NBA Playoffs: Ranking the 5 mentally and physically toughest teams of all-time
By Robby Sabo
4. Patrick Ewing’s New York Knicks
Where do you begin with the New York Knicks of the 1990s?
Will there be some vitriol for them being labeled one of the five toughest teams in NBA history, due to the fact they never took home a championship? Of course.
However, these guys cannot be overlooked in this area.
Ewing, Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason, John Starks and Ron Harper were, perhaps, the most physical NBA Playoff team of all-time.
Their mantra could be described as “shoot a jumper, get an elbow in the chest. Drive baseline, get your head knocked off.”
This team fed of the rough and tough description the city of New York loved. Even other players prior to the East champions of ’94 like Xavier McDaniel and Mark Jackson, or reserves like Greg Anthony and Anthony Bonner would not give an inch while on that Madison Square Garden hardwood.
Hard fouls weren’t just a once in a while thing with these guys, they were a way of life.
What’s fascinating about this team is the fact that Pat Riley – who was the leader for the Lakers run-and-gun Showtime team – recognized the only way this group could possibly compete for an NBA title was to play this rugged style.
They weren’t the most talented team by any means. Most NBA championship teams need at least two superstars. The Knicks only had one.
But this is precisely why they find themselves on this list. Their heart, desire and will elevated their play in such a way that created phenomenal rivalries with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat that we haven’t seen in this league since.
Their best team came in the 1992-93 season when the city saw 60 wins and the Atlantic Division crown. Like their DNA proved, the Knicks finished first in the NBA by only allowing 95.4 points per game.
During Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, New York had a chance to go up 2-0 on the defending champion Bulls.
With under a minute to go, and a three-point lead, the ultimate underdog in John Starks took matters into his own hands:
Unfortunately for these Knicks, they played in an era that featured Michael Jordan, as the Bulls won the next four games to advance to the 1993 NBA Finals.
Despite only knocking off the Bulls in one series (in 1994 while Jordan went to play baseball), this rivalry will go down as one of the best of all-time:
Next: Number 3