Knicks Hire Larry Johnson as Basketball and Business Operations Representative

Knicks heroes Walt Frazier, Allan Houston and John Starks already work for the franchise they once played for in different capacities, and now a new retired legend has been welcomed back into the ‘Bocker umbrella: Larry Johnson, who will be the team’s new Basketball and Business Operations Representative. Here’s more, from the team’s release: “The New York Knickerbockers announced today that Larry Johnson has been named Basketball and Business Operations Representative. ‘I consider coming back to work for a franchise that I had so much success with a great honor,’ Johnson said.  ‘As I move onto the next phase of my career, I have been given an opportunity to touch so many different areas of the organization – helping develop young players, connecting with the community and actively involving myself in the business of basketball. I couldn’t be more excited to get going and learn as much as I can.’ In this new role, Johnson will work closely with the basketball operations department, focusing on player development; the community relations department, working to support the Garden of Dreams Foundation and on fan development; and the marketing and partnership departments, with involvement in numerous business initiatives. The author of perhaps the most famous play in franchise history, ‘LJ’ converted a four-point play with :05.7 remaining en route to a 92-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on Jun. 5, 1999. In five seasons in the Blue & Orange, Johnson, a four-time Knicks captain, averaged 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds over 330 games from 1996 through 2001, and led the team into the playoffs each year before announcing his retirement on Oct. 10, 2001. Once acquired from the Charlotte Hornets on Jul. 14, 1996, Johnson’s reputation as being a great teammate and a player willing to sacrifice for the team’s greater-good quickly became evident to the Knicks’ faithful.”