For nearly three decades, John Starks has called Stamford home. But this summer, the New York Knicks legend experienced something even he never thought he'd see.
After 22 years as the Knicks' Alumni & Fan Development Advisor—and more than three decades connected to the franchise—Starks finally celebrated what generations of fans had waited 53 years to witness: an NBA championship. When the banner rises at Madison Square Garden this month, Starks will receive a championship ring, a fitting honor for a man whose loyalty to the organization never wavered.
When the final buzzer sounded in San Antonio, Starks was surrounded on the court by former teammates, sharing a moment decades in the making.
"I was numb, to be honest with you," said Starks, who spent eight unforgettable seasons with the Knicks and still holds the franchise record for career three-point field goals. "I thought about the fans and the generations that could finally enjoy this experience."
Few people have lived the Knicks' story as completely as Starks. From his blue-collar playing days to his front-office role, he has witnessed the franchise's triumphs and heartbreaks alongside icons like Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Patrick Ewing, and longtime broadcaster Mike Breen.
For Starks, this championship is deeply personal.
No Knicks fan has forgotten the agony of the 1994 NBA Finals. Holding a 3-2 series lead over Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets, New York stood one win from a championship. In Game 6, Olajuwon blocked Starks' potential game-tying shot in the closing seconds. Two nights later, the Knicks fell short again in Game 7.
The pain never disappeared, but neither did Starks' resilience.
Undrafted out of college, he fought his way into the NBA, built a 13-year career, scored more than 10,000 points, earned the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1997, and became one of basketball's fiercest competitors.
"I always played to win. It was always about the team," Starks said. "It was never for personal glory."
Receiving a championship ring doesn't erase 1994, but it completes the story in a way few imagined possible. Today, Starks is more focused on gratitude than regret.
That perspective carries into his life in Stamford, where he co-owns the Stamford Cigar Lounge. It's a neighborhood gathering place where conversations come easily and, when time allows, Starks unwinds with one of his favorite cigars, Padron, and a glass of any single malt scotch.
His impact extends well beyond basketball.
In 1994, Starks founded the John Starks Foundation and its Three-Point Scholarship Program, helping students throughout the New York metropolitan area—including Connecticut—and in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Eight Stamford students have earned scholarships through the foundation.
His role with the Knicks also keeps him connected to the next generation through school visits, youth camps, and community events, where he shares the lessons learned from one of the NBA's most unlikely success stories.
Starks understands the power of encouragement because he lived it. As a young man searching for direction, he credits his older brother, Vincent, for pushing him to pursue a college scholarship at Oklahoma State. That belief changed his life, and today he works to provide that same spark for young people throughout Stamford and beyond.
Today, John Starks is far more than a Knicks legend. He is a devoted husband to his wife, Jacqueline; a proud father; a businessman; a philanthropist; and a valued member of the Stamford community.
For years, Knicks fans celebrated his grit, toughness, and refusal to quit. Now, after a lifetime of perseverance, John Starks finally has the one thing that eluded him as a player—a championship ring.
On October 20, opening night at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks will raise their championship banner and present the rings. For Starks, it will be more than a ceremony. It’s a full-circle moment more than three decades in the making—and for one of the franchise’s greatest competitors, perhaps the ending this story always deserved.
Tom Chiappetta is a Stamford native, freelance writer, and Executive Director of the Fairfield County Sports Hall of Fame & Youth Foundation.