It's official: Alan Houston is back with the Knicks

BigSherv · 10-10-2007, 01:59 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3057170

Allan Houston is expected to announce his comeback with the Knicks in the next 24 hours, a source told 1050 ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand.

Houston, 36, said he wants to return to the NBA because he did not leave by choice. In 2005, Houston retired because of an arthritic left knee. He has not played a full NBA season since 2002-03, when he scored a career-high 22.5 points per game. Over the next two years, he only played 70 games.

"It's really like I never got to finish. You ever been cut off in midsentence and never been able to finish what you were saying? It feels like I get to finish now ... Of course I want to win, but this quest to me is more about being able to play again while I still can," Houston said in a recent interview with ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

Houston said he still believes he can make an impact in the NBA.

"I believe I can still have an impact on the game. A lot of my friends and people are saying, 'You should go for three more years if you feel good!' I'm just thinking about this year right now. If things go like I think they will, playing longer would be something to think about," he said.

Houston, who worked as an analyst for ESPN last season, was given a much-criticized $100 million, six-year contract extension in 2001 from the Knicks. The deal made him virtually untradeable once he began to get hurt and crippled the Knicks' ability to make moves because of salary cap woes.

Houston averaged 17.3 points during his 12 NBA seasons. He shot 40.2 percent from 3-point range.

After spending his first three seasons in Detroit, Houston signed with the Knicks, who hoped he would be the outside shooting complement they needed to Patrick Ewing.

Houston helped New York to an improbable spot in the 1999 NBA Finals, when his running jumper in the closing seconds of the deciding Game 5 knocked off the top-seeded Miami Heat in the first round.

Andrew Marchand is the managing editor of 1050 ESPN Radio in New York. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

finalsbound · 10-10-2007, 02:14 PM

Haha...old creaky knees rejoining the Knicks...hilarious.

Seth Myers on SNL weekend update:
"The jury in the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment case awarded Anucha Browne Sanders $11 million. She would have gotten more from the Knicks, but she's not a washed-up shooting guard with bad knees."

TeamUSA · 10-10-2007, 02:21 PM

Houston, they just activated Houston.

thelasik · 10-10-2007, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by finalsbound

Seth Myers on SNL weekend update:
"The jury in the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment case awarded Anucha Browne Sanders $11 million. She would have gotten more from the Knicks, but she's not a washed-up shooting guard with bad knees."

LOL, that's probably true.

poprocks · 10-10-2007, 05:04 PM

uh oh..just watch I bet he makes the All-Star team.

Murph23 · 10-10-2007, 05:21 PM

Who cares? He is still one of most overpaid players ever in the NBA!

geeimsobored · 10-10-2007, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murph23

Who cares? He is still one of most overpaid players ever in the NBA!

Nah he wasnt. The guy was a good player and was Ray Allen before Ray Allen. The Knicks were just stupid since they basically bid against themselves. There were warning signs everywhere too about his health and potential problems and the Knicks threw money at him anyway.

But there are tons of other guys who got overpaid on a greater scale relative to talent.

Hydhypedplaya · 10-10-2007, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geeimsobored

Nah he wasnt. The guy was a good player and was Ray Allen before Ray Allen. The Knicks were just stupid since they basically bid against themselves. There were warning signs everywhere too about his health and potential problems and the Knicks threw money at him anyway.

But there are tons of other guys who got overpaid on a greater scale relative to talent.

did anybody else think of Juwan Howard when they read this?

The_Yoyo · 10-10-2007, 06:18 PM

i dont get it dont people unretire to try to get a ring? what does allan houston achieve by doing this? screw over the knicks more than he already has?

ReD_1 · 10-10-2007, 06:31 PM

Great move by the Knicks!
No really,they should call Pat Ewing from retire and play him along with hm... coach trainer Zeke :D
Allan Houston,stupid player with great second name

A_3PO · 10-10-2007, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geeimsobored

Nah he wasnt. The guy was a good player and was Ray Allen before Ray Allen. The Knicks were just stupid since they basically bid against themselves. There were warning signs everywhere too about his health and potential problems and the Knicks threw money at him anyway.

But there are tons of other guys who got overpaid on a greater scale relative to talent.

Allan Houston was no Ray Allen. I say this as a person who thinks Ray Allen is overrated.

Omer · 10-10-2007, 08:24 PM

Hmm, probably a useless signing. I doubt he will do much.

Dave_78 · 10-10-2007, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A_3PO

Allan Houston was no Ray Allen. I say this as a person who thinks Ray Allen is overrated.

I have to second that. I'm not a huge Ray Allen fan but Houston in his best season was not the player Ray Allen is today even after losing a step or two.

This comparison is like saying Rik Smits was Yao before Yao.

tchenps · 10-10-2007, 09:29 PM

It must be depressing to be NY sports fans in these days... :D

KingCheetah · 10-10-2007, 09:34 PM

Wow, completely unexpected ~ if he makes a successful comeback with those bionic knees then it's hero status.

I'm rooting big time for his success -- how could you not?

Trip · 10-10-2007, 11:49 PM

What exactly does this do for the Knicks? I thought Q-Rich was their three-point specialist (guy who doesn't do anything but shoot threes)?

This is the summer of the return of the has-been guards. First Penny Hardaway, then Reggie Miller almost coming out of retirement, and now Houston.

FFz · 10-10-2007, 11:54 PM

Q has a great postup game that Larry Brown failed to use. He was hurt last year, but you should see his skills this year in the post when Curry is out of the game.

deekay209 · 10-11-2007, 01:01 AM

What the hell is wrong with the Knicks these days??? Somebody needs to open their damn eyes and fire Isiah Thomas. He was a GREAT player but a horrible GM and coach. And now a public nuisance. That Jerome James signing has to be the WORST signing in the history of the NBA.

rockets-#1 · 10-11-2007, 05:11 AM

Just wow.

Yaozer · 10-11-2007, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tchenps

It must be depressing to be NY sports fans in these days... :D

FeReal! Giants and Knicks are their last hope for the rest of the season.