RealGM

There are very few plays in the annals of sports history that are so exceptional they have come to be known by a singular noun. Ask football fans about "The Catch" and they know exactly what play you're talking about - Joe Montana rolling out to his right to hit Dwight Clark in the back of the end zone. And in Chicago, Bulls fans smile while Cavs fans cringe at mere mention of "The Shot", as they envision Michael Jordan rising over Craig Ehlo for the series-clinching jumper. And we all know John Elway led his Denver Broncos on "The Drive." These timeless moments are captured in the sporting world's collective psyche forever.

Which is why when you bring up "The Dunk" around New York hoop fans, you'll see a wide smile creep across their faces. Knicks fans may not know all the exact details (it took place in the fourth quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, on May 25th 1993), but they will still light up because "The Dunk" conjures up the image of their beloved John Starks flying along the baseline, the ball cupped in his left hand, soaring past Horace Grant and a late-arriving Michael Jordan, eventually coming back down to earth in the paint, but not before hammering home a game-deciding dunk for the ages. Pictures of Starks mid-flight serve as computer wallpaper to this day. And back in the 1990's, posters of "The Dunk" became must-have wall art for teenagers throughout the tri-state area.

HOOPSWORLD recently caught up with Starks for a wide-ranging interview to discuss "The Dunk," Game 7, and everything in between – including his most recent business venture. And, just like the fans that fill up Madison Square Garden, John unsurprisingly revealed that he never turns away from an opportunity to see a replay of that immortal moment. "No, no way do I ever get tired of it. I look at that play as something that kinda stamped who I was, and kind of put my name on the map, so to speak," said Starks. "I realized how special that play was years after when I saw people were still talking about it. There's not a day that goes by that someone doesn't ask me about 'The Dunk.' And the beautiful thing about sports is that plays like that live in people's memories throughout."

That one improbable play cemented John Starks' legacy in New York. He was already loved, but he became a legend that night. New York's adopted son morphed into a folk hero in less than two seconds.

However, even more remarkable than 'The Dunk' was the fact that John Starks, of Tulsa, Oklahoma was the starting shooting guard for the Knicks in that game at all - or even played a minute in the NBA for that matter. A few years earlier, after bouncing around junior colleges and basketball's minor leagues, he was bagging groceries at a local supermarket, trying to make ends meet.

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Starks' early adult life consisted of delinquency, drugs, and petty crime. He played only one year of hoops in high school and then aimlessly ambled from one small school to another – he played for four different colleges in four years. His basketball talent was apparent, but his off the court issues were debilitating. Eventually, with the help of his older brother, who John claims was instrumental in development, Starks committed himself to turning his life around and used basketball as a conduit.

"My brother was the key to me really pushing me and really getting focused on my career. He saw something in me I didn't see," said Starks. "I was involved in things that I wasn't supposed to be involved in, and he was doing some things that he wasn't supposed to be doing, but he saw something inside of me from a talent standpoint so he started to guide me and pushed me in the right direction. And eventually I developed the true mental toughness that I needed in order to move forward."

John eventually landed in Stillwater, Oklahoma at Oklahoma State University. Playing in the Big 12 gave Starks the opportunity to match up against some of the nation's top pro prospects and John showed enough to convince the Golden State Warriors to give him a shot. He inked short-term deal, playing 36 games for the Warriors in 1989. But, due largely to conflicts with Head Coach Don Nelson, Starks was not invited back to Golden State the following season. Starks, unable to land a roster spot with another NBA organization, found himself suiting for the likes of the Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets in the Continental Basketball Association and the Memphis Rockers of the World Basketball League. He also found work part time as a grocery-bagger at a local Safe-Way supermarket in order to pay the bills. He was 25 years old, and he was at a crossroads.

But, as fate would have it, Starks worked his way into a tryout with the New York Knicks in October of 1990. However, despite his tough and aggressive play throughout training camp, the Knicks coaching staff was preparing to cut Starks on the last day of camp. John, sensing his position on the opening day roster was tenuous at best, was determined to do something special in what could have been the final day of his Knicks career. Late in practice that October afternoon, Starks attacked the basket with his usual reckless abandon and attempted to dunk over superstar center, Patrick Ewing. Ewing would have none it; he blocked Starks (cleanly, John admits) but after the mid-air collision, Starks came crashing down and badly twisted his knee. As a result, the Knicks, because they could not release an injured player, were forced to keep Starks on the roster while his knee was given time to heal. Well, in the interim, Starks had impressed the coaches enough in practice that they kept on the squad anyway. When he finally got some playing time in the regular season, he proved he could contribute meaningful minutes. The rest, as they say, is history.

In retrospect, the injury that resulted from that missed dunk attempt was the reason Starks was able to complete "The Dunk." Accordingly, Starks refers to his buddy, Pat Ewing, as his "savior." Reflecting back, John feels it was "definitely a blessing."

What was certainly a blessing for New Yorkers was getting the opportunity to watch Starks bleed blue and orange for a nearly a decade in the city he was born to play in. The Knicks of the 1990's were a rough and rugged group who played with excessive heart and pride. While they certainly weren't the most physically gifted collection of athletes in the Association, they were never out-worked. That dedication to defense and non-stop effort resulted in a winning team that New York was extremely proud of. And John Starks represented everything those Knicks team stood for. If you were a Knick fan, you called him confident, talented, assertive, and relentless. If you rooted against the Knicks, he would be labeled brash, out-of-control, cocky, and annoying. At the end of the day, he was probably a combination of all those things. But, he was most definitely a New York Knick. In the 'city that never sleeps,' John Starks felt right at home…

So, how does a kid from tiny Tulsa, Oklahoma, become the embodiment of New York and Knicks basketball?

Starks explains: "I think it just happened that way. I think my style of play and my attitude personify New York fans, as well the people here in New York. You know how it is here; it's a blue collar city, and I'm a blue collar player. Also I think the way I grew up, people can relate to my path to the NBA."

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Once Starks began his career in New York, the love affair between #3 and the MSG faithful blossomed quickly. John initially saw limited playing time coming off the bench behind Gerald Wilkins, but the Garden crowd immediately became enamored with his hard-charging approach. Ironically, Starks' first game in a Knicks uniform was at MSG against what would become a familiar foe – Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. For John, it seemed as if it was a night he had waited his whole life for. "I was very excited to be able to have my first game against Michael Jordan, not realizing then how prevalently we would be matching up throughout my years with the Knicks." Starks continued, "Obviously, he was the best player at his position. To be able to go against someone you looked up to as you were coming up through college - and by the time you get to the pros, to be able to see the excitement that he brought to the game - for me personally, to be able to play my first game against him was just incredible. Going into it, you fear that, being the young player, you'd have a lot of nervousness going on getting ready to matchup against the best to ever play the position. But I didn't have any fear, I didn't have any nervousness. I was more excited then anything because I had seen this man's game tapes for countless hours when I was in college, so mentally I was already prepared to play against him because I saw myself playing against him a long time ago."
One of the most memorable aspects of those matchups between the Knicks and the Bulls - and the Pistons and countless other Eastern Conference foes - was the physical, bruising nature of the game back in Starks' heyday. Fouls that earn suspensions in today's NBA would not have raised so much as an eyebrow back in the early-to-mid 90's. John commented on the unmistakable differences between the style of play in his prime and the way players are officiated today.

"Yeah, it's obviously not as physical as it was back then. Obviously the rules changed on how you can play from a defensive standpoint. They used to let you get away with a lot more hand checking, a little bit more contact. As a guard, you were very fearful going down the lane; you knew you were going to get knocked on your butt. But you still have to get up and walk it off, get to the line, and shoot your free throws. Nowadays, it's a little different then that, you know, guys aren't fearful coming down the lane. Whereas most guards know that if you came down the lane, especially against us or teams like Detroit, you were going to get hammered. And that's just to be expected, so you were mentally ready to handle that. Nowadays it's pretty much a walk in the park, so to speak."

As Starks alludes to, playing the Knicks in the 1990's was certainly no leisurely stroll through Central Park. The Knicks were not only intimidating and physically imposing, they were disciplined and effective. Anchored by Patrick Ewing in the post, surrounded by a core of Charles Oakley, Derek Harper, Anthony Mason, et al - and of course the ubiquitous John Starks - the Knickerbockers were a perennial playoff presence and championship contender. Unfortunately, despite being arguably the second best team in the NBA for many years, their season typically ended at the unmerciful hands of Michael Jordan. MJ's Bulls would not be denied, winning the title in each of John's first three seasons in New York. However, when Jordan decided to retire prior to the start of 1993-1994 season, the Knicks realized they had a golden opportunity to finally capture the City's first championship since 1973. And the Knicks steamrolled through the East that Spring, eventually facing off against the Houston Rockets in the Finals. After dropping Game 1, the Knicks captured wins in three of the next four contests, with Starks (playing on a surgically repaired knee) providing plenty of offense, stingy defense, and timely baskets.

After winning Game 5, New York took a 3-2 lead into Houston for Game 6. Starks was electric that night, pouring in 27 points (shooting 9-18 from the floor and knocking down five of the nine three-pointers he attempted). He again scored in double-figures in the fourth quarter, and almost single-handedly kept the Knicks within striking distance. And with 5.5 seconds left on the clock in the fourth quarter of that sixth game, the Knicks trailed 86-84 and were inbounding the ball from in front of the Rockets bench. Coach Pat Riley drew up the play – Ewing would set a high screen for Starks. John would have the option of pulling for the three-ball and the win, or streaking to the basket with Ewing rolling in behind him. Starks, never one to ever shy away from a big shot, went for the glory. Rocket's center Hakeem Olajuwon had other ideas…

For John, unfortunately, there isn't a doubt in his mind that his jumper would have found the bottom of the net and a Knicks championship if Hakeem didn't get a fingertip on the ball. "Oh, no question. No question. That shot felt so good when it left my hand," Starks stated with gusto.

John also noted, in retrospect, he would have adjusted the design of the play. "If I had to do it all over again, I probably would have changed who came up and set the pick. I probably would have run up against Otis Thorpe (being guarded by Anthony Mason on that play) who is not as quick and nimble as Hakeem, and couldn't jump as high as Hakeem. But, you know, that's just the way it goes. In hindsight yeah, you would've done it differently, but he made a great play. He was probably - I would say him and David Robinson, with their quickness and athleticism and ability to jump - are probably the only two centers that could get to that shot."

(Author's note: I then asked John if Ewing had come up too high to set the pick, as Patrick was a good six or seven feet above the three-point arc when he picked off Vernon Maxwell. "That just something that just happened. When I looked at it too, I thought the same thing. But it was something that just happened…" Starks explained.) Starks was then queried as to whether the play was designed for him to shoot the three or whether Riley wanted him to roll to the hoop. "Either way. You know, normally in a situation like that you like going for the win, and obviously I was hot during that game so I was going for the win. I wanted to end it right then. I came off to the left because I shoot better going that way anyway, and when I stepped back I thought I cleared enough space to get the shot off. But, obviously not..."

Game 6 of the 1994 NBA Finals took place on Sunday night, June 19th, 1994. The seventh and deciding game didn't tip off until three days later, on June 22nd. Those were three agonizingly long days for Starks. He didn't sleep at all the night before Game 7. Unfortunately, the results of Game 7 would provide many more sleepless nights as well.

*****

Google the name 'John Starks' and you'll find that two particular topics are most prevalent: 'The Dunk' and Game 7.' For many, those two drastically different episodes define Starks' career.

As referenced earlier, the backdrop to Game 7 was that Starks was playing some of his best ball of the year heading into the season's final game. In Games 2 thru 6, he averaged 21 PPG and 7.2 assists, while shooting nearly 50% from the field. But the nightmarish events of Game 7 are all anybody remembers. Even casual Knicks fans on the street can recite his shooting line from that night: 2-18. O-for-11 from behind the arc. Those numbers still resonate loudly, even more than 15 years after that fateful night in Texas.
How many of us are remembered for and reminded constantly, in explicit detail, of the worst night of our lives? What is never mentioned is that if Starks doesn't play well throughout that season, and especially the playoffs, the Knicks don't even get to a Game 7 of the NBA Finals. So, does John find it frustrating that he is remembered for the gut-wrenching Game 7 despite the solid production throughout the rest of the series?

Starks answered in measured tones. "Yeah, but it's all about winning though, in the end. You would love to end it in Game 6, but Game 7 just wasn't meant to be, for me personally. I came into the game too hyped up, and didn't let the game come to me. I wanted to, you know, get it done and get to the end. Instead, maybe I just didn't play a relaxed game."

Starks then went on to discuss how he has dealt with the aftermath of that game in the many years since the final buzzer sounded. His answer were startlingly honest: "You make peace with it, but you never put it behind you. You always think back…" Starks continued, "If I would've done this, or would've done that…if I were to curve myself this way or that way….you always think about that. It's not an every day thing, but sometimes when I sit down, it may pop up in my mind. Not on a daily basis, maybe once a month or something like that, maybe a couple times a month. It all depends though; during the regular season, yeah a little bit more, but its not something that keeps me from moving forward with my life," Starks lamented.

"But you always think about that. You know, you wish you could go back in time and replay everything and then do things a little differently, but unfortunately I can't."

While some will some always hold Game 7 against Starks, many true Knicks fans will always have an unconditional love for MSG's fiery favorite. In retrospect, Starks' sins pale in comparison to what he brought to the organization, and the city. While his shot may have abandoned him at a key moment or two, his effort never waned. Not for a minute. He represented New York every time he put on that Knicks uniform, and that is what so many choose to remember.

His former coach, Jeff Van Gundy, may have said it best – a decade ago: "John wasn't blessed with any one great skill, but he had such unusual hustle and heart... People who say his career was about 2-for-18 should be ashamed. What they forget is, with four weeks to go in the regular season, John had knee surgery that year. He was back in time for the first playoff game. Think about that. His pain threshold and his desire was so high... 'What do I remember most about John?' That once he got in, he never let go. He never let anybody even think about taking it away from him.''

*****

Nowadays, John Starks is still representing the New York Knicks. He is currently working as the team's Alumni Relations & Fan Development Advisor. This past July, he spent time at the popular Gatorade Knicks Summer Basketball Camp. And Starks is involved in numerous charitable organizations, as he is still as community-minded and as generous as he was during his playing days. The John Starks Foundation has been in force for over 15 years now, providing academic scholarships to tri-state and Tulsa area college bound high school seniors who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need and a commitment to community service.

And Starks' latest venture is an effort to revolutionize the sports apparel industry via his company, Zipway. John took some time to explain what Zipway is all about. "We have the technology to be able to transition in and out of your pants, it's a zipper technology that were using. Similar to the tradition of breakaway pants, but instead we use zippers. It goes across all facets of sports, from soccer to tennis to basketball to swimming, track and field… We now have an NBA license so we are able to sell NBA products. Hopefully one day you may see it on the NBA court, and were hoping for that sooner rather than later. So it's a great application and we're going to try and transition everybody out of buttons and into zippers. So our goal is to eliminate what you see in the traditional breakaway pants, and grassroot it through the young people growing up, who tend to only to know zippers instead of buttons, and we are in the process of doing that in our grassroots campaign. Are slogan is our competitors are our customers. So that's how we see ourselves as a company." Get plenty more information at the company's website: zipwayworldwide.com

emo wrote:Tired of hearing about this sh*t.