Four Former Knicks Announced as Eligible Hall of Fame Candidates

The New York Knicks were fortunate enough to take centerstage at the induction of the Hall of Fame's 2025 class. Carmelo Anthony, one of the historic franchise's favorite sons, was finally rewarded with the sport's highest post-retirement honor after 19 NBA seasons and six and a half years in the association's biggest market.

The 10x All-Star made the Hall with relative ease, but he could be closely followed by some less-accoladed former Knicks shortly. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame recently issued the list of eligible candidates for the upcoming 2026 crop, which featured a few names already familiar to New Yorkers.

Amar'e Stoudemire is a returning candidate to join some of his peers when the newest batch is announced in April, while fellow scorer Jamal Crawford and one-time Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni look to join Springfield's ranks.

Former New York Knicks Forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire — Mar 7, 2011; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and forward Amare Stoudemire (1) laugh during the second half against Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden. Knicks beat the Jazz, 131-109. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-Imagn Images | Nicole Sweet-Imagn Images

Though none of those longtime NBA regulars are nearly as likely as Anthony was to glide to the top of ballots, they each have compelling cases to argue.

Getting Over the Hump

Stoudemire is the sparkliest candidate of the bunch, even if he's already been passed over before. He amounted six All-Star teams of his own in his first nine NBA seasons, including a nod in his first season in New York.

It was he who looked to captain the Knicks back to glory before Anthony forced a trade to the East Coast shortly after Stoudemire's move, and injuries and mileage quickly got the better of the former star over three and a half significantly quieter seasons with the team. Just a year after getting traded away, the 2002 Draft's Rookie of the Year and routine 20 points per game scorer was out of the league.

He, along with Anthony, spent two fragmented campaigns under D'Antoni as their head coach, a previous Coach of the Year winner who'd go on to add another such trophy to his mantle across two decades of distinctive offensive orchestration. Though D'Antoni resigned midway through the 2011-2012 season, his helping to usher in the pace-and-space era of the last decade makes him the likeliest bet of the bunch to join the esteemed Hall.

Former New York Knicks Guard Jeremy Lin and Head Coach Mike D'Antoni — Feb 11, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) talks with head coach Mike D'Antoni against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. The Knicks defeated the Timberwolves 100-98. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images | Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

Crawford isn't quite as accomplished as his fellow aforementioned Knicks, even if his extraordinarily long and well-traveled career did afford him innumerable iconic moments in the league.

He's gone on to take three Sixth Man of the Year awards home over a seven-year span later in his 20-year-long stint in the league, but he really started making a name for himself on some otherwise-disorderly Knicks teams in the late-2000s.

His sticky handle and instincts for highlight plays helped him post 17.6 points per game in four and a half seasons with New York. Though he couldn't match Stoudemire's acclaim as an all-league talent, the mark he left on the game as a bench scorer has gotten him this far.

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