King was a four-time NBA All-Star, a two time NBA first team selection and was a scoring champion in 1985, averaging 32.9 points per game for the New York Knicks. However, towards the end of the 1984-85 season King torn his ACL in his right knee, which became a problem that plagued the career of the gifted scorer.
Based on recent events, it’s easy to compare King to a player like Tracy McGrady, who officially retired on Aug. 27. McGrady, a talented scorer in his own right saw the prime of his career cut short due to injuries. McGrady will likely, and should be inducted into the Hall of Fame one day, but in the eyes of King, battling through injuries and having a spot in the Hall of Fame are the only similarities the two former scoring champions share.
“Unfortunately a lot of guys have had injuries, but in terms of our games, the way we played the game on the court is totally opposite … no similarities there,” King told reporters at Saturday’s press conference at the Hall of Fame.
“He was more like [George] Gervin.”