John Starks

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Starks' path to the Knicks was paved with setbacks. After one year at Tulsa Central High School, he faced expulsion from Rogers State College for stealing stereo equipment in retaliation for a dorm break-in, serving five days in jail during spring break. He bounced between Northern Oklahoma College, where he left after smoking cannabis, and Tulsa Junior College, before earning an opportunity at Oklahoma State University. In the NBA, his career began with limited minutes behind Mitch Richmond in Golden State. His defining moment came in 1990 when he tried to dunk on Patrick Ewing during a Knicks practice; Ewing threw him down, causing a knee injury that prevented the team from releasing him until it healed by December. Since it did not heal, Starks stayed, later calling Ewing his "saving grace." He executed "The Dunk" in Game 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls, driving along the baseline to dunk over Horace Grant and Michael Jordan.

In Their Own Story

Game 6 of the 1994 NBA Finals remains a haunting chapter for Starks. With the Knicks trailing the Houston Rockets, he was fouled by Hakeem Olajuwon while attempting a three-pointer in the closing seconds. Under the rules at the time, he only received two free throws; he made both, but Houston still won 93–89. The Knicks subsequently lost Game 7 after Starks shot just 2-for-18 from the field, including 1-for-10 in the fourth quarter. Despite these lows, Starks returned to form as a steady contributor off the bench, winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 1997. He hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer against the Phoenix Suns on February 18, 1997, rebounding an Allan Houston miss and head-faking Wesley Person before releasing the shot as time expired. Though replays were inconclusive, the basket stood, marking his only buzzer-beater to win an NBA game.

Reader's Guide

Starks played for the New York Knicks from 1990 to 1998, serving as a starting shooting guard and later coming off the bench after Allan Houston took over the spot in 1996–97. He was part of the team's physical identity under Pat Riley and continued through Don Nelson's brief tenure until Jeff Van Gundy took over. In January 1999, he was traded to the Golden State Warriors along with Chris Mills and Terry Cummings for Latrell Sprewell. He remained there until February 2000, when a three-team trade sent him to the Chicago Bulls, where he played four games before being released without pay due to an arbitrator's ruling that barred him from playing in the playoffs elsewhere. He finished his career with the Utah Jazz from 2000 to 2002, retiring with 10,829 career points. Today, he works as a Knicks alumnus and fan development official and serves as an analyst on MSG Network.

Did You Know?

• Starks was expelled from Rogers State College for stealing a stereo in retaliation for his room being broken into, then served five days in jail during spring break.
• He is the Knicks' all-time leader in three-point field goals with 982.
• In 1995, he became the first player to hit 200 three-pointers in a single season (217), breaking Louie Dampier's record.
• Starks recorded Public Service Announcements on the MTA New York City Transit Authority's subway system in January 2026.