Who is the Best New York Basketball Player
If you live in New York and are a basketball fan, you may wonder who is the best New York basketball player. If you have yet to make a decision, let’s look at some of the city’s great players and their contributions to the NBA.
Lamelo Ball
LaMelo Ball, of the Ball brothers, is familiar with the big stage. He won the Rookie of the Year award in his debut season with the Charlotte Hornets. Now 22 years old and in his contract year, he is viewed as the franchise player in the making.
While he has a long way to go before claiming to be the best New York basketball player, it is safe to say that he is a close second. If nothing else, he is the most gifted of the three Ball brothers and could be an outstanding point guard.
Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is one of the greatest players in the world. He is a seven-time All-Star who won the NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. Now, he is playing for the Brooklyn Nets, and the team is not very successful.
The team has won only one playoff series during Irving’s tenure.
The team is currently at an “impasse” in negotiations with Irving. The situation is reportedly at a “tipping point” and could determine Irving’s future in the NBA.
Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens is one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the NBA. He played 15 seasons in the league and averaged 8.3 assists per game. He is also a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Wilkens was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1989. As a coach, he was established in 1998. Throughout his career, he coached various teams in the NBA. In 1994, he led the Atlanta Hawks to an NBA championship. After retiring as a player, he became the all-time winningest coach in basketball history.
Bernard King
Bernard King, a small forward from Brooklyn, is a true legend in basketball. A prolific scorer, King is one of the only players in NBA history to record more than 20 points in 11 consecutive seasons. He also is the only player to win a scoring title while playing for the Bulls.
Bernard King was drafted in 1977, the seventh overall pick by the New Jersey Nets. After a brief stint with the Nets, King moved on to the Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors.
Kevin Durant
If you’ve followed the NBA, Kevin Durant is one of the best basketball players in the league. He has won two NBA titles and two Finals MVP awards and has been named to 12 All-Star games.
In addition, he has accumulated a wealth of endorsement deals. He recently signed a four-year, $164 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets. He also has a contract with OpenSea and Coinbase.
Kevin McHale
Kevin McHale’s time with the Boston Celtics was a remarkable one. He was an eight-year All-Star, an eight-time All-Star team member, and a seven-time All-NBA player.
After a stint in the NBA as a television analyst, McHale became the general manager of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He led the team to an Eastern Conference appearance in his first season with the team. The Celtics, however, were defeated by the New York Knicks in the playoffs.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is a basketball legend who played in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. He is known for his physical stature and athletic ability, which led him to become one of the most famous and dominant centers in the history of the NBA. Aside from his basketball career, he also made his name in the film and rap industries.
Nate “Tiny” Archibald
Nate “Tiny” Archibald is one of the greatest New York basketball players. He’s a three-time NBA champion, five-time All-Star, and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archibald was one of the best-scoring small guards in the game during his career. In addition to his talent, he was quick, shifty, and a decent midrange shooter.
Connie Hawkins
Cornelius “Connie” Hawkins was one of the best New York basketball players of all time. He was a streetball legend who played with the Harlem Globetrotters, Pittsburgh Pipers, and Phoenix Suns. His style of play influenced a whole generation of stars.
Born in Brooklyn in 1942, Hawkins began playing basketball at Boys High School in Bedford-Stuyvesant. By the time he graduated, he was a high school All-American. In the 1959-60 season, he led his school to an undefeated PSAL championship.
Dolph Schayes
Dolph Schayes is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the NBA. He played an entire fifteen-year career with the Syracuse Nationals, and his stats were astounding. He was one of the first NBA players to score 15,000 points.
A native of the Bronx, he attended DeWitt Clinton High School. His basketball skills made him an all-city honoree in 1948. The following year, he earned All-American honors. During his junior and senior years, he was captain of the team.