‘There was none fiercer’
Former NBA defensive standout starred for Knicks in mid-’90s
NEW YORK — Anthony Mason’s game was grit over glitz, more force than flash.
That may not fit some New York stereotypes, but it was the perfect style for the Knicks of the 1990s, and made the rugged power forward a beloved bruiser by teammates and fans.
Mason has died, the Knicks said Saturday, at age 48. He had been hospitalized after suffering a massive heart attack from congestive heart failure earlier in February, Newsday reported.
“Overnight New York City and the world lost a legend, a friend, a brother … but more than anything our father, Anthony Mason,” his oldest son Anthony Mason Jr. said in a statement.
Former teammate Patrick Ewing said his “heart is heavy” after learning Mason had died after recent heart problems.
“Mase came to play every night and was always ready to go to battle with me every time we stepped on the court together,” Ewing said in a statement. “I will remember him for his strength, determination and perseverance.”
Mason was a defensive force who played for six NBA teams from 1989-2003, a popular protector of superstars like Ewing and respected by opponents who knew they were in for punishment when they played against him.
“As a competitor, there was none fiercer than Anthony Mason. Standing on the opposite end of the playing field, coaching in those great Chicago/New York battles, No. 14 in the orange and blue always stood out,” said Knicks President Phil Jackson, who coach the Chicago Bulls during their many matchups against the ’90s Knicks.
Added Michael Jordan: “Mase was one of the toughest competitors of his era.”
He remained a fighter throughout his health problems, his family said.
The 6-foot-7 Mason won a Sixth Man Award with the Knicks and later made an All-Star team, but it was the toughness he provided alongside Charles Oakley while surrounding franchise center Ewing that made him a fan favorite in New York.
“MY MAN MY MAN A. MASON R.I.P, WE GONNA MISS U BROTHER,” Oakley wrote on Twitter.
Mason won the NBA’s Sixth Man award in 1995 with a Knicks team that was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in one of its classic clashes with the Indiana Pacers. He also won all-defensive-team honors two years later with the Charlotte Hornets.
Mason’s career averages — 10.9 points, 8.3 rebounds — don’t tell the full story of his game. A solid, muscular presence down low, he was there to play defense, and on coach Pat Riley’s bruising teams, he could shine.
Mason played for New York from 1991-1996, and then for the Hornets until 2000. He made his only All-Star team in 2001 as a member of the Miami Heat, after reuniting with Riley.
“Anthony Mason exemplified perseverance for all players fighting for their chance in the NBA,” Commissioner Adam Silver said. “NBA fans and players around the league admired his tenacity on defense and playmaking on offense.”
Mason was drafted in the third round out of Tennessee State in 1988 by Portland, but he never played for the Trail Blazers. After a brief stint overseas, he played sparingly in 21 games for the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets before he finally caught on with Riley’s defense-first Knicks in 1991. He was a force for them as they made a run to the 1994 NBA Finals.
Mason was dealt to Charlotte in a July 1996 trade that brought Larry Johnson to New York. With the Hornets, Mason played three strong seasons in four years, missing 1998-99 because of an injury, before Riley brought him to Miami, where he was coaching a Heat team that played with the same style as those Knicks teams with which Mason flourished.