NEW YORK — Some of the greatest players in New York basketball history were not lottery picks — they were second-round finds.
Take Jalen Brunson, who was seen carrying the Larry O’Brien Trophy through the streets of Manhattan just last week during a championship parade celebration. Or Willis Reed, the legendary player who famously hobbled onto the court for Game 7 of the NBA Finals and helped lead the Knicks to their very first title.
With the NBA draft set to continue Wednesday night, every franchise will be hoping to uncover their own diamond in the rough. The Knicks, who hold the No. 31 pick after acquiring it through a series of trades, will be among the teams taking the floor when players and teams gather once again at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The first round, which opened with Washington selecting AJ Dybantsa, wrapped up late Tuesday night.
Reed’s story unfolded in a very different era of professional basketball. He was the No. 8 overall selection in the 1964 draft — which, under the format of the time, made him the first pick of the second round. The Hall of Famer went on to guide New York to championships in 1970 and 1973, earning NBA Finals MVP honors on both occasions.
Brunson’s path followed a similar second-round trajectory. Selected 33rd overall in the 2018 draft by the Dallas Mavericks, he later joined the Knicks as a free agent in 2022. New York has been on an upward climb ever since, capping it off with a five-game series victory over the San Antonio Spurs earlier this month — a run in which Brunson was named series MVP.
