Unsung Knick History – Al McGuire’s Phantom Bucket

This is the latest in a series of examinations into different games, events and decisions that impacted Knicks history in some way, shape or form. Stories that are not as famous as, say, “The Dunk” or Willis Reed playing Game 7, but still have a place in Knicks history, especially for die-hard fans. Here is an archive of all the stories featured so far.

For a team that has been in the NBA for well over six decades, the New York Knickerbockers sadly have only won two NBA championships. The main reason for that is that they have spent large chunks of their team history as perennial losers (at least they used all of that losing in the 1960s to build up a very good 1970s team and they used their 1980s losing to build up a strong 1990s team. They used all of their 2000s losing to make it to the second round one year in 2013). However, they also have an unenviable place in NBA history as one of only two teams to make it to the NBA Finals three years in a row and lose every time (the other team to do it, the Los Angeles Lakers, actually had a worse go of it, as while they also “only” went three years in a row without a win from 1968-1970, they also played in seven out of nine NBA Finals from 1962 to 1970, losing all seven). That takes some particularly bad luck, and that’s just what happened in Game 1 of the 1952 NBA Finals when Al McGuire made a basket that not enough people actually saw.

Knicks Morning News (2016.10.06)

  • [ESPN] Thursday’s Knicks News: Defense needs to improve moving forward
    (Thursday, October 06, 2016 5:08:03 AM)

    Thursday’s Knicks News: Defense needs to improve moving forward

  • [ESPN] Jury of 6 women, 2 men set for Rose lawsuit
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 5:51:21 PM)

    Jury of 6 women, 2 men set for Rose lawsuit

  • [NYPost] Knicks shooter rents $8K/month home court in Midtown
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 11:42:55 PM)

    Knicks shooting guard Sasha Vujacic has rented a two-bedroom apartment at Sky, the colossal rental at 605 W. 42nd St., that was asking a mighty $8,200 per month. Vujacic has been spotted shooting hoops with his neighbor — fellow Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis, who also lives in the building alongside his brothers, as we exclusively…

  • [NYPost] Kristaps Porzingis reportedly signs huge shoe deal
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 11:20:50 PM)

    Adidas apparently is banking on Kristaps Porzingis’ ability to grow into a superstar. The shoe company signed the 21-year-old New York Knicks forward to the most lucrative deal for a European player, The Vertical reported Wednesday. The contract reportedly is worth between $3 million and $6 million annually, a figure Nike, Porzingis’ previous shoe company,…

  • [NYPost] Derrick Rose’s rape accuser cries during opening statements
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 3:52:40 PM)

    The woman suing Knicks point guard Derrick Rose and two pals over an alleged gang rape wept softly as her lawyer graphically described her ordeal during opening statements Wednesday. “While [she] was going in and out of consciousness in her house, each one of the defendants took turns raping her,” lawyer Waukeen McCoy told jurors…

  • [NYPost] Knicks won’t wait for Derrick Rose as he heads to trial
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 2:10:01 PM)

    Derrick Rose got into a nice groove in his first preseason game with the Knicks on Tuesday in Houston, occasionally looking like the player of old with buzzworthy forays to the hoop. Now the key for the Knicks is Rose staying sharp as he goes to court and leaves the team for an indefinite period. Rose…

  • [NYPost] Kristaps Porzingis’ tantalizing Year 2 leap on full display
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 11:46:47 AM)

    After the first quarter had ended in Houston on Tuesday, the Knicks’ new center Joakim Noah — who was sidelined by injury — huddled with Kristaps Porzingis for about a minute. The lecture was not about Porzingis’ 3-point shooting stroke, however lovely it was in the second half of an otherwise disastrous preseason opener. “It was about…

  • [NYTimes] Knicks’ Derrick Rose Expected in Court as Civil Trial in Rape Case Begins
    (Thursday, October 06, 2016 2:23:57 AM)

    An ex-girlfriend of Rose’s has accused him and two other men of raping her while she was incapacitated early one morning during the summer of 2013.

  • [NYTimes] James, Cavaliers Open Preseason by Beating Magic
    (Thursday, October 06, 2016 5:24:37 AM)

    LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers had a successful start to their title defense preparations.

  • [NYTimes] James, Cavaliers Open Preseason by Beating Magic
    (Thursday, October 06, 2016 1:52:53 AM)

    LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers had a successful start to their title defense preparations.

  • [NYTimes] OKC Beats Barcelona 92-89 for 1st Win Without Durant
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 10:18:57 PM)

    Forward Enes Kanter scored 24 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat Barcelona 92-89 on Wednesday for their first win after the departure of star forward Kevin Durant.

  • [SNY Knicks] Jury set for Rose’s rape trial
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 6:08:19 PM)

    A federal court jury of six women and two men was selected Wednesday for the trial of a $21 million lawsuit by a woman who claims she was gang-raped by NBA star Derrick Rose and two other men.

  • [SNY Knicks] Rose shows early signs of chemistry with Knicks in loss
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 8:28:17 AM)

    While Carmelo Anthony, Lance Thomas and Brandon Jennings struggled from the field in the New York Knicks’ preseason opener on Tuesday, the chemistry between Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis was evident.

  • [NY Newsday] Derrick Rose talks defense, Jeff Hornacek stresses toughness after Knicks’ preseason opener
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 3:43:38 PM)

    Kristaps Porzingis had no problem getting open shots and knocking them down in the Knicks’ first preseason game Tuesday night. The Rockets had an even easier time.

  • [NYDN] Lawyers tell vastly different stories in Derrick Rose rape trial
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 7:13:33 PM)

    Jurors heard two vastly different play-by-play descriptions of the events at issue in the rape trial of Knicks guard Derrick Rose.

  • [NYDN] Here’s our basketball Mount Rushmore of NYC sports
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 11:52:38 AM)

    Yes, even the worst of the four major sports in New York is worthy of a Mount Rushmore.

  • [NYDN] Knicks shrug off preseason blowout loss, pin it on coaches
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 7:54:21 AM)

    The positives were few and far between for the Knicks in their preseason opener.

  • [NYDN] Jeff Van Gundy has domestic violence punishment ideas for NBA
    (Wednesday, October 05, 2016 6:54:52 AM)

    Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy wants the NBA to make an example of players charged with domestic violence.