NationMaster - Encyclopedia: John Starks (basketball player)

John Levell Starks (born August 10, 1965 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a 6'5" former basketball player who gained fame while playing at shooting guard for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association in the 1990s. August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ... Tulsa is the second-largest city in Oklahoma. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005 Basketball is a sport in which two teams of five players each try to score points by throwing a ball through a hoop (the basket) under organized rules. ... Dwyane Wade is one of todays best shooting guards. ... The New York Knicks (or New York Knickerbockers) are a National Basketball Association team based in New York, New York. ... The National Basketball Association, more commonly referred to as the NBA, is the worlds premier mens professional basketball league and one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, the last decade of the 20th Century. ...

Starks played basketball for several small colleges before finishing his collegiate career at Oklahoma State University. Undrafted, John worked his way into the NBA after stints in the Continental Basketball Association and the World Basketball League. He was eventually signed by the Knicks and stayed there for eight seasons. He performed one the most famous plays of Knicks basketball in the 1993 playoffs series against the Chicago Bulls. Starks became trapped in the Bulls' defense, but split the defenders on a pick-and-roll play with center Patrick Ewing and dunked over stars Michael Jordan and Horace Grant. In that same series with the Bulls, John was known for doing a decent defensive job guarding Michael Jordan. Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater, OK, is an institution of higher learning founded in 1890 as a land-grant university, known as Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College (Oklahoma A&M). ... The Continental Basketball Association or CBA is a professional mens basketball league in the United States. ... World Basketball League or WBL was a minor professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. ... Cite error 4; Invalid call; no input specified 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The Chicago Bulls are a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Ewing blocking out David Robinson Patrick Aloysius Ewing (born August 5, 1962) is a former NBA player. ... Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former American NBA player, and is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. ... Horace Junior Grant (born July 4, 1965 in Augusta, Georgia) is a former NBA basketball player, and the twin brother of Harvey Grant, also a former NBA player. ... Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former American NBA player, and is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. ...

One of the lower points of Starks' career came in 1994 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets. The Knicks had taken a 3-2 lead into Game 6, and in the last second, Starks had the chance to sink a three-point-shot which would have won the Series. However, Hakeem Olajuwon blocked that shot. In Game 7, Starks shot a miserable 2-for-18 from the field. This contributed to the Knicks' loss to the Rockets in the deciding seventh game. This spoiled what was to become the Knicks' closest shot at an NBA title in the 1990s, as the Knicks did not reach the Finals again until 1999, where they were defeated 4 games to 1 by the San Antonio Spurs. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association, played under a best-of-seven playoff format. ... The Houston Rockets are a National Basketball Association team based in Houston, Texas. ... Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (born Akeem Abdul Olajuwon on January 21, 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a former college and professional basketball player whose glory days were with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The San Antonio Spurs are a National Basketball Association team based in San Antonio, Texas. ...

With the addition of Allan Houston in 1996, Starks became a valuable mentor and gave way to him in the starting lineup. Still, Starks proved to be a valuable contributor off the bench. In 1997, he received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in recognition of his accomplishments as a bench player. Only two years later, Starks was involved in the Knicks' controversial makeover to get younger players, with the imminent retiring of longtime star Ewing. Starks was traded to the Golden State Warriors along with Chris Mills and Terry Cummings for superstar swingman Latrell Sprewell. The other move involved Charles Oakley being traded to the Toronto Raptors for young center Marcus Camby. Allan Houston Allan Wade Houston (born April 20, 1971 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA) is a former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career playing shooting guard for the National Basketball Associations New York Knicks. ... The NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award is the award given by the National Basketball Association to the leagues best player coming off of the bench. ... The Golden State Warriors are a National Basketball Association team based in Oakland, California. ... Chris Mills (born on January 25, 1970 in Los Angeles, California) is a NBA professional basketball player. ... Robert Terrell (Terry) Cummings was a 69 power forward who played in the National Basketball Association for 18 seasons. ... Latrell Sprewell. ... The Toronto Raptors are a National Basketball Association team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... Marcus Camby (born March 22, 1974 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American professional basketball player. ...

After Golden State, John played for the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz before retiring in 2002. John currently works as an alumni and fan development official for the Knicks. The Chicago Bulls are a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago, Illinois. ... The Utah Jazz is a National Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. ...

Starks was well-known for his fiery intensity and emotional displays while out on the court. His frequent outbursts of anger sometimes got the best of him, as seen when he "clotheslined" Scottie Pippen on a breakaway, head-butted Reggie Miller during a Knicks-Pacers game. Scottie Pippen as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. ... Reggie Miller Reginald Wayne Miller (born August 24, 1965 in Riverside, California) was a US professional basketball player. ...