Expectations weren't high for Steve Novak when he signed with the New York Knicks at the end of 2011. After being waived by Dallas, he spent the second half of the 2010-11 season in San Antonio. He was waived by the Spurs in December 2011, paving the way for him to join the Knicks.
Novak spent two seasons in New York and compiled plenty of electric moments, turning into a sharpshooter that couldn't miss. There was nothing like the roar of The Garden crowd after a Novak three-pointer, especially after the back-to-back threes he hit late in the fourth quarter when the Knicks beat the Celtics in 2012, 118-110.
There is one thing that Novak could never do in New York or his other NBA stops (Houston, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Antonio, Toronto, Utah, Oklahoma City, and Milwaukee). The Athletic's Fred Katz (who used to cover the Knicks) wrote about Caleb Houstan, a six-foot-eight guard for Orlando. He's the tallest active NBA player to have never dunked in a game (subscription required).
If Houstan dunks in a game, the no-dunk title will then be passed to six-foot-seven guard Matt Ryan, who, coincidentally, is on a two-way contract with the Knicks. Then there's six-foot-ten Novak, the tallest player to have never dunked in the NBA.
One thing could forever haunt former Knicks guard Steve Novak
The title could be one that Novak holds forever. He purposely didn't set out to be the tallest player never to have dunked in a game, but when you think about it, that feat is quite impressive in its own way. It took skill for Novak not to dunk in a game. It's not like he couldn't — he dunked in practice and warmups.
The best two seasons of his career came in New York. When Knicks fans think about him, the first thing that pops into their mind isn't the fact he never dunked. Fans have a catalog of three-point highlights stored in their brains to choose from.
Maybe one day, someone will come along and take Novak's place. If Houstan were only a few inches taller, it could be him. He's only 22, though. There's still plenty of time for him to dunk in a game, and Katz's article might've pressured him to do so.
How cool would it be to have the tallest active player to not dunk in a game, as well as Novak? Woohoo!