John Starks

1.1. Childhood and Education

Starks was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he attended Tulsa Central High School. Despite his future career, he played only one year on the high school basketball team.

After high school, Starks enrolled at Rogers State College in 1984. During his time there, he was part of the basketball team's "taxi squad," a group of backup players ready to replace injured or suspended teammates, who typically watched games from the stands rather than suiting up. Starks' tenure at Rogers State ended when he was expelled for stealing another student's stereo equipment. This act was in retaliation for the student breaking into Starks' dorm room, for which the college held Starks and his roommates financially responsible.

Following his expulsion, Starks transferred to Northern Oklahoma College in spring 1985, where he successfully made the basketball team. He served a five-day jail sentence for the robbery during his spring break. In the fall of 1985, Starks averaged 11 points per game with Northern Oklahoma. However, his time there concluded when he was caught smoking cannabis in his dorm room.

After working at a Safeway supermarket, Starks enrolled at Tulsa Community College in the summer of 1986, pursuing a business degree. While playing intramural basketball, he caught the attention of Ken Trickey, the former coach of Oral Roberts University, who was then establishing a new basketball program for Oklahoma Junior College. Starks played there for one season. His collegiate career ultimately concluded at Oklahoma State University, where he earned a scholarship and played in 1988.

2.1. Golden State Warriors (First Stint)

Although undrafted in the 1988 NBA draft, Starks signed with the Golden State Warriors in September 1988 as a free agent. His playing time was limited during this initial period, as the Warriors had drafted fellow shooting guard Mitch Richmond with the fifth overall pick that year, who went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Starks played in only 36 games for the Warriors in the 1988-89 season.

2.2. Other Leagues (CBA and WBL)

Between his stints in the NBA, Starks played in other professional basketball leagues. He had a period in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) during the 1989-90 season with the Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets. He was named a CBA All-Star in 1990. Following this, he played in the World Basketball League (WBL) during the 1990-91 season for the Memphis Rockers.

2.3. New York Knicks

In 1990, Starks tried out for the New York Knicks. During one practice, he attempted to dunk on Knicks center Patrick Ewing. Ewing threw him down, causing Starks to twist his knee. Under team rules, the Knicks could not release him unless his injury healed by the end of December. When his knee did not recover by that deadline, the Knicks were unable to release him, effectively keeping him on the roster. Starks has often credited Ewing as his "saving grace" for this unforeseen turn of events.

Starks eventually secured the starting shooting guard position and became a key player for the Knicks, playing eight seasons in New York from 1990 to 1998. He was a prominent figure epitomizing the team's physical style of play during that era, alongside teammates Anthony Mason and Charles Oakley. He also participated in the 1992 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Starks' tenacity and desire to win made him a crowd favorite in New York, and he is considered one of the greatest Knicks players. His intense defense and matchups with star players like Michael Jordan were particularly noteworthy.

Starks executed a play that became famously known as "The Dunk." In Game 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls, Starks was positioned in the court's right corner, closely guarded by B. J. Armstrong. Ewing set a screen for Starks, who faked to the left as if to use the screen, but then explosively drove along the baseline. He completed the play with a powerful left-handed dunk over Horace Grant, with Jordan also coming over to help defensively.

One of the challenging moments of Starks' career occurred during the 1994 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets. In the 1994 NBA Finals, Starks notably matched up against Vernon Maxwell of the Houston Rockets. In the final seconds of Game 3, with the Knicks trailing by three points, Starks was fouled by Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon while attempting a three-pointer. At that time, NBA rules allowed only two free throws for a foul on a three-point attempt. Starks made both free throws, but Houston ultimately won the game 93-89. The league would later change this rule to allow three free throws the following season. Following this, Starks and the Knicks witnessed the New York Rangers celebrating their 1994 Stanley Cup Finals victory at Madison Square Garden, their home arena. This served as an inspiration for the Knicks, who then managed to take a 3-2 series lead. However, in the closing moments of Game 6, Olajuwon blocked Starks' last-second three-point attempt, securing an 86-84 victory for Houston. In the decisive Game 7, Starks experienced one of the worst shooting performances of his career, making only 2 of 18 field goal attempts, including 1 of 10 in the fourth quarter. The Rockets went on to win the game and the championship.

In 1995, Starks became the first player in NBA history to successfully make 200 three-pointers in a single season, hitting 217 during the 1994-95 NBA season. This achievement broke Louie Dampier's professional record of 199 three-pointers set in the 1968-69 ABA season. His record was later surpassed by Dennis Scott the following year, and is currently held by Stephen Curry.

During the offseason, Pat Riley departed the Knicks to join the Miami Heat due to a dispute with then-General Manager Dave Checketts. The Knicks subsequently hired Don Nelson, which rekindled tensions from Starks' first season with Golden State. Nelson initially started Hubert Davis over Starks. Nelson was eventually fired mid-season and replaced by Jeff Van Gundy. In 1996, Allan Houston took over Starks' starting spot. Despite losing his starting role, Starks remained a consistent contributor off the bench and was recognized for his impactful play by winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 1997.

On February 18, 1997, Starks delivered one of the most dramatic moments of his regular season career by hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer to defeat the Phoenix Suns 95-94 at home. On the play, he rebounded a missed three-point attempt by Allan Houston, dribbled to the three-point line, and executed a head-fake on Suns guard Wesley Person before releasing the shot just as the horn sounded. Although replays were inconclusive as to whether the shot was released in time, the basket was counted, marking his only game-winning buzzer-beater in the NBA.

2.4. Return to Golden State Warriors

In January 1999, Starks was traded back to his original team, the Golden State Warriors. This trade involved Starks, along with Chris Mills and Terry Cummings, being sent to the Warriors in exchange for Latrell Sprewell. Starks remained with the Warriors until February 2000.

2.5. Chicago Bulls

Starks' second tenure with the Warriors concluded when he was traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of a three-team trade in February 2000. He played only four games for the Bulls during the 1999-2000 NBA season. When the Bulls were unable to trade him before the February trade deadline, both Starks and the team approached the league to inquire if he could be released without pay to join a contending team. The matter was sent to an arbitrator, who ruled that Starks could indeed be released without pay, but he would not be eligible to participate in the playoffs with another team. Following this ruling, Starks rescinded his request for release, but the Bulls opted to release him anyway, stating their desire to focus on developing the younger core of their team.

2.6. Utah Jazz

Starks concluded his professional playing career with the Utah Jazz, playing for the team from the 2000-01 season to the 2001-02 season. He officially retired after failing to make an NBA team in 2002.

3.1. Slamball coaching record

6.1. Regular Season

6.2. Playoffs