Won It All, and his second book is Moses Malone: The Life of a Basketball Prophet. Knepper grew up in Jericho, New York, and now lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and son. He's a graduate of the University of Michigan and Fordham University School of Law.

Reviews

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the 1990's, the NBA was ruled by the Chicago Bulls, winning six titles during the 10 years of the decade. One of the very good teams that was denied a title by the Bulls was the New York Knicks. Even though they did not win a title, the team did reach the NBA Finals twice in the decade and produced some very memorable moments. Those moments and much more are captured in this book by Paul Knepper.

The extensive research that Knepper did for this book is evident by the sheer number of interviews he conducted, over one hundred. Add in many newspaper and magazine clippings, anecdotes and historical items for not only the Knicks but other teams and it makes for one of the most complete books around for one of the NBA's most iconic franchises, recent performance notwithstanding.

Nearly every important figure for the team at that time has information and stories printed. Of course, the first person many think of for the Knicks at that time is Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing, and he certainly has a prominent part in this book, but there are so many other personalities in the book that make is a good read. Popular players such as John Starks, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and Latrell Spreewell are profiled prominently. Certainly the coaches need to be included – the reader will learn a lot about Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy. Key front office personnel such as Dave Checkets and Ernie Grunfeld are portrayed as well.

Plus, don't forget some of the reporting on the actual games. These are very good write ups, even if the information is obtained mainly through newspaper archives. The best sections for the action on the court (and sometimes even in the stands at Madison Square Garden) are those on the series played against the Bulls and the two times the Knicks reached the finals – in 1994 against the Houston Rockets and 1999 against the San Antonio Spurs, when they fell to the team from Texas both times. Knicks fans who have fond memories of these teams will certainly want to pick up this book to relive the very popular and successful teams that had Madison Square Garden rocking for every game.

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[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book about the New York Knicks in the decade of the 1990s. The team made two NBA Finals appearances during the decade but could never bring a title home despite great players like Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, John Starks, Charles Oakley, Larry Johnson and more. Like a book on the Trail Blazers I read about a year ago, you forget sometimes that there was a lot of talented teams in the 1990s, they just had poor timing of having played at the same time as the nearly unbeatable Chicago Bulls of that decade with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. But I enjoyed the nostalgic trip down memory lane with this book, especially all the epic series with the Bulls and Pacers, as well as some ones with the Miami Heat. Author Paul Knepper tells it all and does great research. I'm looking forward to reading another book by him. Good stuff and a must for an NBA or Knick fan.

[Jessica Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started a little slow for me... actually, 'dry' would be a better description. To me, it just read like a bunch of pieced-together articles with no real fluidity or personality.
But thankfully, it got way better as it progressed. Learned a lot of stuff I didn't know beforehand, which I loved. Turned out to be quite enjoyable.

[Lisa Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

I miss the teams of the 90s. It was the last of the great rivals, playing the game hard and playing good defense. This book took me back in time. I love those teams.

Thank you,
Tommy Zukoski

[Adam J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great trip down memory lane!