The True King of New York
Speculation continues to swirl around the possibility of LeBron James relocating to New York City in the summer of 2010, and while the prospect of King James moving his throne to the league’s largest market is an exciting possibility, the city’s treatment of kings passed does nothing to enhance their appeal to the association’s unquestioned heir.
As recently as February 2, 2009 we were reminded of the franchise’s questionable level of commitment to their marquee talents when Kobe Bryant scored 61 points at Madison Square Garden, eclipsing a 25-year-old record held by former Knick Bernard King.
King, a 6’7″ chiselled small forward resembled a young James in many ways.
As the seventh overall selection in the 1977 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets, King set the franchise record for points scored in a season by averaging 24.2 points (1,909 total points) as rookie.
Joining the Knicks in 1982, he continued to score at will and his offensive prowess and explosiveness soon made him a favourite among Knicks fans.
On Jan. 31, 1984 he became the first player in 20 years to score 50-plus points in consecutive games, scoring 50 at San Antonio on 20-23 shooting while hitting 10 free throws, and then following that up with another 50 at Dallas on 20-28 shooting and scoring another 10 points from the line.
His most memorable effort however, and certainly most discussed recently, was his long standing Garden record of 60 points, which he scored on Christmas day in 1984. It marked the culmination of his talent and potential and would ironically go on to represent the climax of his career.
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Just months later, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a game versus the Kansas City Kings on March 23, 1985.
He missed the entire 1985-86 season rehabilitating from his injury, and returned to score 22.7 points per contest over the first six games of the following season. Still, his explosiveness and mobility had noticeably deteriorated and New York released him following the 1987 campaign.
Only two seasons removed from the height of his contributions to the franchise he was virtually abandoned by the club leaving his legacy tarnished, and dismissing his achievements as only the trailer to a what-could-have-been career.
If LeBron were to suffer a similar career altering injury at this stage in his career it is reasonable to envision that he would take a similar what-could-have-been place in history himself. The difference becomes whether he would be honoured properly by the franchise that he carried for years, or thrown away like the broken favourite toy of a small child.
Although the Knicks are considerably better managed to date than they were in the 1980s, as far history is concerned, their treatment of King stands as precedent and evidence that they would elect the latter treatment.
Cleveland thus has in its favour a comparably clean record in terms of star treatment, and as such would be a wise home for King James for years to come.
Bernard King went on to finish his career as the 31st highest scoring player in the history of the NBA with 19,665 total points scored. Of the 30 players ahead of him, only three played in fewer career games.
His skills were put on display and his potential was reached, but injury cut short a career that should have been legendary.
As a fan of the game, I fear LeBron could share the same fate if he too should happen to sustain a serious injury, finding comfort only in the fact that the highly visible nature of today’s game would ensure his place in history amongst the greatest players of all-time, regardless of if he were to play another game or not.
If only Bernard King were awarded the same respect. Still, to those who remember he will always be the true King of New York, whether or not James claims the title as his own.
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