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"I was an analytical player" - Bernard King explains the mindset that made him a Knicks legend
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- "I was an analytical player" - Bernard King explains the mindset that made him a Knicks legend
It took the New York Knicks 53 years to climb back to the top of the NBA mountain. After more than five decades of waiting, many had begun to wonder whether they would ever see another championship in their lifetime.
New York got back to the NBA summit after it recently annexed the 2026 NBA title by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games of their best-of-seven series. It was the team's first league championship since 1973.
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It ended years of heartache and disappointment for the Knicks , who did try to make things happen in the seasons in between but just could not get the upswing needed to get it done.
Be it injuries coming at the most opportune times to clip their ascent, or playing during dynastic eras in the NBA, or front-office turmoil that affected their ability to attract the players they needed, the Knicks had to deal with all of them and more.
It included the time they had an elite scorer and hometown hero, Bernard King.
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King's reign
Brooklyn-born King landed with the Knicks in 1982 after spending his first five years in the league with the New Jersey Nets , Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors . He had an immediate impact, leading the team in scoring in his first two seasons and helping it reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals each time.
In the 1983-84 campaign, the former University of Tennessee star was spectacular. He finished the regular season with averages of 26.3 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 57.2 percent from the field to finish second in the MVP voting, behind Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird.
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King further picked it up in the playoffs, going for 34.8 points on 57.4 percent shooting. It included scoring 40 points in four games and 36 in the other in their five-game opening-round series win over Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons .
The following season, King was at it again as he took center stage in the Big Apple by averaging an NBA-best 32.9 points. Unfortunately, his season was cut short to 55 games after he went down with a torn ACL in his right knee.
It also forced him to miss the 1985-86 season and the majority of the 1986-87 campaign, depriving the Knicks of the chance to see a partnership between him and Patrick Ewing, whom the team selected first overall in the 1985 NBA Draft.
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"I was not the most creative player. I thought the game out. I was an analytical player. So I developed this, and that's how I shot over 50 percent for my career. That's efficiency," King said of how he approached his scoring game and what made him special.
He was released by the Knicks in 1987 and ended his four-year run in New York with averages of 26.5 points and 5.2 rebounds on 54.3% shooting.
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Knicks finally win another NBA title
As the Knicks went on to claim the 2026 NBA title, among the team's legends who were present at the games at Madison Square Garden and, later on, in the championship parade, was the now 69-year-old King.
He sat courtside like many former Knicks who were part of the franchise's history but fell short in leading them to the top, like Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Carmelo Anthony and Stephon Marbury.
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He lived vicariously through Jalen Brunson , Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby as they defied expectations throughout the playoffs, including those improbable comebacks that marked their pursuit of the big prize.
"I was in 11th grade when we won the title last. And I had a chance to see that. You know, Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dean Meminger, you know, your dad, and all of that during that time. So it's so beautiful to have been here to witness this. It's been amazing," King told Spectrum News about witnessing the Knicks finally break through after what felt like an eternity.
Brunson and Co. may be the face of the 2026 NBA champions, but it is also for King and the other players who are part of the many layers that make up the franchise's long story. "Once a Knick, always a Knick" could not be truer in this instance.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jun 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
