Before I begin, I'd like to wish everybody (especially the troops) a happy Fourth of July! Cheers to all of you! Now that I've said that, I have a date today, so I will resume the My List special with team #4, the New York Knicks. I'm gonna let you know early that the starting lineup is heavily slanted towards the 1970s teams. But they did win titles, so that's to be expected (isn't it, Isiah?). Without further ado, here's the lineup:

Starters:

PG: Walt Frazier: Let me say, before I write his bio, that my grandmother (who I love dearly) thinks he is ugly! Now that that's out of the way, Frazier was the personification of cool in the early 70s. He also was the spark that made the Knicks go. From 1969-70 to 1974-75, Frazier averaged over 20 PPG, 6 APG and 6 RPG (not bad for a guard) as the Knicks won three conference and two NBA titles. In game 7 of the 1970 Finals, he scored 36 points and had 19 assists, helping the Knicks clinch their first title.

SG: Earl Monroe: I wringed my hands over this pick for awhile, but I decided that Monroe's career stats merited his selection. It is true that Monroe's best years were as a Baltimore Bullet, but he didn't win an NBA title, until being traded to New York during the 1971-72 season. His first year was a rough transition (he didn't even start when the Knicks made the Finals; Dean Meminger did!), but by year two, he bought into the Knicks' system, and was a factor in them regaining the title in 1973. He averaged over 20 PPG twice as a Knick, and made the 1975 and 1977 All-Star teams while he was there.

C: (tie) Willis Reed/Patrick Ewing: How can you choose between the two? Granted, Reed's stats don't overwhelm like Ewing's, but Ewing also didn't win a championship (thanks to John Starks). So, they both tie (and thus, you won't see a backup C on the "Reserves" list). Reed wasn't the most physically gifted player, but his desire and hustle made him play bigger than he was. After taking over the C spot when Walt Bellamy was traded in 1968, Reed enjoyed his finest season in 1969-70, becoming the first player to win all three MVPs (regular season, All-Star, and Finals) in the same year (he would be the last to accomplish this until Michael Jordan in 1996). His legendary game 7 (even though he only scored two baskets) is still among the greatest games in NBA history. Ewing came to New York in 1985, and turned the sorry Knicks into a playoff team by his third year, a division champ in his fourth, and a conference champ by year nine. He made nine All-Star teams, averaged 22 PPG and 10 RPG over his Knicks career, and was the Knicks' all-time leader in points, field goals made, free throws made, rebounds, blocks and steals when he was traded in 2000.

SF: Bill Bradley: The future U.S. Senator was a Rhodes scholar at Princeton before beginning his Knicks career in 1967. Initially used as a guard, Bradley switched to forward and became a steady scorer and defender on the Knicks' two title teams of the 70s. He averaged double figures in eight of his ten seasons, made the All-Star team in 1973 (when he averaged a career-high 16.1 PPG) and made the HOF in 1992.

PF: Dave DeBusschere: DeBusschere was already an established star on the Pistons when he was traded to the Knicks in 1968. He made the Knicks better by allowing Reed to switch to center, and by being a great rebounder and defender for the Knicks' golden era. DeBusschere averaged close to 15 PPG and over 10 RPG each year with the Knicks, making the All-Star team four times while he was there. He was also an All-NBA first team defensive selection in each season he played in New York.

Reserves:

PG: Mark Jackson: ESPN's current analyst (are you kidding me!?!?) was quick to make an impact in the NBA, winning ROY honors in 1988, averaging 13.6 PPG and 10.6 APG. Jackson helped fuel the Knicks to a division title in 1989 and a share of the division in 1992, then departed for the Clippers. He returned for a brief time in 2001, but left again after the Knicks lost in the 1st round to Toronto. His overall career (second all-time in assists) got him the backup spot.

SG: Allan Houston: Although most fans know Houston today as the posterchild for bad contracts, he was a dependable scorer for the Knicks in the early part of this decade. Houston averaged between 18 and 22 PPG for the Knicks in five of seven seasons from 1997-2003 (with a high of 22.5 in 2002-03) and was a key figure when the #8 seeded Knicks reached the 1999 NBA Finals. Knee troubles ultimately stopped his career in its tracks, and despite an attempt to come back, he has since moved into analyst work.

SF: Bernard King: Before I hear the cries for Larry Johnson, hear me out on King; he might have become one of the greatest scorers in league history had he not suffered a horrific knee injury in 1985. After playing on three teams in five years from 1977-82, King joined the Knicks, and led the team to the playoffs, averaging 21.9 PPG. He had an even better year in 1984 (26.3 PPG), including a memorable duel with Isiah Thomas in the deciding fifth game of the 1st round matchup in Detroit. Then, during the 1985 season, with the scoring title assured, King suffered his grizly injury in a game in Kansas City. He missed all but 6 games the next three years, and the Knicks released him. The Bullets then signed him, and he played very well for them over the next four years (the highlight of which was his appearence in the 1991 All-Star game) before leaving the NBA for good after the 1992-93 season.

PF: Charles Oakley: Oakley was the player who epitomized toughness with the Knicks during the early and mid-90s. Acquired in a trade from Chicago for Bill Cartwright in 1988, Oakley helped the Knicks improve from 38 to 52 wins his first year there. Oakley averaged a double-double four times as a Knick, made the 1994 All-Star team, and helped the Knicks reach the 1994 Finals.

Coaches:

Head Coach: Red Holzman: Holzman seemed an unlikely candidate as a coach to the HOF. Before coaching the Knicks, he had a spotty record as the Hawks' coach from 1954-57 (no winning seasons, an 83-120 record), but when he assumed the reins in 1967, the Knicks bought into his team concept, and they became champions. Between 1968-69 and 1973-74, the Knicks won at least 48 games each year, won three conference titles, and won two NBA titles. Holzman finished coaching after the 1981-82 season with 696 wins (the same number is reitred at MSG in his honor).

Assistants: Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy: Riles made his return to coaching with the Knicks (after a stint with NBC) in 1991, and changed the team's image from flashy to tough-minded, and the change worked to a point. The Knicks won at least 51 games in each of Riley's four seasons there, the highlight being the run to the 1994 Finals. Van Gundy, before talking about MMA, his teeth and other inane topics on ESPN, kept that image going after replacing Don Nelson late in the 1995-96 season. He had a winning record in each full season coached in New York, and took the Knicks to the 1999 Finals.

Honorable Mentions:

SF/PF: Larry Johnson: Great career, I know, and no doubt he'll replace Bradley and/or King on many lists. Just not mine.

PG: Micheal Ray Richardson: If only he could have stayed clean.

SF: Latrell Sprewell: Another important Knick of recent lore. How can I put a guy who can't live on $8 million on here?

PG: Richard McGuire: A little, O.K., a lot before my time.

PF: Harry Gallatin: See McGuire.

PG: Stephon Marbury: Where's Mark Jackson (you've gotta be kidding me!) when you need him? He's the symbol of the current Knicks' ineptitude.

SG: John Starks: Just look at game 7 of the 1994 Finals. Then you'll see why he's not here.

PF: Anthony Mason: Not quite enough done in New York.

There's the list. Tomorrow, because it's the weekend, I'll do the weakest teams; Toronto and Memphis!