SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Bernard King feels a strong bond with both local teams.
King spoke during his introductory press conference at the Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday ahead of his induction Sunday about following in the footsteps of Knicks Hall of Famers like Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe and Patrick Ewing into the hall.
But when asked afterwards if he identifies with the Knicks more than any other team, King was quick to point out that while it was special to play for the Knicks – who he grew up watching as a kid in Brooklyn – he also had a soft spot for the Nets, who drafted him in the first round (seventh overall) in the 1977 NBA Draft out of Tennessee.
“You will never, ever forget the franchise that drafted you out of college, and that was the New Jersey Nets,” King said. “To have been drafted by the Nets and to have an opportunity to play for Kevin Loughery with the Nets was very special.
“But, obviously, it’s quite different when you go across the river and you play for your hometown team, the team that you grew up watching. Every player in the NBA, regardless of where they grew up, would tell you that they would have loved to play for their hometown team. And if you ever look at those guys when they go into those cities that’s their home, they tend to have big games, because they’re at home (laughs).
“So, for me, playing at home, it just meant that I had to rise to another level.”
King is best known for his days with the Knicks, with whom he led the NBA in scoring in the 1984-95 season with 32.9 points per game before blowing out his knee, and when he averaged 34.5 points in the 1984 playoffs and helping the Knicks push the eventual champion Celtics to a full seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But King also had plenty of success with the Nets, who he played just a few less games with than the Knicks. King averaged 20.2 points over his 193 regular season games with the Nets, and 26.5 points in 206 regular season games with the Knicks.
tbontemps@nypost.com