The New York Knicks are one of the most storied organizations in the NBA, and basketball is better when the team is good. After years of inept front offices, the Knicks have regained relevance under the leadership of Leon Rose.
For the first time in a long time, fans have real hope for the future. When you have a player like Jalen Brunson as your starting point guard, how could you not?
Rather than daydreaming about what’s to come, it’s time to take a not-so-pleasant stroll down memory lane. Remember, at least New York is no longer a dumpster fire!
Eddie Curry
It’s been almost 15 years since Eddy Curry played his last game as a Knick. He arrived in New York via Chicago, the organization that drafted him fourth overall in 2001.
The Curry trade and the six-year, $60 million contract he signed were part of a series of disastrous decisions made by Isiah Thomas.
The only reason Curry was available to be traded was because he refused to take a DNA test so Chicago could learn more about the irregular heartbeat that kept him from ending what ended up being his final season with the Bulls. Thomas seized the opportunity acquire Curry and had the support of head coach Larry Brown, who said that “Curry’s best basketball is in front of him.”
Unfortunately for Curry and the Knicks, that was not the case. He averaged 19.5 points in 81 games in his sophomore season, but after that his career began to deteriorate. In his final three seasons with the Knicks, he only played in 10 games due to his weight and off-the-court issues. He didn’t play at all in 2010-11, even though he was on the roster.
It’s not Curry’s fault that New York traded him and signed him to a new deal, but he let the organization and the city down during his final years with the Knicks.
Since his retirement, Curry has spoken publicly about the battles he faced in New York and throughout his career. He now works as a consultant to current NBA players, helping them avoid the situations he once found himself in.
