So we goofed a little bit and we jumped the gun a bit on the Bernard King vs. Jeremy Lin matchup. That battle was meant for Round 3, thanks to the automatic advancement we gave King over Malik Rose. However, there are still a few second-round matchups to finish before the King-Lin duel should’ve taken place. Never-the-less the overall outcome remains unaffected, as King will ultimately go on to face the winner of the Tyson Chandler / David Lee matchup later on in Round 4 while we still round out Round 2
before heading to Round 3.
This week’s matchup features Anthony Mason vs. Bill Cartwright. Since Mase is my all-time favorite Knick, I’ll refrain from making any biased remarks (not that he needs the help, in my opinion). Never the less, back to Round 2. Apologies if you’ve gone cross-eyes as we tried to explain the proper round we are on.
Anthony Mason- “I got my hair-cut correct like Anthony Mason, then I ride the IRT right up to Penn Station”.– The Beastie Boys
Only the true fan favorites get their names dropped in the latest hip-hop tracks just as Mase did by the Beastie Boys 1994 track “B-Boys Makin’ with the Freak Freak”.
Mase was the fan favorite of the entire city during the ’90s. Sure, everyone loved Patrick Ewing and John Starks, but if one of them was your number one, odds are Mase was your number two. His hard-nosed style of play perfectly matched the hard-nosed attitude of New York itself. Simply put, Mase was New York. Alongside Charles Oakley, the two became the Knicks’ hardcore “Bash Brothers” during the Riley era, enforcers who weren’t shy about putting opponents on the floor, and certainly not about earning a fine if they helped them back up.
Mase was an all-around gifted athlete standing at 6-foot-7, 255 pounds with the strength of a linebacker coupled with the quickness and ball-handling skills of a point guard. Mason defined the position of “Point Forward”, even going as far as self-proclaiming himself a “Point God” by way of one of his famous haircuts, which no one could, or would, dare to argue.
The ever-changing slogans etched into Mase’s head were Mase’s trademark. These distinctive designs often paid homage to the Knicks, and often celebrated the city of New York.
Although Mason’s best statistical years came after his time with the Knicks, most NBA fans remember his greatest years of playing in the league during the ’90s Knicks era, one in which he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award in 1995.
Bill Cartwright- The Knicks selected Cartwright third overall in 1979, just two picks behind Magic Johnson. As a rookie, he earned his lone NBA All-Star appearance, made the All-Rookie First Team, and started all 82 games, averaging a career-high 21.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He followed that up with another strong season, posting 20.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while once again playing every game.
At 7’1”, 245 pounds, Cartwright was emerging into one of the league’s elite centers foot injuries derailed his rise, costing him the entire 1984–85 season. Following that year, the Knicks drafted Patrick Ewing. As Ewing developed into the face of the franchise, Cartwright’s playing time and stock diminished year over year before he was ultimately traded to the Chicago Bulls for Charles Oakley and two draft picks.
Don’t just vote, we would love to here why you voted for who you voted for in the comments section!
