Post by mexicanjunior on Dec 20, 2011 9:44:10 GMT -6
www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-knicks-antonio-mcdyess-retires-brought-madison-square-garden-franchise-cornerstone-article-1.994246
Awesome...more minutes for Bonner.
San Antonio Spurs forward Antonio McDyess - a one-time oft-injured centerpiece of the New York Knicks - will announce his retirement.
The Spurs waived the 17-year NBA veteran who averaged 12.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for his career while also playing for the Nuggets, Suns, Knicks and Pistons. The 6-10 forward/center finished his career 66th on the NBA's all-time rebounding list.
At one point McDyess was seen as a possible basketball savior at Madison Square Garden.
After essentially breaking up a team that made the 1999 NBA Finals (during the lockout-shortened season) and dealing all-time franchise scoring leader Patrick Ewing in 2000, McDyess was supposed to return the Knicks to relevancy.
In June of 2002, McDyess was brought in as New York's next big thing - fresh off an All-Star appearance in 2001 and an All-NBA Third Team selection in 1999. Garden favorites Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson went to the Nuggets - along with '02 first round pick Nene Hilario (taken No. 7 overall, the Knicks, ironically passed on current All-Star forward Amar'e Stoudemire, who was taken No. 9 by Phoenix in '02) - in exchange for McDyess, point guard Frank Williams and Maciej Lampe.
But the McDyess era in New York was derailed before it ever got off the ground as knee injuries plagued him. In all, McDyess played just 18 games in two seasons with the Knicks and made $26.1 million.
McDyess was also the centerpiece of a deal that was supposed to usher in another new era of Knicks basketball - Isiah Thomas traded him back to Phoenix in 2004 in the deal that brought Stephon Marbury - and some of the Knicks darkest days both on and off the court - to Madison Square Garden.
The former No. 2 overall pick in 1995 out of Alabama reinvented himself as a key bench player for then-defending champion Detroit in 2004-05, but the squad could not repeat, falling to the Spurs 4-3.
After five healthy years in Detroit, he left for the Spurs prior to 2009-10 season.
McDyess, 37, indicated at the end of last season that his playing days were over, but the Spurs didn’t rule out his return after the lockout ended. The move clears $2.6 million from the team payroll.
Awesome...more minutes for Bonner.
