RADIO
We all die one day. The question is how hard do you fight when you’re alive?
On a basketball court, nobody played harder than Anthony Mason.
In Game 2 of the 1994 NBA Finals, the MVP of the league was trying to get position in the post – but he couldn’t get to his spot. Even though Anthony Mason was five inches shorter than Hakeem Olajuwon, he refused to budge. That was classic Mase – he never gave an inch.
Anthony Mason was the Knicks best option when it came to guarding Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1994 Finals. He had the brute strength to battle Hakeem down low, the quick hands to strip him and the agility to keep pace with the league’s most nimble center. It was only natural that Anthony Mason was a great defender. Much of defense is effort and determination, and nobody outworked Mase.
New York Knicks fans loved him because Mason gave us everything that he had every night. Whether he was diving for a loose ball or grabbing a rebound in traffic, Mase was all heart. But it’s more than that – he was one of us. Not just because he was a native of Queens, but because he was animated, raw and relentless. Mason ran the court like a locomotive, dunked with ferocity and even celebrated powerfully (as you can see in the 1:25 mark of this video):
Were it not for Anthony’s endearing tenacity, NBA fans likely never would have heard of him.
Initially, the league’s talent evaluators wrote Mason off as an undersized power forward. He was drafted in the third round of the 1988 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. Picks selected that late in the draft were almost destined to be cut. They were such long shots that none of their salary was guaranteed.
Anthony wanted to help his mother out financially, so he signed a guaranteed deal with the Turkish club Efes Pilsen. This seemed like the first step toward obscurity. But Mason had defied the odds before.
In terms of basketball, he was a late bloomer. Anthony didn’t start playing ball until his junior year of high school when his coach, Ken Fiedler, saw not just size but potential in Mason. The novice player took to his coach’s teachings and relentlessly honed his craft.
“My work ethic is what made me. I never took time off,” Mason said in an interview with Eddie Mata.
That summer he worked on his game every day until the lights at his local court went off at 2 AM. His hard work earned Anthony a full scholarship to Tennessee State University. So if you could work your way from a novice basketball player to a D-1 recruit in 2 years, what’s a little international hoops?
Anthony impressed in Turkey, which then led to playing in Venezuela, the CBA and the USBL. After a year and a half of playing against lesser competition, Mason finally reached the NBA. He signed with the New Jersey Nets in the second half of the1989-90 season – but only played sparingly in 21 games. The following season he was back playing in the semi-pro leagues. But Anthony didn’t give up – he dominated. Mason averaged 29.9 points per game and 14.8 rebounds for the Tulsa Fast Breakers. His strong play caught the eye of a fellow undersized, hard-nosed forward – Pat Riley.
Riley took over the Knicks coaching job in the 1991-92 season, and one of his secret weapons was Anthony Mason. The unknown 25 year old forward played all 82 games that year, averaging 7 points, 7 rebounds and killer defense off the bench for a coach who was trying to change the culture. Riley was building a bully – an elite defensive team that was as physical as the rules allowed. Paired with Charles Oakley, the Knicks forward tandem was terrifying.
But Anthony Mason was far more than an enforcer. He was an excellent ball handler for his size and such a skilled passer that Don Nelson would later play him as the point forward in his up-tempo offense. The 250 pound bruiser had a surprising amount of finesse in his offensive game. Yet defensively was where Mason truly shined. He was an elite defender who skillfully guarded every position on the court.
By the time his 13 year career was over, Anthony Mason had been named an All Star, a second team All-NBA Defensive player, a Third Team All-NBA player and a Sixth Man of the Year. That’s pretty good for a high school kid who didn’t start playing basketball until his junior year.
Early in the morning on Saturday, February 28th, Anthony Mason passed away. He certainly earned his rest. Through hard work, Anthony Mason got the absolute most out of his talent. When you think about it, there are few finer ways to spend your life.
From a fan’s perspective, Mase gave us all that we could ask for – supreme effort.
Plus he had the best haircuts.
Rest in Peace Anthony Mason. Thanks for the great memories.
