The New York Knicks are two games shy of being crowned as NBA champions for the first time in over 50 years. Being one of the iconic franchises in league history, the Knicks have produced some of the greatest names in basketball.

However, as the Knicks have the chance to reach the top of the NBA, there has been growing discussion about Brunson's place among the Knicks' all-time greats. The discussion has raised curiosity among NBA fans about the greatest Knicks of all time.

So here is the list of the top 10 Knicks of all time, and find out if Brunson made the list.

Top 10 New York Knicks players of all time

10. Bill Bradley (1967-1977)

Career Average with the Knicks - 12.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals in 10 seasons

Personal Accolades - 2x champion, 1x All-Star

Bill Bradley is a hard choice, especially against Dick Barnett and Charles Oakley. However, his contributions to the Knicks' two championships in 1970 and 1973 help his case against Barnett and Oakley.

9. Carmelo Anthony (2010-2017)

Career Average with the Knicks - 24.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals in 7 seasons

Personal Accolades - 6x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, 1x scoring champ

One of the greatest scorers in NBA history, Carmelo Anthony's career with the Knicks cannot be easily put into perspective. Melo abruptly exited because of his troubled relationship with Phil Jackson.

Moreover, his inability to take the Knicks beyond the second round in just three playoff seasons works against his legacy in New York.

He still has a place among the Knicks' greats because his career peaked in the Knicks jersey, and he was able to bring back a competitive environment at Madison Square Garden.

8. Richie Guerin (1956-1964)

Career Average with the Knicks - 20.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists in 8 seasons

Personal Accolades - 6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Second Team

The Knicks selected him in 1954, but Guerin didn't play with the team for two years because he had to complete his military service with the Marines.

He joined the team in 1956. Guerin made six consecutive All-Star selections starting from his second season.

He was one of the finest scorers in the franchise's history. His best season was in 1961-62 when he averaged 29.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game.

7. Earl Monroe (1971-1980)

Career Average with the Knicks - 16.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals in 9 seasons

Personal Accolades - 2x All-Star, 1x champion

During his nine seasons with the Knicks, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe showed an elite level of scoring and handling that defined his game.

He is still among the top seven scorers in franchise history.

Monroe formed one of the best backcourts in the NBA with Walt Frazier and made a significant contribution in the Knicks' 1973 title win.

6. Dave DeBusschere (1968-1974)

Career Average with the Knicks - 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.9 steals in 6 seasons

Personal Accolades - 2x champion, 5x All-Star, 5x All-Defense, 1x All-NBA

Very rarely has a player peaked in the last part of his career like Dave DeBusschere. He was traded from the Detroit Pistons and made All-Star selections in all of the full seasons he played with the Knicks.

DeBusschere's defensive presence made the Knicks a threat to any team in the league. He deserves his place on the list for his personal achievements and contributions to the Knicks' two championships.

5. Bernard King (1982-1987)

Career Average with the Knicks - 26.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals in 4 seasons

Personal Accolades - 3x All-NBA, 3x All-Star, 1x scoring champ

In the 1984-85 season, Bernard King became the first player in the Knicks' franchise to win a scoring title.

That season, he averaged 32.9 points per game, a record still intact in the franchise.

His 34.8 points during the 1983-84 playoffs are also the highest ever recorded in Knicks history.

King's career peaked during his short Knicks stint. Sadly, it didn't materialize into the championships.

4. Jalen Brunson (2022-Present)

Career Average with the Knicks - 26.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 0.9 steals in 4 seasons

Personal Accolades - 3x All-NBA, 3x All-Star, 1x ECF MVP

If Jalen Brunson wins the title this year, there is going to be a serious discussion about his place among the greatest names in New York's basketball history.

Aside from his personal excellence and leadership on the court, Brunson will always be remembered for reviving the Knicks' basketball after 27 years, when New Yorkers were desperate for recognition.

On top of that, his personal recognitions are already among the top names in the franchise's history.

3. Willis Reed (1964-1974)

Career Average with the Knicks - 18.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.1 blocks in 10 seasons

Personal Accolades - 2x champion, 2x Finals MVP, 1x MVP, 7x All-Star, 5x All-NBA, 1x All-Defense, 1965 Rookie of the Year

Willis Reed was the leading man of the golden era of New York's basketball. What Reed meant for New York basketball can be summarised with just Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers led by Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

He had missed most of Game 5 and all of Game 6 with a muscle tear in his thigh. In Game 7, Reed came out of the tunnel high on painkillers, hobbling, but ready to play. The New York crowd erupted.

Reed scored the Knicks' first two baskets and held Chamberlain to just 2 of 9 shots.

He had to sit out in the second half, but Reed's grit and sacrifice played an important role in New York winning the game and hence the title.

Reed had to retire from basketball because of a series of injuries and surgeries.

2. Walt Frazier (1967-1977)

Career Average with the Knicks - 19.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2 steals in 10 seasons

Personal Accolades - 2x champion, 7x All-Star, 6x All-NBA, 7x All-Defense

Walt "Clyde" Frazier was the first two-way guard before it even became a thing in the NBA. Frazier's game and his leadership led the Knicks to be tagged as an iconic franchise when the Los Angeles Lakers were led by players like Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain.

Frazier's greatness peaked in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. With Reed out with an injury in the second half, Frazier stepped up. He put up 36 points, 19 assists, seven rebounds and five steals to win the title for the Knicks.

That performance still stands as one of the greatest single-game playmaking performances in playoff history.

1. Patrick Ewing (1985-2000)

Career Average with the Knicks - 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 2.7 blocks in 15 seasons

Personal Accolades - 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA, 3x All-Defense, 1986 Rookie of the Year

The only reason that the word 'arguably' is even used with the proposition that Patrick Ewing is the greatest Knicks of all time is that the NBA great didn't win a title for the iconic franchise.

Ewing is one of the greatest players in NBA history, and led the franchise to two NBA Finals.

In his first NBA Finals appearance in 1994, Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets won the series in seven games.

In his second NBA Finals appearance, the San Antonio Spurs swept the Knicks while Ewing sat out with a torn Achilles.

Under Ewing, the franchise remained one of the best teams in the East. Sadly, his tenure fell in Michael Jordan's era, which left so many greats without a championship.

Do you agree with the list? Let us know your top 10 picks from the franchise's history.

Read more at the Air Jordan Chronicles!

Written by

Nandjee Ranjan

Edited by

Koushik Biswas