Ranking the 11 greatest Knicks players ever, from Patrick Ewing to Jalen Brunson

The Knicks have a long history as one of the NBA's most recognizable brands, so it's no surprise numerous stars have walked through the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden and put on the blue and orange.

Even so, winning at a high level has been a challenge. The Knicks haven't won a championship since 1973, coming close on occasion but struggling to climb all the way back to the top.

Here are the stars who have taken the Knicks to new heights — and the ones who gave their all despite not getting there.

The Sporting News ranks the 11 best players in Knicks history, from Patrick Ewing to Jalen Brunson.

Players were ranked based on a points system made up of nine categories. Points from a scale of 1-10 were assigned based on each player's strength in a particular category and added up for a final score.

11. Allan Houston (1996-2005)

Accolades: 9 seasons; 11,165 points; 2-time All-Star; 1 NBA Finals appearance

Why he made SN's list: Allan Houston wasn't part of the Knicks' run to the NBA Finals in 1994, but he joined the team in 1996 and became one of the driving forces behind a New York team that remained a contender in the back half of the 1990s and into the early 2000s.

Houston was a two-time All-Star in nine seasons in New York, averaging north of 20 points per game twice and helping lead the Knicks to the NBA Finals in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. Houston averaged two more points per game in the playoffs than he did in the regular season, rising to the occasion despite never winning a championship.

Place in Knicks history: While Houston isn't a Hall of Famer and saw his career cut short by a knee injury in his mid-30s, his impact on winning in one of the franchise's most successful eras left a legacy. 

10. John Starks (1990-98)

Knicks accolades: 8 seasons; 8,489 points; 2,394 assists; 1-time All-Star; Sixth Man of the Year award winner, 1 NBA Finals appearance

Why he made SN's list: Starks was never the type of player who bruised opposing defenses with a scoring onslaught, but he was the irreplaceable tone-setter and "glue guy" for the Knicks out of the backcourt during their 1990s runs. 

A strong distributor and defender who received the thankless task of defending Michael Jordan when the Knicks faced the Bulls, Starks ranks eighth in franchise history in assists and scored 1,352 playoff points with New York. Starks was part of the Knicks team that came within one win of a championship in 1994, but he never won a title. 

Place in Knicks history: Though not a stuff-the-stat-sheet player, Starks' work as a steady floor general during a golden age in Knicks history endeared him to fans.

9. Bill Bradley (1967-77)

Knicks accolades: Basketball Hall of Fame; 2 NBA championships; 1-time All-Star; 9,217 points; 2,533 assists

Why he made SN's list: Bill Bradley spent his entire 10-year NBA career with the Knicks, reaching the playoffs eight times and helping the franchise win championships in 1970 and 1973. While never the central piece of New York's golden era teams, Bradley was an efficient scorer and terrific free-throw shooter during his tenure, earning an All-Star selection in 1973 when he averaged a career-high 16.1 points per game. Bradley scored 1,222 playoff points with the Knicks, including 17 in New York's 1970 clincher and 20 in the team's 1973 clincher. 

Place in Knicks history: Bradley was a staple of Knicks playoff runs in the late 1960s and early 1970s, consistently performing on the biggest stage as a key piece of two championship teams. And off the court, he had the unique distinction of being a U.S. Senator for New Jersey from 1979-1997.

8. Bernard King (1982-87)

Knicks accolades: Basketball Hall of Fame; 2-time All-Star; NBA scoring champion (1984-85); Knicks single-season points per game leader; 2-time All-NBA

Why he made SN's list: King's time with the Knicks was short-lived, as he spent five years in New York but only played four due to injury, but he left his mark with perhaps the greatest offensive peak in franchise history. King's single-season Knick record of 32.9 points per game in 1984-85 still stands, and he was the MVP runner-up in 1983-84, the first of two 1st-Team All-NBA campaigns for the forward. The Knicks never reached the conference finals with King and stumbled once injuries cost him all of 1985-86 and most of 1986-87. 

Place in Knicks history: While only playing three healthy seasons with the franchise hurts his all-time ranking, King's peak still places him among the greatest Knicks. 

MORE: 13 most devastating playoff injuries in NBA history

7. Carmelo Anthony (2011-17)

Knicks accolades: Basketball Hall of Fame; 7-time All-Star; 10,186 points; NBA scoring champion (2012-13); 1-time All-NBA

Why he made SN's list: The Knicks injected life back into the franchise with a long-awaited deadline deal for Carmelo Anthony in 2011, and in many ways, Anthony delivered. The native New Yorker put on a show offensively when he was at his best, setting the franchise's single-game scoring record with 62 points and guiding the Knicks to three consecutive playoff appearances after a downtrodden decade. Anthony led the NBA in points per game in 2012-13 and finished third in MVP voting while leading the Knicks to the No. 2 seed in the East.

Place in Knicks history: Serious playoff success eluded the Knicks during Anthony's nearly seven seasons with the team, and concerns about his defense were tough to ignore. Still, Anthony was a hometown All-Star in each season with the Knicks and gave the franchise an offensive talent it hadn't had in more than a decade.

6. Earl Monroe (1971-80)

Knicks accolades: Basketball Hall of Fame; 1-time NBA champion; 2-time All-Star; 9,679 points; 3,594 assists

Why he made SN's list: Monroe was only part of one of the Knicks' two championships in the 1970s, but he was one of the franchise's defining players of the decade. A flashy guard who became a walking highlight reel at his peak, Monroe spent nearly 10 years in New York after a red hot start to his career with the Bullets and quickly settled in as a key piece on one of the NBA's top contenders. Knee injuries brought Monroe's career to a close in his mid-30s, but he had his number retired by the Knicks and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Place in Knicks history: Monroe was a key piece of the Knicks' most recent championship team in 1973 and helped led the franchise into the next era with All-Star appearances in 1974-75 and 1976-77. 

5. Dave DeBusschere (1968-74)

Knicks accolades: Basketball Hall of Fame; 2 NBA championships; 5-time All-Star; 5-time All-Defensive First Team; 6,957 points; 4,671 rebounds

Why he made SN's list: Dave DeBusschere spent only parts of six seasons with the Knicks after coming over from the Pistons in 1969, but he certainly made his mark as a missing piece of a team that went on to win championships in 1970 and 1973. DeBusschere was a stalwart on the defensive end, notching a First-Team All-NBA Defensive selection in five of his six seasons in New York and finishing in the top 11 of MVP voting three times. He stayed remarkably durable during his time with the Knicks and helped the team reach at least the conference finals each season.

Place in Knicks history: While DeBusschere didn't stick around long enough to set any Knicks records and wasn't the leading scorer on either championship team, he gave the franchise exactly what it needed in the early 1970s and was an irreplaceable part of two titles. 

4. Jalen Brunson (2022-present)

Knicks accolades: 2-time All-Star; 1-time All-NBA Second-Team; 5,535 points; 1,415 assists

Why he made SN's list: Jalen Brunson's Knicks career is far from over, but he's already emerged as one of the most impactful players in franchise history. Despite being a second-round pick of the Mavericks in 2018, Brunson earned his way into an NBA role and found his way to New York, where he quickly ascended into being the face of the Knicks. After a decade without a playoff series win, Brunson led New York to series wins in 2023, 2024 and 2025, taking the Knicks to the conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century. 

Place in Knicks history: Brunson averaged at least 26 points per game in two of his first three seasons as a Knick, finishing fifth in MVP voting in 2023-24 and making a habit of drilling clutch playoff shots. He also took a sizable discount in extension negotiations to allow the Knicks to field a competitive roster; the result was a conference finals appearance. The book is still partially unwritten on Brunson's time with the Knicks, but the mark he's made on the franchise is already permanent. 

3. Willis Reed (1964-74)

Knicks accolades: Basketball Hall of Fame; 2 NBA championships; MVP (1969-70); 2-time NBA Finals MVP; 7-time All-Star; Rookie of the Year; 5-time All-NBA; 12,183 points; 8,414 rebounds

Why he made SN's list: Willis Reed saw his career cut short by lingering injuries, leaving him with only about seven seasons in his prime, but he became a Knicks legend in those seven seasons. The 1964 second-round pick was an All-Star in each of his first seven seasons, earning MVP honors in 1969-70 and picking up five All-NBA honors, with one appearance on the First Team. Reed was an excellent rebounder, averaging more than 13 per game in six different seasons, and he holds the Knicks' single-season rebounding record with 1,191 in 1968-69. 

Place in Knicks history: Reed helped lead the Knicks to two championships, famously playing through a severe thigh injury in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to energize the team in what would be a title-clinching win over the Lakers. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982 and has his No. 19 jersey retired at Madison Square Garden. 

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2. Patrick Ewing (1985-2000)

Manny Millan /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Knicks accolades: 15 seasons; Basketball Hall of Fame; 11-time All-Star; 7-time All-NBA; 3-time All-NBA Defensive Team; 23,665 points, 11,607 rebounds; franchise leader in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, games played

Why he made SN's list: The Knicks drafted Patrick Ewing No. 1 overall in 1985 to be the face of their franchise, and he delivered with 15 terrific years in New York. All Ewing missed was a championship, as New York came within one win of a title in 1994 but never finished the deal. Playoff success aside, Ewing helped usher in an era of renewed success for the Knicks, reaching the playoffs 13 times in 15 seasons and averaging a double-double for his Knicks career at better than 22 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Place in Knicks history: Ewing was an 11-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA selection between the first and second teams. He finished top-five in MVP voting seven times and holds several Knicks records, including points, rebounds, steals, blocks and games played, while also spearheading one of the most successful eras in franchise history. 

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1. Walt Frazier (1967-77)

Knicks accolades: Basketball Hall of Fame; 10 seasons; 2 championships; 7-time All-Star; 6-time All-NBA; 7-time All-NBA Defensive Team; 14,617 points; 4,598 rebounds; 4,791 assists; franchise leader in triple-doubles

Why he made SN's list: Before he became one of the NBA's most eccentric broadcasters, Walt Frazier was a Knicks legend on the court during his playing days as well. A member of both of New York's championship teams in the 1970s, Frazier was a seven-time NBA First-Team All-Defensive selection and seven-time All-Star. He averaged north of 20 points per game in six consecutive seasons and is the Knicks' all-time leader in both assists and triple-doubles even as triple-doubles have become more common over time. 

Place in Knicks history: Still a fan favorite in New York to this day, Frazier has the numbers, accolades and trophies to be considered the best player in franchise history as the driving force behind the best stretch the team ever had.