Old School Wednesday - King Of New York

Not too many young cats know who Bernard King is, which is a shame, because this guy was unguardable in his prime. In the post, on the wing, driving the lane, from outside, he was giving guys buckets. I mean BUCKETS. His career was cut short thanks to injuries, but please believe that Mr. King was a beast. As we dip into the SI Vault, check out this article on the legendary Knicks-Pistons 1st round series from 1984.

...the 6'7" forward averaged 42.6 points a game in one of the NBA's most extraordinary playoff performances ever. His 213 points against Detroit, on 84-of-139 shooting (60%) from the floor, broke the five-game record of 197 set by the Lakers' Elgin Baylor against Detroit in 1961.

Are you shitting me? That is just sick-wit-it.

In Game 2 he scored 46 despite the dislocated fingers, strained ligaments in his left knee and severe leg cramps. In a breathtaking 5:29 in the first quarter, King ran off 23 consecutive points, breaking by eight the NBA record held by Wilt Chamberlain and Walt Hazzard.

Warrior much?

"I learned each player's deficiency on defense and I tried to attack it," he says. King simply jumped over 6'6" forward Kelly Tripucka, used his quickness to go around 6'10" forward Kent Benson, used trickery on 6'9" center Earl Cureton ("He went for fakes a great deal," says King) and always shot jumping into rather than away from 6'8" forward Cliff Levingston, a great leaper. "

THIS is what separates the great players from the superstars. See below.