The Greatest Knicks of All Time - Cracking The Top 5

Over a six-year stretch from 1970 through 1976, Clyde averaged 21.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game.

We're about a week away from Media Day and the start of training camp, which will give us just enough time to wrap up the "The Top 75 Knicks of All Time" series. 

After highlighting Harry Gallatin, Bernard King and Richie Guerin last week, today we start at No. 4. 

4. Dave DeBusschere

Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, DeBusschere was a two-sport phenom at an early age, leading his high school to state titles in baseball and basketball. DeBusschere attended the University of Detroit as a collegian and averaged nearly 25 points per game on the hardwood while also serving as the ace for the Titans' baseball squad. He led both teams to the NCAA tournament in each respective sport.

After graduating in 1962, DeBusschere decided to try his hand in the NBA and MLB. 

He pitched for the White Sox from 1962 to 1963. In August of his second pro season, he hurled a complete-game shutout against the Cleveland Indians, giving up only six hits over nine innings.

And as a member of the Detroit Pistons, who had claimed him as a territorial draft pick, DeBusschere averaged 12.7 points per game in 1962-63 and was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team. By 1964-65 DeBusschere had established himself as a team leader, and Pistons owner Fred Zollner shockingly named DeBusschere player-coach. At age 24, he became the youngest coach in NBA history. He was eventually replaced by Donnis Butcher in 1967. 

After posting a 3-4 record with a 3.09 ERA in the Big Leagues and a 25-9 record for Chicago's Class AAA Indianapolis farm club, DeBusschere decided to focus solely on hoops. 

On December 19, 1968, the New York Knicks traded center Walt Bellamy and guard Howard Komives to the Pistons for Dave DeBusschere. It's the single greatest trade the Knicks ever engineered. (in his book, A View from the Bench, Knicks coach William "Red" Holzman wrote, "DeBusschere was our Holy Grail.”) A gritty, underrated star on New York's two title teams, DeBusschere was the final piece of the championship puzzle. His resume is incredibly impressive. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in each of the award's first six years of existence. (Remarkably, at least two Knicks were named to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team each season from 1968-69 thru 1973-74.) DeBusschere made eight All-Star games, was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983 and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.

In May 2003, DeBusschere died suddenly from a heart attack and was interred at Saint Joseph's Church Cemetery in Garden City, New York. His grandson, also named Dave, is a senior at Chaminade High School and a star shooting guard on the Flyers' basketball team.

3. Willis Reed

Reed grew up on a farm in tiny Bernice, Louisiana, in the segregated South in the early 1940s before enrolling at Grambling State University. As a senior, he averaged a whopping 26.6 points per game and 21.3 rebounds per game. New York nabbed him with the eighth overall selection in the 1964 draft.

Reed was a stud right out of the gate. He finished his rookie season averaging 19.5 points (seventh in the NBA) and 14.7 rebounds per game (ranking fifth) en route to being the first Knick to be named NBA Rookie of the Year. In March that season, he poured in 46 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, the second-highest single-game total ever by a Knicks rookie.