John Starks
|
|
John Levell Starks (born August 10, 1965 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a 6'5" former basketball player who gained fame while playing at shooting guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association in the 1990s.
Starks played basketball for several small colleges before finishing his collegiate career at Oklahoma State University. Undrafted, John worked his way into the NBA after stints in the CBA and the World Basketball League. Starks performed one the most famous plays of Knicks basketball in the 1993 playoffs series against the Chicago Bulls. Starks became trapped in the Bulls' defense, split the defenders on a pick-and-roll play with Patrick Ewing and dunked over Michael Jordan and Horace Grant. in that same series with the Bulls, John was known for doing a great defensive job guarding Michael Jordan.
One of the lower points of Starks' career came in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets, where he shot 2 of 18 from the field. Some Knicks fans view that as the main reason that the Knicks lost their closest shot at the NBA Title during their 1990s run.
With the addition of Allan Houston in 1996, Starks became a valuable mentor and gave way to him in the starting lineup. Still, Starks provided a great source of points off the bench. In 1997, John was involved in the Knicks' controversial makeover to get younger players. A year removed from winning the Sixth Man Award, John was traded to the Golden State Warriors for swingman Latrell Sprewell. The other move involved Charles Oakley being traded to the Toronto Raptors for Marcus Camby.
After Golden State, John played for the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz before retiring in 2002. John currently works as an alumni and fan development official for the Knicks.
Starks was well-known for his fiery intensity and emotional displays while out on the court. His hot temper sometimes got the best of him, as seen when he "clotheslined" Scottie Pippen on a breakaway, head-butted Reggie Miller during a Knicks-Pacers game, and angry outbursts.