In the 1993 NBA playoffs, John Starks got himself ejected after headbutting Reggie Miller. Patrick Ewing and others berated him for his actions, and his mother clearly did not like that.
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John Starks played for the New York Knicks in the 90s and was an integral part of the team alongside Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley. At the height of his career, he averaged 19 points, and 6 assists shooting 42% field. However, the peak was short-lived and he got benched as his career progressed.
He did not have the traditional draft route to the NBA. He fought for a place in the league and made it to the all-star team in 1994 and won the sixth man of the year in 1997. However, there are some dark spots in his career as well. In 1993, when the New York Knicks faced Indiana Pacers, he got himself ejected for a stupid mistake.
Patrick Ewing told Starks’ mother he would do it again if he had to
In an interview with Sam Morril, John Starks recalled the playoffs matchup and its aftermath. Knicks had a 2-0 lead and the Pacers were at the brink of elimination. Reggie Miller was not about to get swept by the Knicks and he decided to target John Starks throughout the game. To some extent he was successful.
He managed to get the Knicks guard ejected in Game 3, and the Pacers went on to win it at home. John Starks headbutted Reggie Miller and got himself thrown out of that game. Years later he recounted what led to that intense reaction.
“I remember, he kept hitting me with ‘bows. He hit me with a ‘bow, and I told the referee, and the referee said, ‘Starks, shut up and play.’ I was like, ‘OK, I can handle this.‘ I scored on him and ran up the court, and I was so mad. I wanted to take my fist and put it through his face.”
His teammates were not happy with his actions, especially Patrick Ewing. He was not a vocal leader for the Knicks, and it was a rare moment of outrage for the Knicks superstar on national television. Starks’ mother was not happy with the way his teammates reacted.
“My mother called Patrick and told him, ‘If you ever put your hands on my son again…’” Starks said. “He said, ‘Ms. Starks, if he does that again, I’m going to do the same thing.’”
Although Knicks lost Game 3, they got the job done in Game 4 and advanced to the conference semis. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls put an end to their championship hopes in ECF.
