Madison Square Garden has given former Knicks a fixed place to watch the postseason, and the result is an “Alumni Row” that has become part of the building’s playoff look. James Dolan began reserving 14 courtside baseline seats for former players during the 2023-24 season, and the setup has been visible again as the Knicks played through the 2025 Eastern Conference finals and into the 2026 NBA Finals.
That is why John Starks is being searched now. He is back in the building in a way that feels both ceremonial and current: Starks played for the Knicks from 1990-98, was an NBA All-Star in 1994 and remains the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made. He said the block of seats has turned into a regular gathering place, with “Larry sits down there, and a few guys sit down there when they’re in town,” while the televised crowd shots during the Indiana Pacers series helped turn the reunion into a playoff subplot.
For Knicks fans, Starks still carries the weight of a different era. He is remembered for his dunk on Michael Jordan in the 1993 Eastern Conference finals, and the team later brought him back in 2004 as an alumni and fan development advisor, a role that includes helping former players stay connected to the franchise and involved in community events. In the current postseason, though, he is not sitting as a memory. He is part of the show, alongside Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Allan Houston and Stephon Marbury, with Walt Frazier describing the scene as “a Knicks family reunion” at home games.
Johnson gave the gathering its plainest name — “Alumni Row” — and then put a number on what the seats have meant. He said he had not seen Marcus Camby and Latrell Sprewell in 20, 25 years, and had not seen Kurt Thomas in 20-25 years. He said he saw Camby and Sprewell last year, that Chris Childs started coming back this year and that Charlie Ward attended a couple games this year. The reunion is warm, but it sits against a harder backdrop: the Knicks are still trying to win their first NBA title since 1973.
That contrast is what gives the courtside block its pull. It celebrates every era the franchise can still summon, while the current team keeps chasing a championship that has eluded it for more than half a century. Whether the 14 baseline seats remain set aside after this run is still unanswered, but for now the Knicks have made room for their past in the middle of a present they hope will finally end with a title.
