The Knicks being back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years isn’t just exciting for New York fans. It’s also allowing true basketball fans to revisit some of the franchise’s most iconic moments. One came in the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals, which featured the Chicago Bulls and the great Michael Jordan.
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It was Game 2 of the Bulls-Knicks series, with New York already leading 1-0. The Knicks held a 91-88 lead with just a minute left in the fourth quarter when shooting guard John Starks took control—bringing the ball up the court before slamming it down to seal the victory at Madison Square Garden.
What made it even sweeter? Starks put Jordan on a poster with that dunk, throwing it down right over him.
Starks spoke about this incredible moment during an appearance on The Universe Galaxy a couple of years back. “All I did was took off baseline, and all I saw was Horace Grant. 6’8-6’10. 260-270. I knew I had to go in strong,” the former Sixth-Man of the Year recalled.
“Bam, I completed the play. Ran off the court,” he added.
Funnily enough, Starks didn’t even realize he’d pulled off that tremendous play on His Airness until a full 24 hours later. A shame for the Bulls, perhaps — if Starks had known what he’d done to the 14-time NBA All-Star, he might have frozen in the moment.
“It wasn’t until the next day that I realized who was on the receiving end of that,” he said, which got a big laugh from the audience he was sharing the story with.
This wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last, that Starks was asked about the iconic play. Just last year, he recalled posterizing MJ during an interview on the Hot Sauce podcast.
“I didn’t think nothing of it,” said Stark. “I’ve dunked on a lot of people throughout my career. I didn’t know how special it was until I came back to New York. I can honestly say since 2004, no matter where I’m at, somebody ask me about that play.”
Starks had a solid NBA career, and although he retired without a ring, his dunk on Jordan will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable moments of his time in the league.
That said, it says a lot about the Knicks when one of their greatest plays happened in a game-deciding moment of a series they ultimately lost. New York went up 2-0, thanks to Starks’ poster. But they would lose the next four to Chicago, who would ultimately go on to win the whole thing.
Can the 2025 Knicks build a more lasting legacy? Only time will tell.
