John Starks/NY Knicks: So Close yet So Far - NBA Finals 1994, Game 6

[rebelsupreme]

Damn this hurts...

[onelightpro]

@bc2358 Rockets were better, talent wise and record wise but still...... they won by a hair. Did they really need 7 games to win this?

[Trinidadian125]

@onelightpro You've gotta be kidding me dude. These two teams were VERY evenly matched... somebody should've won by a hair! Hell, even in Game 7 the Rockets only won by 4 or 5 despite Starks' horrendous game....

[FallGuy82]

Hakeem Olajuwon was an effin' magician.

[SuperGonzo41]

this is the most depressing thing to watch ever. i dont care if the 94 knicks werent the most talented team; they had the most heart ever. so close yet so far is beyond true. to think if that shot had gone it in would probably be Starks Square Garden right now. heartbreaking.

[cashprinter5000]

damn this was more exciting than miami big 3

[ghariiscool]

why am i watching this? im a knick fan. this hurts :(

[dabomb2045]

Hakeem was so good during this stretch of his career. As great as Ewing was, Hakeem shut down his offensive game. Ewing had his moments defensively (he crashed the boards well and had a ton of blocks in this series--he almost played like the Georgetown version of Ewing) but really struggled offensively outside of Game 5.

[dabomb2045]

This Knicks team had so much heart....not a talented bunch at all outside of Ewing. Starks was a jumpshooter/slasher but really just a slightly above average player who was dangerous when he would get hot. Harper was a solid PG but past his prime (though he did play great in this series). Everyone else was just a role player. Houston was really the same team--the difference was they had a bit more depth, a bit more athleticism, Hakeem was better then Ewing and they had game 7 on their floor.

[klined]

@dabomb2045

starks was a slightly above average OFFENSIVE player, however, he was an elite level DEFENDER. So on average, he was much higher than above average.

[naavaleh]

they should have had oakley come out to set the pick for starks! having ewing do it brought olajuwan out to the perimeter so he was able to block the shot! d'oh!

[baldheadkid]

@naavaleh so true! should've kept Ewing down low the hell away!!

[jsantos1082]

Ferrante, ur a lunatic

[optimus2g]

How the hell does Ewing miss that easy ass lay-up/dunk at the 2:31 mark?

[MrYoyoma33]

fuck man. this shit still gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. I truly believe i would have amounted to something in life if these fucking monkeys would have closed the deal in 1994. fuckin knicks

[alexmoxie]

@MrYoyoma33 Dude you have major problems if you are blaming your life's failures on the outcome of this game

[din60]

This was the series that made David stern change the NBA rule because the Knicks were playing very physical, there was too much holding and pushing beyond believe the rockets couldn't play their normal game, otherwise the nicks would not have a chance.

[lonewulf44]

Man ... if Starks had hit the three .. my how things would have been different. Ewing and the guys would have had a ring, possibly a second. He would have been remember for winning the game and the series with his 4th quarters rather than gm 7 choake. Sigh .... although while I'm at it I'll just imagine no MJ and then I can see 4 NY titles in the 90's :)

[metalmadness00]

how does that make feel better all it did drive me into tears

[rafaleles]

Man I was 12 years old in 1994. Now I'm 29 and still thinking its a nigthmare.

Starks is a hero, nobody can change my mind.

[lonewulf44]

@rafaleles Same age, same thought. Loved #3

[nadrac2002]

@rafaleles Man i was 7 in 1994 and he was my hero, and i cried when he missed that shot.Till this day im still haunted by that moment being a Knick fan

[acegotflows]

@rafaleles same for me. I was 12 also. If you actually watched this game you'd see that if was fixed...

[MegaPs2master]

THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE KNICKS NIGHT, NOT THE ROCKETS!!!!!

[pretzelpimp]

the Bulls beat the Knicks 110-81 in game 6, I think they were the better team in '92

[pretzelpimp]

@pretzelpimp I mean game 7

[MACHIN3K1NG]

Houston We Have a Championship.

[ferrante9]

LET ME REPEAT ONE MORE TIME. EWING IS THE BEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME, STARKS IS THE SECOND BEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME. JORDAN SUCKS, KOBE SUCKS, LEBRON SUCKS, DWIGHT HOWARD SUCKS... THE KNICKS OF THE 90'S WERE THE BEST TEAM OF ALL TIMES...... TOUGH DEFENCE, THE BEST CENTER OF ALL TIMES, THE BEST 3 POINT SHOOTER IN THE WORLD, IN STARKS, THIS SERIERS WAS FIXED. DAVID STERN WANTED JORDAN TO WIN BECAUSE HE WAS MAKING THE NBA TH EMOST MONEY...SO HE ROBBED EWING ALL THOSE YEARS. THIS SE

[ramennoodlechef]

I was 14 when this happened and as a New Yorker was furious. This was one of the reasons I turned away from religion and quit going to church. "Kept on yelling that there is no God!!!" After game 7. My mom and dad had to both hold me down. from throwing stuff around the house.

[johnnysmoke92]

1994 WAS THE FUCKING YEAR FOR THE KNICKS BUT NOOOOOO THEY LOSE TO THE ROCKETS!?!?!?

[magicuno]

I love watching these old battles from the 90's. You had to earn it back then. Starks had a lot of heart. Too bad the highlight of his career would be his brick-out performance in Game 7 and his over-hyped dunk on Ho Grant in '93. This game would've been his signature performance. Hakeem was just so damn good defensively. No cheapies with him on the floor, as that last play showed you.

[tdubbcdman]

hakeem played good d, that's why starks missed. hakeem > knicks

[acegotflows]

2:08 Robert Horry, don't jump...

[acegotflows]

refs blew this whole game. They make the right calls we win easily...

[nutritionjuice23]

The Knicks normally don't get blown out all that much in the playoffs than they do during the regular season. The start of the 4 quarter and the Knicks are only down by 3 points, damn that Championship was there for the taking.

[tothebeaty0]

Houston Rockets didn't deserve the title in '94 and '95

[acegotflows]

@tothebeaty0 sure didn't...

[JFizz4life]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!! evry time i watch this video I always think that the ending would be different

[acegotflows]

@JFizz4life me 2...

[MrAlex6595]

man the just wanted it more back in the days,,,did u notice full court press threw out the whole game lol i wast even born yet

[acegotflows]

Starks had the best 4th quarter in an NBA finals I've ever seen...

[BiGRoxK]

great video.. it still hurts to watch.. starks , NY , Ewing they all deserved for that shot to go in... we would be livin ina diffrent world if not for hakeems 2 foot middle finger .... AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ChrisnSnoop]

Oh yeah, I have seen this video tonnes of times and I never thanked you for uploading it. So, thank you baldheadkid!

[baldheadkid]

@ChrisnSnoop no problem bro.. glad i could share

[ChrisnSnoop]

Great series... I love Ewing as one of my favorite basketball players ever, but had he made that ONE easy lay-up, or just simply dunked it, the Knicks would have won the championship.....

[klined]

Sam cassell was great in that series. came in as a rookie to win champs

[ferrante9]

hakeem sucks!!! ewing and the knicks won that title. starks got fouled. ewing is the best player of all time. david stern and mj stole 9 rings from ewing and the knicks in the 90s.!!! simple as that ...case closed

[TheBrainMachine78]

I've seen mental patients that were less delusional than you.

[shadydawg555]

Starks, Starks, Starks....man he made me nervous, he just wouldnt stop.

To this day, I feel the city of Houston is always in debt to Hakeem, Houston, a city of 0 titles, Hakeem gave us two in a row.

I also feel, if Hakeem doesnt block that shot, we dont get that title, great fantastic SERIES changing play by Hakeem. We all know what happened game 7! This was a fantastic series though!

[ChrisnSnoop]

@shadydawg555

Haha very well said, my friend. As a Knick fan from New York, I have to give props where its due. Hakeem the Dream played a great game and the Rockets were a great and formidable competitor... If anyone was to beat the Knicks, I'm glad its the Rockets. (And, as luck would have it, the Rockets happen to be my favorite team currently in the NBA. Yeah I've rooted for them and the Knicks this decade, though I'd rather not speak of the Knicks this decade).

[dabomb2045]

I will forever believe that if Hakeem doesnt block that shot....Starks makes it. He was on fire in this game. Just a great play by Olajuwon. Game 7 though was such a disaster. Starks w/his 2-18 game....yet even with that awful shooting the game wasnt decided until the final minute. What if Starks could have made even just two more shots, or what if Riley had pulled him and went with Hubert Davis. So close, yet so far.

[ferrante9]

starks got fouled....david stern robbed ewing a ring ....that knick team was and still is the best of all time. Mj sucks...kobe sucks, shaq sucks...hakeem sucks.

ewing is the best of all time...starks the second best......the knicks of the 90s are the best team of all time

[CelestialWoodway]

@ferrante9 Ewing was a Gorilla he had an advantage.

[HuskerFanatic]

@ferrante9 Rockets in 7. Choke on that, Bitch. That's all I got.

[ferrante9]

@HuskerFanatic HAKEEN SUCKED, KOBEK SUCKS, LEBRON SUCKS, EWING IS THE BEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME, AND EWING WON 9 RINGS DURING THE 90'S

[HuskerFanatic]

@ferrante9 Puh and might I add, leaze.

Ewing won 9 rings in the 90s? Well then, where are his rings? He doesn't possess any. You say Hakeem sucks but he possesses two more rings than Ewing. Kiss the Rings, B*tch.

[ferrante9]

@HuskerFanatic Ewing won 9 rings in the 90's, david stern robbed them and gave them to MJ because he was making the league the most money.

ewing won in 91, 92, knicks were up 2-0 against the bulls, charles smith gets fouled 4 times under the basket, no call. 93, 94, 95 , 97.... in 97 knicks were up 3-1 vs heat, stern disqualified ewing and starks for 2 games, 98, 99....so there you have it....9 rings

[johnnysmoke92]

@ferrante9 um excuse me EWING DIDN'T WIN A DAMN THING (gold medals don't count)

[showstoppa01]

@ferrante9

Get ova it.. Losers makes excuses. Ewing and da Knicks neva had da mentality to beat a Michael jordan Bulls. Heck da bulls took them to 7 games in 94 w/o Jordan and if it wasnt fo dat phantom call on pippen they woulda got knocked out da second round..Jus like husker said Where his rings at

[RealSportsTalkdotnet]

the only reason why olajuwon scored more in that series is because the knicks were playing oakley on him 1 on 1 and the rockets were double teaming Ewing

[maxinutri]

Even thou the Knicks lost this game the Rockets could not pull away and shake the Knicks. Playing on the road you hang around long enough and give you team a chance to win it in the 4th quarter and thats exactly what the Knicks did. Starks was only denied by Hakeem in the end, if Hakeem don't time that block perfectly there was no dought Starks would have sunk it and gave the Knicks a championship in 1994.

[superbuggerdude]

PUMP FAKE John!!!

[ceeIoc]

should have gone for OT. What a shame.

[maxinutri]

The Knicks had a GREAT chance to win Game 6 when Olajuwon picked up 5 Fouls with 6 min to go in the 4th Quarter. They had plenty of chances to Foul Olajuwon out of that Game. That was their best SHOT to get that Championship. Patrick Ewing only had 3 Fouls on Him. Olajuwon was REAL Nervous after picking up that 5th Foul.

[pedroj21]

if Ewing would have dunked maybe they would have won.

[ChrisnSnoop]

The Knicks only lost by TWO POINTS. Ewing is my favorite Center of all time, but why didn't he dunk that fast break play?! If he hadn't missed that lay-up and gotten offensive-goaltending, the Knicks would have been tied and forced an overtime AT THE LEAST. I'm pretty sure Starks could have torched the Rockets in overtime and the Knicks would have won the championship!

Hindsight is 20-20 but damn, in terms of basketball this is some painful hindsight.

[ChrisnSnoop]

This is one of my favorite games, but man... It hurts a little to think WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN. John Starks is one of my favorite ball players of all time and he was simply unstoppable...

[castaway50]

This is a great video to remind people that there was more to John Starks' career than a 2-18 in an NBA Finals Game 7...

His antics & cold streaks could make one cringe, but I always enjoyed his passion & intensity. As the graphic showed he had huge 4th quarters in games 4, 5, & 6 (11, 11, & 16 points).

What can you say about Olajuwon? His 1994-95 has to go down as the best 2 yr stretch for a big man in the last 30 yrs--he decimated his peers in the playoffs (Ewing, Robinson, and O'Neal)

[twotribes03]

Two average teams only close to winning an NBA title because Michael Jordan decided to retire. So dont be too sad knicks fans, you werent good enough and if Jordan had been around you never would have made the finals.

[ChrisnSnoop]

Please, get off MJ's bandwagon. It's pretty tiring to real basketball fans when posers only know of Michael Jordan and the Bulls, and then try to discredit everything else in basketball because they don't know anything else. Get out of here with that.

[twotribes03]

@ChrisnSnoop

Its not a bandwagon, with Jordan around these teams would have been chasing second place. You are just a knicks fan bitter because you never won anything.

Im a Bulls fan who thinks the knicks were pretty average. And I have 6 titles to back it up, you have zero titles in that era to back up the fact that you sucked.

And still today you suck and the Bulls have a better team.

[ChrisnSnoop]

Actually, had the Rockets faced the Bulls in the finals, Dream Olajuwon would have had a field day. He would have played even better than he did this series, and the Rockets probably could have taken out the Bulls. Dream played like an MVP against PATRICK EWING, you don't think he could have dismantled the entire Bulls' frontcourt? Let's face it, Worm couldn't touch Hakeem.

[ChrisnSnoop]

I'm not saying it would have happened, but come on now. The Bulls were definitely not immune to Dream's kickassedness.

[SoulWolff]

This takes me back. I Love This Game (and Starks and Olajuwon)

[NelleNelMusic]

this still makes me sad

[back2thefuture1000]

Jesus the knicks were genuinely in with a chance with around 50 seconds to go it seemed almost inevitable but then it all went wrong.

[ChurchofMe88]

i watched this, i shouldnt have..

[ChurchofMe88]

i just cant watch this....

[lucasscott3]

That was one shot that just HAD to go in. The Knicks deserved it that year, Johnny Starks deserved it with a HEROIC performance in this Game 6. If he had scored that game winner, the universe would have been in order. That miss sent him into that 2-of-18 game and ruined his career. WHY didn't it go in???

[baldheadkid]

Right on!!

[molonlave2010]

@baldheadkid Rocket fan here, yes it did hurts Starks mentally for missing a big shot with a stellar game 6 performance he had. What can you do? I actually love the guy, he's a terrific player. :)

[alphastar19]

@lucasscott3 Knicks played well during the game, but the Houston Rockets was just a bit better. The last shot, had it gone in, would have won a title for the Knicks, but game seven gave Houston their first title also, and that was extraordinary.

[justincase4080]

@lucasscott3

Because Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the best centers ever, dominated that shot!!

[StrosB4Hos]

@lucasscott3 It didnt go in because Hakeem BLOCKED IT!!!!!!

[toadman842]

@lucasscott3 HA. I could say the same thing about the '95 Suns. They should have beaten the rockets in 2 close-out games, but blew it by missing free throws. Well, everything happens for a reason, eh?

[FallGuy82]

@lucasscott3 It didn't go in because the city of Houston needed to make up for that soul-crushing loss to NC State back in '83.

[ompongawooh29]

patrick should've dunk it ! :(

[ChrisnSnoop]

This is one of my favorite single-player performances EVER. Starks played such a great game. Man, I still sit back and think what would have happened if Hakeem didn't block that shot... Only a center of Dream's caliber could have gotten that. Any other center and it would have been a win for the Knicks. I still feel sad for Starks because he played so hard. Forget that 2-18; without Starks the Knicks wouldn't have even got past the Bulls that year. John Starks is a TRUE LEGEND.

[azbaldy5]

it is now FIFTEEN YEARS LATER and i will NEVER understand why riley did not go to ROLONDO BLACKMON more in this and the 7th game.HE COULD SHOOT. What happened ? he kept starks in there we know the rest !

[dasefxrob]

Man, I know people knock starks for game 7, but i think he was the knicks' mvp up until then.

[neoellinas]

I agree. Starks dominated the fourth quarter in Games 4, 5 and 6. Without that, I think the series wouldn't have even made it back to Houston. And with the way he was shooting that night, there was no way he was missing that final shot if Hakeen hadn't gotten his finger on it.

I put Game 7 all on Riley...he saw Starks was struggling, he had Rolando and Hubert Davis on the bench, players who had seen some playoff action. He could have given one of them a shot. Oh well, we'll never know.

[jeroel]

be forwarned-the moron who calls himself "sandie gotos" enjoys sticking live hamsters in his asshole.......i know it's sick but the idiot and his boyfriends keep e-mailing me,i want them to keep their sick crap to themselves,maybe by posting the truth they will stop...............please go back to your closets sandie gotos and boyfriends!!!

[bradPITBULL1]

damn.... :( starks was holding the knicks down in the end, fucking dream's arms were just too long for starks to make that pull-up. if starks would've made that shot that would've solidified starks to a legend, now he's jus a player we knew as a once upon a time knick. Sad :(

[PeanutButter5]

not 2 mention he had the biggest game 7 melt down.... thats the saddest part....=(

[KiPwnNubs]

thats probably one of the greatest blocks in nba...starks woulda shot that in.

[liweiwu007]

what if larry johnson was the one who took the shot? 4 point play!

[jeroel]

Larry Johnson would have to climb a mountain to kiss Olajuwon's ass......Dream would do what he had to do to win the title that year,he was "the man" give me a fucking break,are you brain dead??

[liweiwu007]

go fuck yourself!

[jeroel]

aww,poor little baby got his feelings hurt-well don't post stupid crap next time-by the way,fuck you...............Jeroel

[liweiwu007]

what kinda a gay ass name is jeroel?

[jeroel]

it's actually the same name as Superman's father,but spelled different-so go back to your closet and doing special ballerina dances for your boyfriends,i'm sure your dildo partners can't wait!!!!!!

[jetsfan0702]

thanks for posting this video. brings back alot of memories.

[musicispower84]

Oh damn Starks was always my favorite shooting guard. He was the true heart and soul of the Knicks. He just got an unlucky break here. I'm glad Allan Houston took his place at starting shooting guard once he became a bench player. He was truly fierce on the court and knew how to get those three point shots in... except at the last second but I'm sure it was totally excusable. Look at the pressure he was under. Truly one of hte NBA's greatest of all time.

[res340]

I never watched the replay of this game until now. The football pass from oak to starks would've given them the lead if he didn't overthrow it. What I would give to see the play without Hakeem tipping starks's 3 at the end.

[TheXterminator51]

Houston got lucky. That three by Starks would've been money. Face it, he got hot and Rudy didn't know what to do with him! The Knicks were always good back then yet no one gives them credit. Damn, if you don't love em' then I will!

[jeroel]

lucky my ass,that's the greatest blocker dumbfuck

[TheXterminator51]

Nigga please. Your Rockets lucked out. Olajuwon got his ass handed to him by Ewing in college and you know it. Ewing was always the better all around player. Olajuwon couldn't shoot to save his life.

[jeroel]

that's pretty funny dumbass-Ewing never outplayed Dream-learn some history before proving how fucking stupid you are-just because Ewing's team won in the NCAA final doesn't mean Pat could hold Olajuwon's jock-he couldn't-and since Dream is twice the defender and the #1 scoring center in post season history,26/game at 53%-i guess that means you really are an idiot...but i guess 27/game at 50% in the '94 final compared to Pat's 18/game at 36% didn't faze you

[TheXterminator51]

Your dumbass probably went to hoops encyclopedia for that. Ewing had more heart, hussle, and pride. Olajuwon wasn't bad, but Ewing and Starks played every game like it was their last. I'd like to see your fat ass play 82 + games for 15 years with the most obnoxious fans around.

[TheXterminator51]

And in case you didn't already notice, I know Patrick Ewing. Him and my grandfather grew up in Kingston. So I know Patrick is a stand up guy. He's very kind. Just had some bad moments.

[jeroel]

listen buddy-Ewing is and was a warrior-1st ballot hall of famer and i respect his game...you started this by writing Patrick had a greater all/around game than Dream-which is a ridiculous statement......being loyal to your buddy is 1 thing-but you're putting emotion over logic-Ewing was a truly great player-i'm not gonna put Pat down anymore unless you egg me on-but get this,Dream played blood and guts just like Pat did-ask him,he'll tell you himself..

[TheXterminator51]

I'm not saying Olajuwon sucked. He was great. But Ewing had so much heart and fought like a warrior. In a shootout my moneys on Ewing. Olajuwon had heart, but I just don't know. Ewing never gets credit. Despite I'm only 15 and I've only seen around 20 Knicks games from the 90's era, I at least check stats. Statistically Olajuwon had a little better defensivly, but stats don't mean a thing when you bring it to the court.

[kOrOne79]

1994 Finals - FTA per game:

Olajuwon 6.1 - Starks 5.6, Ewing 3.0

How on earth did Ewing average only three free throw attempts per game? I never saw the whole series, can anybody explain that to me?

[superbuggerdude]

Yeah its cos Ewing was a whimp who doesnt drive to the hole and is afraid of contact... I mean I love New York.. but everybody knows Ewing's a sissy..

[popeyeisgood]

hahaah

ewing was definitely outplayed by olajuwon that year. i remember ewing looks old and seems to be afraid of injury in the series. and yea i think his shot was pretty off as well.

i also remember how i hated the series..without mj and the bulls, but at the same time, hoping the knicks would win since they have been fighting hard and well deserved. also was amazed by how well hakeem plays, as well as starks too, until the real clutch time.

[neoellinas]

Ewing was definitely no wimp in that series. He was definitely off offensively in most games (though he did hit some big shots, even a three in one or two of the games!), but he was a beast on the boards and under the basket. He even set a Finals record for blocked shots in a series. If anything, he played more like he did in his Georgetown days than as a Knick.

The other problem was ball movement. The Knicks were pretty terrible on offense and didn't get the ball to the big guy enough.

[radio187]

I remember that very well. The reason was that the stupid Knicks didn't get the ball to Ewing enough. I couldn't believe for the life of me that they kept letting Hubert Davis, Starks and Charles Smith shoot so damn much. Ewing didn't touch the ball even half as much as Hakeem.

[dv122]

the curse of the rigged 84lottery. The lakers got cursed now for the gm6 of 2002wcf. curses are real.

[ezekwu]

hakeem>ewing

[dv122]

of course also

hakeem > shaq

[XxbloodmoneyxX08]

hakeem>d robinson, shaq, ewing, and mourning. he used to dominate all his center competition in the 90s. his footwork and mobility made it near impossible to guard him in his prime

[falkner23]

john starks was putting on a shooting clinic then dream came 2 save the day it was a bad day in new york we were so close 2 the championship

[XxbloodmoneyxX08]

starks did end up stinking it up the next game by going 2-18. a great player and great defender nontheless. he was the true heart and soul of the knicks and he was their go to guy in crunch time, not ewing.

[VicOyedeji]

yep..the infamous 2-18 game....

[liweiwu007]

ewing was the go to guy, he just deferred to starks and he let the team down the last game. well coming from one shot away of winning the championship and having it blocked had to do something to your psyche

[jaboo82681]

one of the more underrated Finals, this was a great series!!

[XxbloodmoneyxX08]

yeah but it lacked the magic and awe of previous finals series that had jordan in it. a great series though between deep teams.

[jaboo82681]

oh by far the 93 Finals were better

[liweiwu007]

more offensive bonanzas

[triklops]

Ohhh,great upload !!!! Great Basketball....great players....Real men !!!!

Imagine Starks giving Hakeem the fake and then BOOM....but that's how life goes....great game by starks though !!!!

Thanks for the upload.