Former Knick Anthony Mason dies at 48

MANILA, Philippine – Former New York Knicks favorite Anthony Mason passed away on Saturday, February 28, his family announced.

Mason was diagnosed early in February with congestive heart failure. 

“Overnight New York City and the world lost a legend, a friend, a brother… but more than anything our father,” Mason’s son, Anthony Mason Jr., said in a statement. 

“As you would all expect, our father – Big Mase – put up an incredible fight, dealing with severe heart issues,” the statement also said. 

“I’m wishing this was something else I was writing, but, Pops, we’ve got to let you know we love you and know you’ll always be with us.” 

Mason, a product of Springfield Gardens High School in Queens, New York, was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1988 NBA Draft. He served tenures with the New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets before finding a home with the Knicks in 1991. 

Along with Head Coach Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and others, Mason was part of a Knicks core that was a legitimate contender yearly in the Eastern Conference in the 90s.  

He was part of the squad that advanced to the NBA Finals in 1994 against the Houston Rockets. In the 1994-1995 NBA season, Mason won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. 

After departing from the Knicks in 1996, Mason played for the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, and Milwaukee Bucks. He retired in 2003.

Throughout his career, Mason averaged 10.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG, per basketball-reference.com.

His best campaign was in the 2000-2001 season with the Heat, where Mason put up 16.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. 

Mason’s death is the latest in the series of passing of notable former NBA players. Over the past few weeks, Trail Blazers favorite Jerome Kersey and Earl Lloyd, the first African-American player to play in the league, both passed away as well. – Rappler.com