The 2026 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony takes place tonight, Saturday, August 15, at 7:00 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast live on NBA TV.
New York Knicks fans will be quite familiar with three of the enshrinees in this year’s class.
Amar’e Stoudemire stood tall and talented
After eight excellent seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Amar’e Stoudemire’s first season with the Knicks in 2010–11 was incredible. He ended the season finishing ninth in MVP voting and earning second team All-NBA honors.
Unfortunately, staying healthy was a challenge for Stoudemire until he was waived in February 2015. In the most successful year the team had with him on the roster, 2012–13, Stoudemire missed the entire first round of the playoffs and didn’t return until Game 3 of the second round because of a right knee injury.
Altogether, in 255 regular-season games with New York, Stoudemire posted averages of 17.3 points and 6.7 rebounds.
Mike D’Antoni had more success with the Suns (and later the Rockets)
D’Antoni is best remembered for his “Seven Seconds or Less” offense with the Suns. In his five seasons with them, Phoenix won 65% of its regular-season games and twice reached the conference finals.
He followed that stint by serving as the Knicks’ head coach for four years, from 2008–09 through 2011–12. It wasn’t nearly as successful, as New York was swept in its only playoff series with D’Antoni at the helm, in 2011. He owns a 121–167 record with New York.
D'Antoni later made another conference finals with the Houston Rockets in 2018.
Doc Rivers never coached the Knicks, but he did play for them
Rivers is being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for his time as a head coach. His 1,194 victories are the sixth-most in league history, and he won a title as head coach of the Boston Celtics in 2008. Unfortunately, his legacy is somewhat marred by the public who focus on his three 3-1 blown series leads.
Rivers never coached the Knicks, but he played 99 regular-season games for them from 1992 to 1994. He was actually the team’s starting point guard to begin the 1993–94 season, when the team reached the NBA Finals.
Unfortunately, Rivers tore his ACL early in the season, necessitating New York’s trade for Derek Harper. New York would waive him after just three appearances in the following year.
Rivers’ son, Austin, made 21 appearances for the Knicks in 2020–21.
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