Knicks Legends: Ewing, Frazier, Reed

The New York Knicks’ history is a collector’s dream. The championship era gave the hobby Hall of Famers in Willis Reed and Walt “Clyde” Frazier, and the 1990s were defined by Patrick Ewing — while scorers like Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Bernard King add real depth.

The championship core

• Willis Reed — two-time champion and 1970 Finals MVP; the emotional heart of the title teams.
• Walt “Clyde” Frazier — two-time champion, Hall of Fame guard, and New York icon.
• Earl “The Pearl” Monroe — Hall of Fame guard and 1973 champion; his rookie is the 1969-70 Topps tall-boy, his Knicks cards run 1972-73 onward.

The broader legends

• Patrick Ewing — the 1990s franchise center; chase the high-grade 1986-87 Fleer rookie.
• Bernard King — one of the greatest pure scorers in Knicks history; 1984-85 NBA scoring champion.

Condition is everything

Many of these players’ cards come from vintage eras where centering and surface vary widely, so grade drives value. Prefer authenticated, graded copies (PSA, SGC, BGS) for anything you’re buying to hold. The rails above open live listings so you can compare condition and recent sold prices.

For the deeper championship roster beyond these blue-chip names — Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, and Jerry Lucas — plus the 1969-70 Topps “tall-boy” set, see our best vintage New York Knicks cards list.