The NBA forgets its heroes faster than anyone expects. Take Kenny Sears, a guy who once led the league in shooting and made two All-Star teams. He finished eighth for MVP twice while wearing the Knicks uniform. Yet by 2050, his name might be gone from the collective memory of the sport. A recent piece from Posting and Toasting highlights this sad reality. It notes that by the time climate and social chaos kill pro sports, Sears will be a long-forgotten figure. This story covers more than just one player; it shows how quickly time erases a legend.
Stats That Get Erased
Sears had a resume that’d make any current star green with envy. He was a starter in multiple NBA Finals and won a championship. The All-Defensive First Team spot went to him, while he took second place in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He even led his team in scoring with 26 points per game. He was the second-leading scorer and the fourth-leading scorer at different times. His stats placed him in the top-20 for points, field goals, and shooting percentage. He also led in steals and had the lowest turnover percentage. These aren’t small numbers. They’re the marks of a dominant player. But nobody talks about them today. Go on, look up the numbers yourself. You’ll find that people dismiss him or deride his legacy.
Size and Surface Level
People often say he was just lucky to be a star because the game was different back then. According to Posting and Toasting, a common rebuttal is: “Anyway, back then there were just, like, 15 players.” Of course he was an All-Star; everybody was!” This excuse ignores the facts. Sears was a combo forward who didn’t tip the scales at 200 pounds. He was lighter than Mikal Bridges and barely bulkier than Landry Shamet. He looked like he couldn’t dunk a donut, much less a basketball. Still, his biggest failing wasn’t his size. It was that he wasn’t where the fans’ eyes went first. Carl Braun, Richie Guerin, Dick McGuire, and Harry Gallatin got all the glory. Braun made five All-Star teams. Guerin made six. McGuire and Gallatin made seven. Sears was just not as sparkly or obvious as they were.
Remember The Players Who Mattered
It’s fun to sit around and remember random NBA guys from the past. But you shouldn’t just pick any name. You need to remember the specific players who struck a chord. Get together with your people and talk about them. Talk over drinks or write about the players who mattered. Kenny Sears was an ur-example of how the game loses its history. He spent six-plus seasons as a Knickerbocker and led the league in shooting twice. One year he hit 10 points above the league average with a 49% shooting mark. That’s a feat that deserves to be remembered. Don’t let the timeline wash him away. Who is a Knicks player from the past you think the league has unfairly forgotten?
