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Knicks: 3 reasons New York was Michael Jordan’s toughest rival

By Jeffrey Bellone

1993: Guard Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls (right) works against guard John Starks of the New York Knicks during the Eastern Conference final at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game, 103-83. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dani
1993: Guard Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls (right) works against guard John Starks of the New York Knicks during the Eastern Conference final at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls won the game, 103-83. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dani /
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NEW YORK, UNITED STATES: New York Knicks Kurt Thomas (L), Marcus Camby (2ndL) Allan Houston (2ndR), Rick Brunson (R) and Chris Dudley (C bottom) hug after their game against the Indiana Pacers 11 June, 1999, during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Knicks won the game 90-82 to win the series. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO Jeff HAYNES (Photo credit should read JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images) /

3) Success during retirement

Tell me if you notice a theme. The first season after Michael Jordan retired from basketball in 1993-94, the Knicks went to the NBA Finals, coming within one game of winning a championship. And then when Jordan retired the second time, before the lockout shortened 1999 season, the Knicks, once again, made it all the way to the NBA Finals.

Oh, and did I mention the Knicks beat the Jordanless Bulls in ’94?

During the 1990s, the Bulls won six of the ten championships awarded. Conveniently, the Knicks made the NBA Finals as the best team in the Eastern Conference in two of the years the Bulls didn’t take the crown.

Without Michael Jordan in the way, the Knicks found themselves on the cusp of a championship twice.

And the same Indiana Pacers team – led by Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, Rik Smits, and the Davis brothers – that forced a Game 7 against Jordan in 1997-98, was who the Knicks beat in six games to advance to the NBA Finals the following season.

Next. Grading every Steve Mills transaction. dark

People like to make fun of the Knicks these days, but they weren’t a team you wanted to mess around with in the 1990s. They did everything they could to beat Michael Jordan, but like for the rest of the NBA, he was too good to overcome.

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