Knicks' all-time villains: Ranking fans' most hated opponents at Madison Square Garden
The Knicks have a long, heated playoff history with the Pacers, and those memories and moments will come flooding back into fans’ minds this week when the teams battle it out in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
And from those fiery fights of the 1990s – the teams met in the playoffs six times between 1993 and 2000 – sprung a villain that the Knicks fanbase hasn’t forgiven – or forgotten.
But who else is on that list?
With the Knicks and Pacers kicking off their series this week at Madison Square Garden, here’s a ranking of just some of the biggest villains to draw the ire of Knicks fans through the years:
6. Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
The Celtics so often were a thorn in the Knicks' side during their playoff meetings in the 1980s, Bird was clearly right in the middle of it all. Bird averaged 28 points per game in 16 career playoff games against the Knicks, including a 39-point performance in Game 7 of the 1984 Eastern Conference semifinals.
5. Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
The Knicks and Heat also had an intense rivalry in the 1990s, and perhaps nothing symbolized that more than Mourning dragging then-Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy on his leg during a brawl in the first round of the 1998 Eastern Conference playoffs.
4. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Embiid stamped his place as a Knicks villain during this year’s first-round series with a number of dirty plays, including dragging down Mitchell Robinson by the leg. Embiid heard chants of “(Expletive) Embiid!” throughout the series, which ended with the Knicks winning in six games. Embiid might be hearing that from the MSG crowd for years to come.
3. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Young heard derisive chants from the MSG crowd during the 2021 playoffs, but Young responded by leading Atlanta to a first-round series win in five games. Young averaged 29.2 points and 9.8 assists in that series while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from the perimeter. Young relished the chants – who can forget him bowing at midcourt after eliminating the Knicks – and at times egged fans on.
2. Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
Not much of an explanation is needed here. Jordan and the Bulls stood right in the Knicks’ way throughout the 1990s. Jordan owned them during those years, including a 55-point performance in 1996, the most he ever scored against the Knicks. Jordan faced the Knicks in five playoffs series, and won all of them.
1. Reggie Miller, Indiana Pacers
Who else could it be?
Miller relished the role of villain and constantly reminded Knicks fans of it. From giving Spike Lee the choke gesture in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals to when he scored eight straight points in 8.9 seconds to steal a Pacers victory from the Knicks in Game 1 of the 1995 conference semifinals, Miller became one of the Knicks’ most hated rivals. And fans surely haven’t forgotten it.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Knicks' all-time villains: Ranking fans' most hated opponents at MSG
