The New York Knicks are an interesting franchise. They’re about as iconic as any brand in American sports, play in the World’s Most Famous Arena at Madison Square Garden, and have arguably the best fan base of any American franchise. The Knicks have a long history that dates back to the 1946-47 season. They’ll play their 80th season of basketball this year in 2025-26.
Despite these positives, New York has also been an extremely disappointing organization for much of its history, only winning two championships (1970, 1973) over 50 years ago. They’ve been the laughingstock of the league for most of the 21st century, and have just recently come back to prominence since signing Jalen Brunson in 2022.
With that said, the Knicks haven’t had as many legendary players as one might think for such an iconic franchise. Still, they’ve had some greats come through Madison Square Garden. Players from every era will be featured in this ranking, as well as one current Knickerbocker.
Where will Brunson rank after just three seasons in the Big Apple? Does the new Hall of Famer, Carmelo Anthony, make the list despite a disappointing Knicks tenure? How many active players are there on the list? Let’s find out below.
10 Julius Randle
Look, the tenth spot on this list should probably go to Bill Bradley, Charles Oakley, or John Starks. There have been better players than Julius Randle who suited up for the Knicks for longer and accomplished more with the team. However, Randle deserves this spot and more love from the fan base for his contribution to the biggest turnaround in franchise history.
Randle’s place on this list has nothing to do with his on-court accolades with the team, but he was a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection in his five seasons in New York. He won Most Improved Player in 2020-21 behind a tremendous year in which he helped pull NY out of the gutter and into the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.
No, Randle gets this spot because he was the first person to help save the Knicks from NBA irrelevance that had been continuing for the better part of twenty years. Before Julius braved the storm to sign with New York after they missed out on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in the 2019 free agency, the team had won just one playoff series in 20 years.
Randle was the only one who actually wanted to play with the Knicks, and he delivered a half-decade of great basketball, even with his flaws. He started the turnaround back in 2019, and he deserves all the credit in the world.
9 Allan Houston
In ninth is the most popular member of a difficult era of Knicks basketball, Allan Houston. After beginning his career in Detroit for three seasons, Houston joined the team in 1996 for the second half of New York’s run of success in the 1990s. Houston was a two-time All-Star in NYC, averaging 18.5 points on excellent efficiency in his nine years there.
Houston is one of the best shooters of all-time, pouring in three-pointers at a 39.9% clip with the Knicks, which was unheard of in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His smooth handle and perfect jumper made him an idol for so many fans at the time.
Allan helped the Knicks shock the world by reaching the NBA Finals in 1999 as an eighth seed. His buzzer-beater to seal a victory over the Miami Heat in a deciding Game 5 still resonates with Knicks fans who saw the moment live.
8 Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe
Next up is a very beloved Knick from the old days, Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe. Monroe spent nine of his 14 NBA seasons with New York, racking up two All-Star appearances and averaging 16.2 points and 3.9 assists in that span. Earl was a starter on the 1973 Knicks championship team and was a main piece of NY’s core throughout the 1970s.
Pearl was never quite a superstar in the Big Apple, but he did average near 20-plus points per game for several seasons in NYC. He was a very good player for nearly a decade in the orange and blue, which startlingly few Knicks can say.
7 Bernard King
It was very difficult to choose between Earl Monroe and Bernard King for the seventh spot because King somehow only spent four seasons with the franchise and never won a championship, as Monroe did in 1973. However, Bernard had to get the nod, as he was one of the league’s greatest players for his four seasons in the Mecca.
From 1983-1987, King was a two-time All-Star and All-NBA First Team member. He placed second in MVP voting in 1984, then backed it up by winning the scoring title with an astounding 32.9 PPG in 1985. King was an elite scorer and offensive player who never got a real shot to compete for a championship in New York.
His time with the franchise was cut short, and he was never able to play alongside prime Patrick Ewing and the 90s core that was so successful, but King was a true superstar during his career there. He’s a cultural icon for an older generation of Knicks fans, which is worth a lot for a fan base that’s been starved for a player like that.
“I wanted to be Bernard King” — Carmelo Anthony in his first game at MSG for the Knicks
6 Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony’s placement in this ranking is shockingly low for a superstar of his caliber, but that reflects just how disappointing his Knicks tenure was. In just three seasons, Jalen Brunson has passed Anthony as a Knick, which is sad to say for those that revered Carmelo.
In seven seasons in the Big Apple, Melo averaged 24.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He was an All-Star in all six of his full seasons, notching two All-NBA selections as well as the 2013 scoring title. Carmelo peaked in 2013, averaging 28.7 points for a 54-win Knicks squad and finishing third in MVP voting.
Unfortunately, Melo never experienced any postseason success in New York, winning just one series in three appearances and missing the dance in his last four seasons. It was through little fault of his own, as Anthony performed well in his limited playoff action, but was let down by mediocre rosters around him.
Still, while Melo was let down by an incompetent front office, he bears some of the blame for his unsuccessful Knicks tenure. He forced a trade from Denver in 2011 rather than wait three months for free agency, gutting New York’s roster and leaving him without the resources to win.
Anthony always chose his comfort and money over building a sustainable winner, and for that, he ranks outside the top five.
5 Dave DeBusschere
In fifth is the most underrated Knick of all time, Dave DeBusschere. “Big D” spent seven years with the Pistons and only six with the Knicks, but he made his presence felt in his time in New York.
In six years in the Big Apple, DeBusschere racked up five all-star appearances, five consecutive All-Defensive First Team awards, and finished top-eleven in MVP voting in three straight seasons. He’s arguably the best defensive player in franchise history, and was a fringe star for his entire Knicks tenure.
Dave was a part of both the 1970 and 1973 championship teams, riding off into the sunset at age 33 after the 1974 season. He was the defensive anchor of that era of Knicks basketball.
4 Jalen Brunson
A common off-season discussion for Knicks fans these days is where Jalen Brunson ranks in franchise history after three electric seasons in New York City. Yes, it’s a bit sad to even consider his place in the 80-year history of the Knicks before Brunson even wins a championship, but such is life for a beleaguered franchise.
With that said, Brunson has been truly special in his three years with the Knicks. The 29-year-old has been an All-Star and All-NBA Second Team member the past two seasons, finishing in the top ten of MVP voting in both campaigns. He won Clutch Player of the Year in 2024-25 for his late-game exploits, which have become a staple of Brunson’s greatness in the Big Apple.
Brunson has been even better in the postseason, averaging 29.9 points and 6.8 assists in 42 playoff games with the Knicks. He’s a stone-cold killer who can get a bucket late in the game better than almost anyone in basketball, and he’s proven himself at every possible opportunity in New York.
The reason Jalen ranks fourth on this list, already above guys like Earl Monroe and Carmelo Anthony, is not because of his accolades with the team, but rather for what he’s done for the franchise. Before Brunson arrived in 2022, the team had won zero playoff series in a decade.
They’ve now won four in the past three seasons, making their first Conference Finals in 25 years in 2025. Heading into 2026, New York has their best team in a half-century and is poised to make an NBA Finals run behind their superstar point guard.
3 Willis Reed
The top three players in Knicks history are easy to choose, with Willis Reed coming in third. Reed authored the most iconic moment in franchise history when he limped out of the locker room on a bad leg for Game 7 of the NBA Finals to play 27 minutes, inspiring his mates to decisively win the deciding game and hoist the franchise’s first championship.
Reed only scored four points that night, but the mere presence of the Captain in the building was a galvanizing force for the rest of the squad to capture the NBA title. It exemplified the hard work and positive mentality that Reed maintained throughout his ten-year NBA career.
In a decade of NBA basketball (all with the Knicks), Reed was a seven-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA member, and a two-time champion and Finals MVP. He won the league MVP in 1970, beating out superstars like Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. Reed was an incredible player and the heartbeat of the early era of Knicks basketball.
2 Walt “Clyde” Frazier
In second is the Knicks’ most popular legend, Walt “Clyde” Frazier. Frazier, who is better known now for his exploits as an entertaining color commentator for MSG Networks, was the best player during New York’s last era of championships. He was part of the 1970 and 1973 title teams, which remain the most recent ones in franchise history.
In 10 seasons with the Knicks, Frazier averaged 19.3 points, 6.1 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals. He made seven All-Stars and six All-NBA teams, as well as seven All-Defensive selections. Frazier was an excellent two-way player, gifted at scoring, passing, and defense.
He used his smarts and craftiness to dominate opponents at just six-foot-four, similar to how he now uses his intellect to call Knicks games in the present day.
Older generations of Knicks fans know Clyde for his on-court greatness, but younger supporters may not know of his accomplishments. Walt Frazier is Knicks royalty for his contributions to the franchise on and off the court.
1 Patrick Ewing
It was nearly impossible to choose between Walt Frazier and Patrick Ewing for the top spot on this ranking, but Ewing ultimately got the nod because he played much longer at an elite level with the franchise. Although Frazier won two titles and Ewing never broke through, Pat is one of the most underrated players in league history.
Ewing was simply stuck in the most competitive era of basketball ever, the 1990s. Michael Jordan’s dynastic Bulls ruined the fun for everyone in the league for a decade, only relenting when MJ retired for two years to play baseball (Ewing’s Knicks lost an NBA Finals Game 7 in 1994).
Still, Patrick posted nearly two decades of elite performance for the Knicks from 1985 to 2000. In those 16 years, he notched 11 All-Stars, seven All-NBAs, three All-Defensive teams, and finished in the top five of MVP voting six times. He averaged 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in his Knicks career.
Ewing was one of the very best players in a stacked 1990s decade of talent. He was a top defensive center, rebounder, and was a versatile scorer who could fit in the modern game. His Knicks won a playoff series in nine consecutive seasons from 1992-2000, making the NBA Finals twice.
No, he never broke through for a title, but Ewing was a dominant force for a great era of Knicks basketball.