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New York Knicks: 15 greatest draft picks in franchise history

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 25: Kristaps Porzingis meets with Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected fourth overall by the New York Knicks in the First Round of the 2015 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 25, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 25: Kristaps Porzingis meets with Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected fourth overall by the New York Knicks in the First Round of the 2015 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 25, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Bill Bradley, New York Knicks
MILWAUKEE, WI – 1970s: Bill Bradley #24 of the New York Knicks dribbles the ball in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1970s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/ Getty Images) /

6. player. 27. . Guard/Forward. Territorial Pick. Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley was selected with a territorial pick in the 1965 NBA Draft. It took two years before Bradley finally made his debut for the New York Knicks, but it proved to be worth the wait, as he became a featured played on two championship teams.

Every member of the 1970 and 1973 Knicks deserves praise and admiration, and Bradley is an example of just how balanced those teams were.

Bradley played 10 seasons for the Knicks, making an All-Star Game appearance in 1972-73. He played heavy minutes and a vital role on the 1970 and 1973 teams that won the only two championships in franchise history.

Dollar Bill posted 17 points and five assists in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, thus helping the Knicks raise their first championship banner.

Furthermore, Bradley was the Knicks’ leading scorer with an average of 18.6 points per game during the 1973 NBA Finals. That ability to step up when the lights were shining brightest defined his career and ultimately resulted in his induction into the Hall of Fame.

The Knicks had to wait quite some time before Bradley arrived in New York, but his performances in the NBA Finals were justification enough for the delay.