Date: 6/27/1994
This one is particularly painful for Knicks fans of a certain age. In the early to mid '90s, John Starks represented everything Knicks fans loved about their team—and everything everybody else hated about them. Feisty, high-strung, and possessing a snarl that cropped up when he got particularly amped, Starks was a borderline dirty player who was totally unafraid of anybody. He'd come from humble beginnings (he was undrafted out of college, and while his fellow pros were playing McDonald's All-Star games, he was stocking groceries at Safeway), and it showed in the relentlessness with which he played. He headbutted Reggie Miller; he tried to fight Michael Jordan. Unfortunately for Knicks fans, that fearlessness also applied to shot selection. In Game 7 of the 1994 Finals, Starks shot 2-8 through three quarters, then almost single-handedly torpedoed the Knicks playoff run, shooting 0-10 in the 4th. It was undoubtedly a fail, but one committed by one of the most beloved Knicks of all time, which made it forgivable—if not, sadly, forgettable.