Knicks · Retire Oaks number (page 2)

If Bernard's number is not retired, no way Oakley's should be.

I'm gonna vote yes- partly because it is such a losing proposition with posters here.

This is about all time great knicks, not hall of fame NBA players.

And while he was here, he wasn't the most skilled, but he was a winner and gave 1000% effort and had a will to win.

With Ewing, he helped the franchise to win year after year, all without a whole lot of talent.

Looking at these Knicks fall short against the Celts, we could use someone like Oakley. I'm not talking about knuckle head hard fouls, but about a will to win, a desire to do whatever was needed to win the game. to dive for the lose balls, to take the charge, to come up with the big shot or rebound.

It would have been nice to have won a championship, but the team we had gave it their all, overachieved every year.

No

I have said this a million times before and I’ll say it again. If you retire Oaks’ number, fine. Go ahead. The problem is that you MUST retire the numbers of King, Melo, Houston, Starks, Sprewell, Jackson and maybe even Marbury. All of a sudden, you look like the WWE HOF. Everyone makes it!

I personally wouldn’t retire any of their numbers except MAYBE King. I didn’t know the Knicks existed when King was with them so I couldn’t really tell you that about him though. His Knick career was so short and injury filled!

franco12 wrote:I'm gonna vote yes- partly because it is such a losing proposition with posters here.

This is about all time great knicks, not hall of fame NBA players.

And while he was here, he wasn't the most skilled, but he was a winner and gave 1000% effort and had a will to win.

With Ewing, he helped the franchise to win year after year, all without a whole lot of talent.

Looking at these Knicks fall short against the Celts, we could use someone like Oakley. I'm not talking about knuckle head hard fouls, but about a will to win, a desire to do whatever was needed to win the game. to dive for the lose balls, to take the charge, to come up with the big shot or rebound.

It would have been nice to have won a championship, but the team we had gave it their all, overachieved every year.

Your not wrong but the retired numbers are HOF players with very dominant knick history.
Bernard King had a great dominant run here but it was only 2.5 seasons. One of which was a nice run in the playoffs.
Walt Bellamy was here 4 years.
Jerry Lucas 3 career ending seasons but one notable as it was a championship one and he played a key role.
Spencer Haywood and Bob McAdoo are HOF’s and former knicks but careers here were brief and undistinguished.
All three of them are HOF players but not knick retired numbers. We all have our bias for some players I will say the knicks have been fairly consistant. Where they just a bit breached was Dick Barnett who made just one allstar team in his 9 years, has a chip with the 70’ team, is in the college HOF but not Basketball HOF in Springfield. Bill Bradley had a rather modest NBA career by HOF standards making just one allstar team but was the College player of the year at Princeton and won two chips starting for the knicks in their most dominant years. He checks all the boxes as a knick.
Ewing defined an era and one that saw two trips to the finals with him in uniform over 14 years. Few have any issue of his inclusion.

Melo in 7 seasons had one of distinction leading the league in scoring and being a strong candidate for an MVP season. HE very much statistically was strong the other 6 but teams only won one playoff series. The teams not of any fault of his were just not strong.

KnickDanger wrote:Oakley was my all time favorite Knick until I served him as a bartender. Anyway, as great as he was and as important as he was to those Knick teams, he just isn’t in that stratosphere.

please share this story

SupremeCommander wrote:

KnickDanger wrote:Oakley was my all time favorite Knick until I served him as a bartender. Anyway, as great as he was and as important as he was to those Knick teams, he just isn’t in that stratosphere.

please share this story

One of my bosses told me he managed a bar in NYC and some of the Knicks came in and got wrecked, only to get wrecked by the Bulls in their next game..... which was a playoff game.

Nalod wrote:

franco12 wrote:I'm gonna vote yes- partly because it is such a losing proposition with posters here.

This is about all time great knicks, not hall of fame NBA players.

And while he was here, he wasn't the most skilled, but he was a winner and gave 1000% effort and had a will to win.

With Ewing, he helped the franchise to win year after year, all without a whole lot of talent.

Looking at these Knicks fall short against the Celts, we could use someone like Oakley. I'm not talking about knuckle head hard fouls, but about a will to win, a desire to do whatever was needed to win the game. to dive for the lose balls, to take the charge, to come up with the big shot or rebound.

It would have been nice to have won a championship, but the team we had gave it their all, overachieved every year.

Your not wrong but the retired numbers are HOF players with very dominant knick history.
Bernard King had a great dominant run here but it was only 2.5 seasons. One of which was a nice run in the playoffs.
Walt Bellamy was here 4 years.
Jerry Lucas 3 career ending seasons but one notable as it was a championship one and he played a key role.
Spencer Haywood and Bob McAdoo are HOF’s and former knicks but careers here were brief and undistinguished.
All three of them are HOF players but not knick retired numbers. We all have our bias for some players I will say the knicks have been fairly consistant. Where they just a bit breached was Dick Barnett who made just one allstar team in his 9 years, has a chip with the 70’ team, is in the college HOF but not Basketball HOF in Springfield. Bill Bradley had a rather modest NBA career by HOF standards making just one allstar team but was the College player of the year at Princeton and won two chips starting for the knicks in their most dominant years. He checks all the boxes as a knick.
Ewing defined an era and one that saw two trips to the finals with him in uniform over 14 years. Few have any issue of his inclusion.

Melo in 7 seasons had one of distinction leading the league in scoring and being a strong candidate for an MVP season. HE very much statistically was strong the other 6 but teams only won one playoff series. The teams not of any fault of his were just not strong.

Seems like the Knicks made a decision to retire the numbers of every starter on those two championship teams. Honestly, I don't think Barnett or Bradley deserved to have their numbers retired.

Regarding King, I always leaned towards short term greatness over just being good for a long time. At one point King was considered the 2nd best player in the league behind Bird and single handedly carried a bunch of nobodies to a second round game seven against the eventual champion Boston Celtics.

Allanfan20 wrote:I have said this a million times before and I’ll say it again. If you retire Oaks’ number, fine. Go ahead. The problem is that you MUST retire the numbers of King, Melo, Houston, Starks, Sprewell, Jackson and maybe even Marbury. All of a sudden, you look like the WWE HOF. Everyone makes it!

I personally wouldn’t retire any of their numbers except MAYBE King. I didn’t know the Knicks existed when King was with them so I couldn’t really tell you that about him though. His Knick career was so short and injury filled!

Well, it was really just one MAJOR injury. At that time nobody had ever returned from an ACL tear (something that's become routine today). For a perspective of what King did here, imagine Julius Randle leading the current team to the 5th seed in the eastern conference (over an 82 game season) and taking us to a game seven in the 2nd round and losing to the team that eventually won the championship.

franco12 wrote:With Ewing, he helped the franchise to win year after year, all without a whole lot of talent.

I am going to disagree with you on that one. Compared to the teams that won championships in that era we were a little short on talent. Always seemed like we needed that one additional star who we could never obtain to get us over the hump. But I don't think it's accurate to say those teams didn't have a lot of talent relative to the rest of the league.

King HOF election does include his College experience which matters. Its the “Basketball HOF”, not just NBA. HE played 208 of 874 games with knicks.

Have to admit while very happy for his inclusion i was suprised based on his NBA career. It was excellent and talent wise he was deserving but it was uneven. The emotional pull as a kid that got his act together and came home to thrive was great. His return from ACL to the level he achieved a was also quite an achievement.
I would hardly be upset by him and Melo’s numbers being retired but just understanding the benchmark as it stands I don’t hold knicks as being disrespectful. Him and Melo are no doubt “NBA all time greats” but “Knick great” is a different classification. Not saying it by any means it supersedes HOF by any standard. Just that their knicks career is just a part of bigger career. King’s apex was here as might have Melos. That does matter.
I’d have to put Oak 10 years and playoff achievements a bit higher if there was as scale. This is fair given I’m not to happy with Oak these days!

Nalod wrote:King HOF election does include his College experience which matters. Its the “Basketball HOF”, not just NBA. HE played 208 of 874 games with knicks.

Have to admit while very happy for his inclusion i was suprised based on his NBA career. It was excellent and talent wise he was deserving but it was uneven. The emotional pull as a kid that got his act together and came home to thrive was great. His return from ACL to the level he achieved a was also quite an achievement.
I would hardly be upset by him and Melo’s numbers being retired but just understanding the benchmark as it stands I don’t hold knicks as being disrespectful. Him and Melo are no doubt “NBA all time greats” but “Knick great” is a different classification. Not saying it by any means it supersedes HOF by any standard. Just that their knicks career is just a part of bigger career. King’s apex was here as might have Melos. That does matter.
I’d have to put Oak 10 years and playoff achievements a bit higher if there was as scale. This is fair given I’m not to happy with Oak these days!

I don't know. I would view Oakley getting his number retired similar to Memphis retiring Tony Allen's number. Yeah, he was good but was he ever number retiring good? Maybe if we were an expansion team and was desperate to hang somebody's number in the rafters I would go for it. But this is the New York Knicks. I feel like our standards should be a bit higher than that.

Welpee wrote:

Nalod wrote:King HOF election does include his College experience which matters. Its the “Basketball HOF”, not just NBA. HE played 208 of 874 games with knicks.

Have to admit while very happy for his inclusion i was suprised based on his NBA career. It was excellent and talent wise he was deserving but it was uneven. The emotional pull as a kid that got his act together and came home to thrive was great. His return from ACL to the level he achieved a was also quite an achievement.
I would hardly be upset by him and Melo’s numbers being retired but just understanding the benchmark as it stands I don’t hold knicks as being disrespectful. Him and Melo are no doubt “NBA all time greats” but “Knick great” is a different classification. Not saying it by any means it supersedes HOF by any standard. Just that their knicks career is just a part of bigger career. King’s apex was here as might have Melos. That does matter.
I’d have to put Oak 10 years and playoff achievements a bit higher if there was as scale. This is fair given I’m not to happy with Oak these days!

I don't know. I would view Oakley getting his number retired similar to Memphis retiring Tony Allen's number. Yeah, he was good but was he ever number retiring good? Maybe if we were an expansion team and was desperate to hang somebody's number in the rafters I would go for it. But this is the New York Knicks. I feel like our standards should be a bit higher than that.

I agree. The standards are very high and its why I don’t really buy into the notion it was offered it to him.
IF we are to change it, then perhaps.

“This is NY Knicks”........Uh, our story has many angles to it. Much of it not so good actually. WE did not choose our fandom. It just happens.

Papabear Says

Oakley is a hater and a troll. When good players are considering coming to the Knicks he is the first on to bad mouth the knicks. I understand he has a beef with Dolan but I am a Knicks fan and so is everyone on this site. So Oakley is trying to hurt all of us. Oakley never could get over Dolan trading him. He don't deserve to have his number retired. I don't believe Dolan ever said that. I would consider retiring Starks number because of where he came from and how he got to the Knicks. He bleeds Knicks blood. And as for Ewing getting dis, he buried the issue. Oakley stands tall reaching out to anyone we are trying to sign and he will try to destroy us. And because of that I never want it to be an Oakley day in the garden.

I met Oak at the shop rite in palisades park, NJ. Very nice guy. Retire his number

Philc1 wrote:I met Oak at the shop rite in palisades park, NJ. Very nice guy. Retire his number

Several "nice guys" who accomplished more than Oak for the Knicks.

Philc1 wrote:I met Oak at the shop rite in palisades park, NJ. Very nice guy. Retire his number

I met him at a Walgreens in Nanuet and he was buying some Old Spice products. He had a coupon from Duane Reade and they would not take it. 30% off if you buy 3 or more. He was buying two. Manager came over as he was making a fuss. Oak made it like he was leaving and wanted everyone to know who he was and was never coming back. Manager then went to take the two body washes back to the isle and Oak said “Touch my body wash and see what happens?” Manager then said, OK, then your buying them? Oak moves closer and repeats the statement. BY now the Pharmacist was on the phone with the police. Before they came an equipment manager for the Ranagers named “Pete” had called into the MSG security desk who called the Knicks security who did have a direct line to Dolan. According to Pete, Dolan had the dude call the walgreens and had offered to pay for the. Body wash. BY then Oak had gone and put a box of extra large condoms in basket. Oak made sure everyone knew “I have this box of condoms........Oh its not for me, its Acorn, my son.....You know, Acorn don’t fall far from the tree”..... When the manager told oak who paid for it he left without taking a thing. Muttered “Dam, I could not get it up if I knew Dolan paid for my rubbers!!!!”.
Dolan is in his head.
This is fiction.

Nalod wrote:

Philc1 wrote:I met Oak at the shop rite in palisades park, NJ. Very nice guy. Retire his number

I met him at a Walgreens in Nanuet and he was buying some Old Spice products. He had a coupon from Duane Reade and they would not take it. 30% off if you buy 3 or more. He was buying two. Manager came over as he was making a fuss. Oak made it like he was leaving and wanted everyone to know who he was and was never coming back. Manager then went to take the two body washes back to the isle and Oak said “Touch my body wash and see what happens?” Manager then said, OK, then your buying them? Oak moves closer and repeats the statement. BY now the Pharmacist was on the phone with the police. Before they came an equipment manager for the Ranagers named “Pete” had called into the MSG security desk who called the Knicks security who did have a direct line to Dolan. According to Pete, Dolan had the dude call the walgreens and had offered to pay for the. Body wash. BY then Oak had gone and put a box of extra large condoms in basket. Oak made sure everyone knew “I have this box of condoms........Oh its not for me, its Acorn, my son.....You know, Acorn don’t fall far from the tree”..... When the manager told oak who paid for it he left without taking a thing. Muttered “Dam, I could not get it up if I knew Dolan paid for my rubbers!!!!”.
Dolan is in his head.
This is fiction.

lol, you had me for a second only because it sounded like a Oak-like scenario.

Nalod wrote:

Philc1 wrote:I met Oak at the shop rite in palisades park, NJ. Very nice guy. Retire his number

I met him at a Walgreens in Nanuet and he was buying some Old Spice products. He had a coupon from Duane Reade and they would not take it. 30% off if you buy 3 or more. He was buying two. Manager came over as he was making a fuss. Oak made it like he was leaving and wanted everyone to know who he was and was never coming back. Manager then went to take the two body washes back to the isle and Oak said “Touch my body wash and see what happens?” Manager then said, OK, then your buying them? Oak moves closer and repeats the statement. BY now the Pharmacist was on the phone with the police. Before they came an equipment manager for the Ranagers named “Pete” had called into the MSG security desk who called the Knicks security who did have a direct line to Dolan. According to Pete, Dolan had the dude call the walgreens and had offered to pay for the. Body wash. BY then Oak had gone and put a box of extra large condoms in basket. Oak made sure everyone knew “I have this box of condoms........Oh its not for me, its Acorn, my son.....You know, Acorn don’t fall far from the tree”..... When the manager told oak who paid for it he left without taking a thing. Muttered “Dam, I could not get it up if I knew Dolan paid for my rubbers!!!!”.
Dolan is in his head.
This is fiction.

I was at the cash register at the supermarket buying a coffee and donut to eat at the cafe before going for my morning run in the park. There was a very tall Black man behind me on the line. After I go to sit down the man came over to me with a set of car keys and said “I think these are yours.” I said no they aren’t mine but thank you. As he walked away I realized who he was and I was like holy shit

Papabear Says

Oakley is like a scorned lover and he was scorned by the Knicks and Dolan when they traded him. He never got over it.The Knicks will never retire his number. I can think of 20 ex Knicks ahead of him.

Oak made his bed. No one else made it for him. Gotta sleep in that bed now.

But on the real, oak could have been around MSG in a major capacity if...he wasn’t too busy being oak.