28-05-2025
"We wanted to take on that blue-collar mentality" - John Starks explains how Pat Riley turned the Knicks into a hard-nosed unit
The New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls had memorable battles in the 1990s, with the latter always coming out on top. The Knicks did everything they could to waylay the Bulls, including physical plays that the Detroit Pistons employed years before.
John Starks, the player with the ungrateful task of guarding Michael Jordan, admitted that this was the strategy Pat Riley wanted from them. However, the 6'5" guard offered a broader explanation, explaining why it was not purely about copying the physicality that the "Bad Boys" Pistons resorted to.
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"We wanted to take on the persona of New York…we wanted to take on that blue-collar mentality and come out," Starks explained when he spoke on Stacey King's "Gimme The Hot Sauced" podcast.
Starks admitted Riles' past was also a factor. The Oklahoma State product knew "The Godfather" was a hard-nosed player in his prime. Riley expected nothing less than that of the players he led.
"He just kind of brought his personality to the team and the guys that we had on that team was definitely hard-nosed players. You're talking about Patrick [Ewing], you're talking about Oak [Charles Oakley]," Starks pointed out.
Starks' defense gained the respect of the Bulls
Being hard-nosed is one thing, but playing quality defense is another. Although Starks admitted MJ was nearly impossible to guard, his efforts didn't go for naught.
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He gained the admiration of Jordan and Bulls coach Phil Jackson. "Mr. Air" acknowledged how Starsky knew how to keep his composure when the Knicks guard was tasked with guarding him.
"He doesn't go haywire when he plays against me," Jordan said via the New York Times in 1993. "That puts him on an even keel, in a saner mind."
For his part, Jackson hailed the Knicks guard for coming into his own. The compliment came after Starks' first couple of years with the "Zen Master," when he noticed the change in maturity in the All-Star guard's game.
"I think he's earned that right, becoming a second-team all-defensive player," Phil quipped.
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Related: "You saw how he broke down emotionally" - B.J. Armstrong admits Michael Jordan sometimes felt his own leadership style was too intense
John played MJ straight-up
Initially known to have a short fuse when someone talked trash to him, Starks never had that issue with MJ. Contrary to claims by others that Jordan loved to trash-talk, the All-Star guard admitted he never encountered verbal gibberish with "His Airness."
"People always talk about Michael talking a lot of trash, but he didn't talk a lot of trash out there on the court. He was so focused on his job. Me and him really didn't get into any verbal massive matches," Stars said.
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Hence, the battles between Starks and Jordan at the time were centered on basketball. Things were physical, but nothing got out of hand between the two guards.
Starks's NBA journey is inspiring, especially considering he went undrafted in 1988 and had to work his way to earn a spot in the league. However, the Tulsa native never won an NBA championship, although he was one game away from winning one in 1994.
Riley undeniably transformed Starks into one of the most efficient players in the league. Unfortunately, his game dipped after Riles left the Knicks in 1995. He managed to adjust under Jeff Van Gundy in the 1996-97 season, the same year in which he won the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Things just took a bad turn for Starks when he left the Knicks in 1998. He played for the Golden State Warriors and delivered decent numbers from 1998 to 2000. Sadly, his game diminished with the Chicago Bulls, and the Oklahoma native opted to call it a career.
Related: "I went from bagging groceries to playing in junior college" - John Starks reflects on his journey to the NBA
