Bernard King: The King of New York

Bernard King /  Panini 

Bernard King was among the premier NBA players of the 1980s. The man formerly known as, “The King of New York,” came from humble beginnings. King grew up in the rough Brooklyn Fort Greene Houses, in what he once described as void of love. He attributes his game time scowl to his difficult upbringing.

Despite all these obstacles, King found success in the basketball world. He was recognized as an All-City player in his senior year at Fort Hamilton High School. His excellence on the court led to several Division I athletic scholarship offers. King chose to enroll at the University of Tennessee in 1974, joining fellow New York product Ernie Grunfeld.

King and Grunfeld formed “The Bernie and Ernie Show,” with their stellar play together from 1974 through 1977. This partnership was highlighted by a Sports Illustrated cover released on February 9, 1976.

King was a first team All-American in 1977. After his junior year at Tennessee, King declared for the NBA draft. He was drafted 7th overall in the 1977 draft by the New Jersey Nets. King led all rookies in scoring that year with the New Jersey Nets. After two years of spectacular play with the Nets, King was traded along with John Gianelli and Jim Boylan to the Utah Jazz for Rich Kelley.

King would eventually go on to play for his hometown Knicks, leaving his mark as one of their greatest players ever. In admiration of King's talent, Coach Hubie Brown said, “With Bernard, even when the play is busted, something good always materializes from it.”

He became the most prolific scorer in the '77 draft, including NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. As a four-time All-Star and top 50 NBA career total scorer, King managed to join the selective group of athletes who have been recognized as Hall of Famers.

Closure in Mickey Mantle's Career

Mickey Mantle / Topps

Prior to the start of 1962, New York Yankees star Mickey Mantle had already accomplished some of his career's most notable feats as a power hitter. He won his first and only triple crown in 1956 as the leader in home runs, batting average and RBI's. "The Mick" as he was called, went through a transition in playing style after suffering an injury that impacted his overall performance beyond 1962. The first half of the 1960's looked promising for veteran swinger Mantle, seeing as he hit a home run in Yankee Stadium that cleared the 461 foot marker. A year later in 1963, he slammed another home run which some estimated could have traveled 600 feet. Mantle helped the Yankees win a World Series prior in 1962 and these new feats of power suggested that he was in his prime as a hitter. However, this would be the last time that Mick won a World Series with the Yankees.

Mantle was unable to play because of a sickness called osteomylitis, a condition that impaired his bone structure. After a difficult season in 1965, his total of a mere 19 home runs revealed that Mantle was no longer the player he used to be. The following season marked the first time in 14 years that Mantle was not invited to the MLB All-Star game.

Baseball analysts recognized the Mick's retirement during the mid 1960's. However, Mantle impressed fans when he managed to hit his 500th career home run against the Baltimore Oriole's pitcher Stu Miller on a 3-2 pitch. This remarkable moment allowed Mantle to end his career on a strong note since he announced his retirement on March 1st, 1969. In 1974, Mickey Mantle's noteworthy career and collection of Word Series rings helped him become immortalized in the Baseball Hall of Fame.