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Guard · 2000–02

John Starks

From bagging groceries at a Tulsa Safeway to the All-Star Game — Starks bounced through four Oklahoma colleges, went undrafted in 1988, and clawed his way onto the Knicks in 1990. There he authored 'The Dunk' over Michael Jordan in the 1993 playoffs, became the first player with 200 three-pointers in a season, and won Sixth Man of the Year in 1997. He closed his career with the Jazz in 2000–02.

Even his Knicks break was luck — he hurt his knee trying to dunk on Patrick Ewing in practice, so New York could not release him. Starks called Ewing his saving grace.

HOW HE CAME & WENTChicago released him in 2000 and he signed with Utah that August using the mid-level exception. He said the Jazz simply told him he was their guy, while other clubs attached conditions. He retired after two seasons.

Full name
John Levell Starks
Utah Jazz tenure
2000–02
Position
Guard
Born
1965, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Height
6′3″ (191 cm)
Weight
181 lb (82 kg)
College
Oklahoma State
Drafted
undrafted
Signature in the archive Jazz Purple Jersey Shooting Action 8x10 Photo -(SCHWARTZ COA)

No photograph of this signature is online yet.

With the Jazz

JOHN STARKS · 2000–02 · PER GAME
SEASONTEAMGMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFG%3P%FT%
2000–01UTA7528.39.32.12.41.00.1.398.352.802
2001–02UTA6614.14.41.01.10.50.0.368.305.805
JAZZ TOTAL2 SEASONS14121.67.01.61.80.80.1.389.336.803

Season by season, regular season, with this franchise only. More info: Basketball-Reference ↗  ·  Wikipedia ↗

Did you know

JOHN STARKS · 8 NOTES
  • Went undrafted and worked stocking supermarket shelves before making the NBA.
  • Made the Knicks by accident of injury — Patrick Ewing hurt his knee in a tryout, and league rules kept New York from cutting him.
  • He is still the Knicks' all-time leader in three-point field goals, with 982.
  • He played only a single season of high school basketball, at Tulsa Central.
  • The Beastie Boys put him in a song on Ill Communication, released the very day the Knicks opened the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals.
  • He owns a Kia dealership carrying his own name in the Jamaica section of Queens.
  • He signed in Utah still chasing a Finals. 'I believe Utah gives me that chance right now to do that,' Starks said in August 2000.
  • Chicago waived him after four games in 2000. Both sides had asked the league whether he could leave for a contender, and an arbitrator ruled he could, but not play in another club's playoffs.