Former Knicks Land on Unfortunate List

The New York Knicks were in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference during the 1990s, but they often struggled to get past the Chicago Bulls, who won six titles during the decade.

Two important players that were part of those Knicks teams were Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing, who each played over a decade in New York.

HoopsHype compiled a list of players who were eliminated by the eventual NBA champion in the playoffs, and both Oakley and Ewing appeared seven-time losers in the path of the winning team in the postseason.

"The undisputed star in New York for 15 seasons, Patrick Ewing made the Knicks a contender throughout most of his career. But in Chicago, Michael Jordan did the same and crushed Ewing’s title hopes up to four times in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Only during Jordan’s absence did the Knicks reach the Finals twice, with Ewing sidelined by injury during the decisive 1999 series," HoopsHype wrote.

Ewing was part of the 1999 Knicks team that made it to the NBA Finals, and that was the lone playoff run featured on the list that Oakley wasn't a part of. Oakley was with the Chicago Bulls in 1986, and they were eliminated by the eventual champion Boston Celtics.

Oakley and Ewing had the chance to win several championships together with the Knicks, but they came up short many times. They simply couldn't get past the Bulls a few times in the playoffs, and if it weren't for Chicago's dominance throughout the decade, Oakley and Ewing may have been able to celebrate a few championship parades in New York City.

Instead, the Knicks are still looking for their first championship in over 50 years.