The 15 greatest bigs in New York Knicks history

Walt Bellamy

When the name Walt is spoken in Madison Square Garden, it is usually assumed to be Clyde Frazier.

But what casual and young Knick fans may not remember is that the Knicks had a certified Hall of Famer in Walt Bellamy who’s continued ridiculous play eventually signaled the deal that game the Knicks Dave DeBusschere and ultimately two championship titles.

Bellamy was traded from the Baltimore Bullets to the Knicks in 1966, right in the beginning of his fifth NBA season and after his fourth All-Star nod.

Make no bones about it, he was an absolute beast on the boards. Surviving a rebranding and a move of city from the Chicago Packers (and then Chicago Zephyrs) then to the Baltimore Bullets, his production on offense and on the boards never ceased.

When he got to the Garden, he picked up right where he left off, ultimately averaging 18.9 points and 13.3 rebounds in nearly four seasons. His last season with the Knicks was the first with Red Holzman as the skipper, and the trade for Dave DeBusschere ultimately gave the Knicks one of their key pieces.

Interestingly enough, he is the only player to ever have played 88 games in a season, due to the overlap in schedules when he was sent from the Knicks to the Detroit Pistons in the 1968-69 season.