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Reactions

Knicks fans remember the heartbreakers

Opponents loved to hate John Starks. Vincent Laforet/Allsport

I think one of the bigger trades was the one that sent John Starks out to Golden State. Starks was the player you loved to hate on the Knicks, and his leaving ushered in a new generation of Knicks basketball. Starks, Oakley, and Ewing represented the Knicks of the early '90s, and the Starks trade began the trades for Camby, etc. This might not have been a bad thing, but I grew up with the Knicks of John Starks, and I was sad to see him go.
Kevin Grossman, Coram, N.Y.

The day that Patrick Ewing was traded was the saddest day in sports for me. The greatest thing left in sports is a guy that pours his heart into a city and a team. Patrick did all of that. No, he never delivered a championship, but some guy named Jordan had a pretty good ball team in those days. I just love a guy that stays in one city and desires to end a historic career there.
Michael Weaver, Charlotte, N.C.

Speaking of Knicks heartbreakers, let's talk about the John Starks/Latrell Sprewell trade. If Oak was the heart and soul of the team, then Starks was definitely the emotional fireplug that brought them alive. Yes, his seventh game meltdown ruined Patrick's greatest shot at winning the title, but even then we were able to forgive him over time. Looking back over the past trades of our good players, Ewing to Seattle, Oakley to Toronto, Starks to GS, Jackson to the Clippers, Frazier to Cleveland, it's one thing to be traded when you're the fan favorite, but they have a way of rubbing salt in the wound by shipping you off to the least desirable teams. Talk about kicking a man when he's down.
A. Muir, East Meadow, N.Y.

When the Knicks traded Patrick Ewing , it broke my heart. I realized that perhaps his time had come, but I thought it was terrible that this great superstar was practically forced out of town, and kicked on his way out. Sports fans, especially us in New York, tend to have a short memory. But when Patrick was traded, I reflected on the positives and not the negatives.

In a time when athletes tend to simply go through the motions much of the time, Ewing gave 100 percent every single game. He played through pain and injury, desperately trying to capture that elusive ring. When he left town, I felt as if a part of my heart was taken out. People tend to only miss people once they are gone, and I think people will certainly be missing the "Big Fella" before long.

Here's to you Patrick, I miss you.
Jonah Paquette, New York, N.Y.

In 1994, the Knicks were in the NBA Finals led by John Starks and Charles Oakley. They were the heart and soul of the team. A couple years later, they're gone. Who did the Knicks get in return? An overhyped center in Marcus Camby and a player in Latrell Sprewell who should have been thrown from the league. Since then, I've had to convert to being a Pacers fan and have delighted in the Knick's rebounding woes in recent seasons.
Anonymous, New York

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