Knicks Legend Among NBA's Best Defenders

The New York Knicks were home to one of the league's best defensive players in the 1960's and 1970's.

Dec. 1971; New York, NY, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Knicks forward Dave DeBusschere (22) in action against the Seattle Supersonics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-Imagn Images / Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks have almost 80 years of history, and some of the best basketball players of all-time have come to play for the franchise.

One of the players often forgotten in the fray is Hall-of-Fame forward Dave DeBusschere, who played for the Knicks from 1968-74, winning two titles with the team in 1970 and 1973.

DeBusschere was often known for his defense, which is why HoopsHype writer Frank Urbina put him at No. 51 on his greatest defenders in NBA history list.

"Hall of Fame forward Dave DeBusschere made six straight All-Defensive 1st Teams from ’69 through ’74. His defending was also hugely impactful, as the Knicks, DeBusschere’s team for the final five-plus seasons of his career, won two championships during his time there, in no small part due to his all-out effort on the less glamorous end of the floor," Urbina writes.

"DeBusschere was so tough that he played minor league baseball as well as professional basketball over his first three NBA seasons. He was also named the Pistons’ player-head coach from ’64 though ’67, first receiving the honor when he was just 24 years old, making him the youngest head coach in league history."

DeBusschere retired from the NBA in 1974 and soon saw his No. 22 go to the rafters of Madison Square Garden. He stuck around basketball circles after his playing career, helping the NBA and ABA merge in 1976. He also was part of the Knicks organization in the 1980's, contributing to the front office that helped draft Patrick Ewing with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft.

DeBusschere died from a heart attack in 2003 at the age of 62, but his contributions for the NBA and the Knicks have not been forgotten.

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