John Starks
undrafted | |
Playing career | 1988–2002 |
---|---|
Position | Shooting guard |
Number | 30, 3, 9 |
Coaching career | 2003–2003 |
Career history | |
As player: | |
1988–1989 | Golden State Warriors |
1989–1990 | Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets |
1990 | Memphis Rockers |
1990–1998 | New York Knicks |
1999–2000 | Golden State Warriors |
2000 | Chicago Bulls |
2000–2002 | Utah Jazz |
As coach: | |
2003 | Westchester Wildfire |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 10,829 (12.5 ppg) |
Rebounds | 2,129 (2.5 rpg) |
Assists | 3,085 (3.6 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
John Levell Starks (born August 10, 1965) is an American former professional
Early life
Starks was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he attended Tulsa Central High School.[1] At Tulsa Central, Starks played only one year on the basketball team.[2]
After high school, he enrolled at
Career
Golden State Warriors
Other Leagues
Starks played stints in the Continental Basketball Association (Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets, 1989–90) and World Basketball League (Memphis Rockers, 1990–91).[2]
New York Knicks
In 1990, Starks tried out for the New York Knicks. In one practice, he tried to dunk on Knicks
Starks executed one of the most famous plays in Knicks history, a play that became known simply as "The Dunk". In Game 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls, Starks was in the court's right corner, and closely guarded by B. J. Armstrong. Ewing came to set a screen for Starks, who faked to the left, as if to exploit the screen, but then drove along the baseline and, with his left hand, dunked over both Horace Grant and Michael Jordan as Jordan came over to help.[9][10]
One of the low points of Starks' career came in the 1994 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets. In the closing seconds of Game 3 and the Knicks trailing by three, Starks was fouled by Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon while attempting a three-pointer. At the time, the NBA allowed only two free throws during a foul on a three-pointer. Starks made both, but Houston won 93–89 (the league would change the rule to allow three free throws the next season). Starks and the Knicks then watched[11] their home court host the New York Rangers' first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years, with their 3–2 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals. It served as an inspiration[11] for the Knicks to recover to take a 3–2 series lead going into Game 6. However, in the final seconds of Game 6, Olajuwon blocked Starks' last-second three-point attempt to give Houston an 86–84 victory. In Game 7, Starks had one of the worst games of his career, shooting 2-for-18 from the field, including 1-for-10 in the fourth quarter. The Rockets went on to win the game and the championship.
In 1995, Starks became the first player to hit 200 three pointers in a single season.
On February 18, 1997, Starks hit a
Return to Golden State
In January 1999, Starks was traded back to his original team, the Golden State Warriors. Starks was traded, along with Chris Mills and Terry Cummings, in exchange for Latrell Sprewell. Starks remained with the Warriors until February 2000, when he was traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of a three-team trade.[14]
Chicago Bulls
Starks played for the Chicago Bulls for four games in the 1999–2000 season. When the Bulls were unable to trade him before the February trade deadline, both sides contacted the league and inquired whether Starks could be released without pay so he could join a contenter. The matter went to arbitrator who ruled that Starks could be released without pay, but would not be eligible for the playoffs with another team. With the ruling, Starks rescinded his request to be released but the Bulls released him anyway, siting their desire to focus on the younger core of the team.[15]
Utah Jazz
Starks finished his career with the Utah Jazz, playing for the Jazz from 2000 to 2001 to 2001–02.
Later career and retirement
After his stint with Golden State, Starks played for the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz before failing to make an NBA team in 2002 and retiring with 10,829 career points. He currently works for the Knicks as an alumnus and fan development official, and as a pre-and-post-game analyst on MSG Network's home Knicks game coverage. He has also served as the head coach of the Maulers, a
Starks is part-owner and a promoter for the Ektio basketball shoe, which doctor and former college basketball player Barry Katz designed to reduce ankle injuries.[17][18]
John Starks owns a Kia dealership, John Starks Kia, in the Briarwood neighborhood of Jamaica, NY.
Slamball coaching record
Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Result | |||
Maulers |
2008 | 5 | 7 | .417 | 5th | – | – | Did not qualify | |
Total | 5 | 7 | .417 | - | - | - | - |
Legacy
His tenacity, desire to win, and plays like "The Dunk", made Starks into a great crowd favorite in New York.
Starks is the Knicks' all-time leader in three point field goals (982).[20] He was the first player in NBA history to make 200 three-pointers in one season; his 217 during the 1994–95 NBA season broke Louie Dampier's single-season professional (NBA or ABA) record of 199 during the 1968–69 ABA season. Dennis Scott broke Starks' record a year later with 267; it now belongs to Stephen Curry.
Despite his relatively short height, Starks was, like his teammates
Starks is mentioned by surname in A Tribe Called Quest's song "8 Million Stories" on Midnight Marauders and in Beastie Boys' "Get It Together" off Ill Communication.[21]
Personal life
Starks' has claimed that his mother was one-quarter
On December 13, 1986, John Starks married his wife Jackie.[23] They have one son and two daughters.[2]
NBA career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
* | Led the league |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1988–89 | Golden State
|
36 | 0 | 8.8 | .408 | .385 | .654 | 1.1 | .8 | .6 | .1 | 4.1 |
1990–91 | New York
|
61 | 10 | 19.2 | .439 | .290 | .752 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 1.0 | .3 | 7.6 |
1991–92 | New York
|
82 | 0 | 25.8 | .449 | .348 | .778 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 1.3 | .2 | 13.9 |
1992–93 | New York
|
80 | 51 | 31.0 | .428 | .321 | .795 | 2.6 | 5.1 | 1.1 | .2 | 17.5 |
1993–94 | New York
|
59 | 54 | 34.9 | .420 | .335 | .754 | 3.1 | 5.9 | 1.6 | .1 | 19.0 |
1994–95 | New York
|
80 | 78 | 34.1 | .395 | .355 | .737 | 2.7 | 5.1 | 1.2 | .1 | 15.3 |
1995–96 | New York
|
81 | 71 | 30.8 | .443 | .361 | .753 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 1.3 | .1 | 12.6 |
1996–97 | New York
|
77 | 1 | 26.5 | .431 | .369 | .769 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 1.2 | .1 | 13.8 |
1997–98 | New York
|
82* | 10 | 26.7 | .393 | .327 | .787 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .1 | 12.9 |
1998–99 | Golden State
|
50* | 50* | 33.7 | .370 | .290 | .740 | 3.3 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .1 | 13.8 |
1999–00 | Golden State
|
33 | 30 | 33.6 | .378 | .348 | .833 | 2.8 | 5.2 | 1.1 | .1 | 14.7 |
1999–00 | Chicago
|
4 | 0 | 20.5 | .324 | .300 | 1.000 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 1.3 | .3 | 7.5 |
2000–01 | Utah
|
75 | 64 | 28.3 | .398 | .352 | .802 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 1.0 | .1 | 9.3 |
2001–02 | Utah
|
66 | 1 | 14.1 | .368 | .305 | .805 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | .0 | 4.4 |
Career | 866 | 420 | 27.2 | .412 | .340 | .769 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 1.1 | .1 | 12.9 | |
All-Star | 1 | 0 | 20.0 | .444 | .333 | - | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 9.0 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1991
|
New York
|
3 | 0 | 9.3 | .400 | - | 1.000 | 1.0 | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | 2.0 |
1992
|
New York
|
12 | 0 | 24.6 | .374 | .239 | .808 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 1.4 | .0 | 12.1 |
1993
|
New York
|
15 | 15 | 38.3 | .440 | .373 | .717 | 3.5 | 6.4 | 1.0 | .2 | 16.5 |
1994
|
New York
|
25 | 18 | 33.6 | .381 | .356 | .770 | 2.3 | 4.6 | 1.4 | .1 | 14.6 |
1995
|
New York
|
11 | 11 | 34.5 | .450 | .411 | .619 | 2.3 | 5.2 | 1.2 | .1 | 15.6 |
1996
|
New York
|
8 | 8 | 39.3 | .448 | .467 | .744 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 1.6 | .1 | 16.0 |
1997
|
New York
|
9 | 1 | 28.1 | .444 | .317 | .806 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 1.1 | .0 | 14.0 |
1998
|
New York
|
10 | 2 | 31.4 | .472 | .424 | .875 | 4.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 | .1 | 16.4 |
2001
|
Utah
|
3 | 0 | 12.0 | .333 | .250 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .3 | .3 | .3 | 3.7 |
Career | 96 | 55 | 31.6 | .421 | .371 | .759 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 1.3 | .1 | 14.2 |
Publications
- Starks, John (2004), My Life, Sports Publishing LLC, ISBN 1-58261-802-X
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders
- Knicks–Heat rivalry
- Bulls–Knicks rivalry
References
- ^ "Thursday a big day for Central". Tulsa World. September 23, 2001. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "John Starks biography". NBA. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009.
- ^ Starks 2004, pp. 39–40
- ^ Starks 2004, pp. 41–42
- ^ Starks 2004, pp. 43–44
- ^ Starks 2004, pp. 46–49
- ^ Starks 2004, pp. 55–61
- ^ Rosenblatt, Roger (April 17, 1994). "Off the Bench, Out of Purgatory; John Starks". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Wise, Mike (December 7, 1999). "Hard Way Is Starks's Way; Crowd Favorite Returning to the Garden". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "Five Great Dunks". Inside Stuff. NBA. December 29, 2004. Archived from the original on December 31, 2004.
- ^ a b Boeck, Greg (June 17, 1994). "Knicks Motivated by Rangers' Title". USA Today. p. 09C.
- ^ Mather, Victor (January 20, 2016). "How the N.B.A. 3-Point Shot Went From Gimmick to Game Changer". The New York Times. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ "NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award Winners". NBA.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- AP News. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 22, 2019.
- ^ Williams, Andre D. (May 1, 2003). "'Old man' Polynice contributes to win for ValleyDawgs". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. p. 43. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Van Riper, Tom (September 28, 2010). "John Starks Pitching New Shoe". Forbes. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ Pesca, Mike (August 15, 2011). "Basketball Shoes May Reduce Ankle Injuries". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ "The 25 Greatest Knicks". www.espn.com. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
- ^ "New York Knicks Career Leaders". Basketball-Reference.com.
- ^ "The Beastie Boys' 10 Coolest Sports Name Drops". Complex.
- ^ Starks 2004, p. 28
- ^ Starks 2004, p. 58
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
- John Starks Foundation
- John Starks at IMDb