Anthony Mason: Point God Forever

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

Anthony Mason. Gone.

The untimely passing of one of the greatest players that
New York City ever produced this morning has not only
put a somber note on a week in the NBA that saw the
league’s first African-American player, Earl Lloyd, pass away,
it also is a blow to many who love an underdog. And
Mase truly was an underdog who rose to great fame by
his own grit, ability and confidence. But what I want to
write about here, is the lessons he gave to us all while
in a New York Knicks uniform.

For any Knicks fan who bleeds orange and blue, Mase was
and is part of the franchise’s legacy. I mean, dude came
up from the ‘hood, Springfield Gardens to be exact. (A
factoid that I’m sure had other residents of the city who’ve
never noticed much of Queens outside of its airports scratch
their heads.) In that way, he was also part of the rich 
heritage Southeast Queens boasts basketball-wise. Mark
Jackson. The late Troy ‘Escalade’ Jackson. The great Bob
Cousy of the Boston Celtics. It wasn’t an easy road. Dude
went and played in Turkey and Venezuela after getting cut
by Portland after their training camp in 1988. He got into
the league with the Nets for a cup of coffee before getting
bounced and then hitting the Tulsa franchise of the CBA.
But once he got to the New York Knicks…it was ON. It was
even more special since he rocked number 14, the day of
my birthday. 

It was another one of those ‘made for New York’ moments
that this city has enjoyed an abundance of. Mase was a
perfect addition to a squad that featured Patrick Ewing,
Charles Oakley, and John Starks. Each one of those cats
came to BALL. Mase was no different. I mean, for a 6”7’
dude, he had HANDLES. That was not common in that
period of the NBA. Power forwards were supposed to live
in the paint and scrap. HE RAN THE POINT. Even when
you were screaming at the TV ‘NO MASE, pass the rock!!!’
He’d manage a spin and dish, and all was forgiven once
Starks or Hubert Davis or Derek Harper scored. Not to say
Mase didn’t have that strength for the paint. He was a
beast. He had NO problem throwing it down on someone.
Most importantly, he was unafraid. When the Chicago Bulls
and Michael Jordan were on their tear through the league,
Mase and the Knicks seemed to be the only team that
looked at them like ‘f**k all that noise, you’re in The Garden.
No free passes.’ With Pat Riley as the coach, the Knicks were
a tough team filled with pride. Mason was an enforcer along
with Oak - if Oak was the old head that looked like he drank
V.S.O.P. at halftime, Mase was that dude that was ready to
scrap and laugh at you while he was tapping your jaw. One
memory I had from those tremendous games against the
Bulls: Mase and Horace Grant got tied up in the paint. Grant
shoves Mase, almost gently. The mikes on NBC caught Mase
saying: ‘you aint sh** without MJ, not even on your best day!!’
Grant stopped, looked like he was gonna say something - &
didn’t.

I mean, Anthony Mason was a legend. My man would always
get the fresh cuts with the lettering in the side of his dome.
‘Point God’?! ‘Back To D?’?! And who can forget the Finals
style, where he had the Knicks logo? Mase was also a key
part of the hip-hop culture at a time where the NBA didn’t 
have too many expressing that spirit in the league. Mase was
one of the first bridges. Homeboy was immortalized in a lyric
by the Beastie Boys on ‘Ill Communication’ and was in their
video for the track. And you can’t forget Diamond D’s ‘Best
Kept Secret’ video.


(If you could find a song that personified Mase in hip-hop? 
Has to be ‘Beasts From The East’, by The Lost Boyz with
Redman, Canibus & A+. Straight up tenacity and power.)
He even got on THE TV show of that era in Black & Brown
households on Thursday nights, New York Undercover. But
Mason was a baller through and through. Sixth Man of The
Year award? Copped that in 1995. Lead the league in minutes
played? Did that in back-to-back seasons. Even wound up
an All-Star in his one stint with the Miami Heat, putting a
listing franchise back up on its feet. Even when the Knicks
traded him to Charlotte for Larry Johnson, Mase was still
playing hard. Milwaukee was the end of the line for him in
2003, but he played 11 seasons in the league. Not bad at
all for a third-round pick who at the time was considered a
marginal player.

Photo Credit:AP

But that was the thing about Anthony Mason. He made it,
in his own way. And he did it with a love for the game and
a confident swagger. He went at everyone on the court. And
I mean, everyone. Look at the 1994 Finals against Houston.
Mase is in there, going up against Hakeem Olajuwon, and
showing off his own nimble footwork. Look at his years in
Charlotte, how he basically added a longer-range jumpshot
to his game. Hard work. Never letting up. Love for the game.
Pride. That was Mase Face. Even when he was retired, we’d
see him occasionally back on the Avenue. A small crowd that
hung around him as he popped into the Colosseum. Or he’d
hit up local basketball games and tournaments at York College.
Decked out in a full length shearling if it was cold outside or
a snazzy velour track suit. And the bling. Had to have the
chain. Mase also gave support to folks when he could. I know
he gave a lot of support to Cedric The Entertainer when he
started out. Gave to charities in Southeast Queens and down
in Memphis, Tennessee. He also was a close friend to LL Cool
J for many years, and was a devoted father to his two sons,
Anthony Mason Jr. & Antoine Mason. 

It says something that Mase passed away due to heart issues.
The man had so much heart, gave so much of himself to the
point where it was undeniable. Knicks fans…New Yorkers…
anyone who believes in giving their all. We all cherish that.
He proved that through your own hard work and belief in your
own worth and by still holding on to what makes you, you - 
you could achieve whatever you set out to do no matter what.
And for that, Anthony Mason will forever be a point god in
the hearts of many.