Former New York Knicks Player Anthony Mason Dead At 48

Anthony Mason, the tough forward who helped power the bruising New York Knicks teams of the 1990s, died on Saturday February 28, 2015 in Manhattan. He was 48.  




  


The former NBA player suffered a massive heart attack in early February 2015 and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

Earlier this week, the athlete's family had claimed he was "getting better" following operations on his heart, but he later succumbed to his condition.

Mason is best known for his time with the Pat Riley-coached Knicks teams featuring John Starks, Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and others. They never earned an NBA title, but battled the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls and other teams with a defensive-minded approach to basketball. The Knicks reached the NBA Finals in 1994, losing to the Houston Rockets.

Mason also played for the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks during his 13-year career. He received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year honor in 1995 and was named an All-Star in 2001. 

In the TV show "New York Undercover", Mason appeared in two different episodes, playing himself in one. He also plays a pickup player in the 1996 movie "Eddie and himself in Woody Allen's "Celebrity".

Mason also appears in the Diamond D rap video "Best Kept Secret," dunking his way through the clip on a New York City playground basketball court.

The Beastie Boys song "B-Boys Makin' With The Freak Freak" from 1994's "Ill Communication" LP mentions him with the lyric "I Got My Hair Cut Correct Like Anthony Mason" - The Beasties being NY Knicks fans.

He also makes an appearance in the Beastie Boys music video "Root Down".

Mason's son, Anthony Jr., played basketball for St. John’s University, while his other son, Antoine, plays for Auburn University.


R.I.P Anthony Mason


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