Daily Knicks
Fansided

NY Knicks: Top 5 bench fan favorites from 2000-2009

By Andrew Pistone

SEATTLE - DECEMBER 3: Frank Williams #30 of the New York Knicks moves the ball during the game against the Seattle SuperSonics on December 3, 2003 at Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. The Sonics won 95-87. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images)
SEATTLE - DECEMBER 3: Frank Williams #30 of the New York Knicks moves the ball during the game against the Seattle SuperSonics on December 3, 2003 at Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. The Sonics won 95-87. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, UNITED STATES: Seattle Supersonics Vin Baker watches the finals second of his team’s 102-75 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in Seattle, 27 April 2002. Baker had only 10 points and one rebound as his team falls behind 2-1 in their best-of-five Western Conference playoffs. AFP PHOTO/Dan LEVINE (Photo credit should read DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images) /

4. Knicks end-of-bench favorites: Vin Baker

Definitely the best player in his heyday on this list, Vin Baker arrived in New York in 2003 as a shell of his former self, both on and off the court. His personal demons had gotten the best of him during the late 90’s and earlier part of the 2000’s, and Knicks fans hoped that he would be able to show flashes of his prior All-Star form for the orange and blue.

Baker had some excellent years with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Seattle SuperSonics, including 4 All-Star appearances with green as his primary uniform color. While he wasn’t viewed quite as highly as premier power forwards Chris Webber, Karl Malone, Shawn Kemp or Charles Barkley (kind of a loaded era for big guys), Baker’s numbers during that stretch more than made the case for his skill and presence around the basketball. In his last two seasons with the Bucks, he averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds per night, which is impressive considering the aforementioned talent he faced.

For what it’s worth, it sounds like owner James Dolan had a unique relationship with the former All-star that evolved past just production on the Garden floor.

"“Mr. Dolan, the conversations I had with him were more than basketball,” Baker said (via the New York Daily News). “We had multiple conversations that just dealt with my personal life — he’s one of my guys, we’ve spoken, that was the first conversation we had was about recovery. When I first got there from the Celtics. He was like, I’m invested in your recovery. And he showed that every step of the way. But I wasn’t invested in it.”"

Baker spent two seasons with the team, never averaging more than 6.6 points per game. While he doesn’t fit the end-of-the-bench folk hero profile, his story and fall from grace was relatable on a human level, and had Knick fans pulling for him to turn things around.

Luckily for him, his story becomes much more positive in the following decade, as he worked as a barista at Starbucks (part of his rehabilitation plan), and transitioned into coaching with Milwaukee.