When Jeff Van Gundy stepped down as head coach of the New York Knicks, success at The Mecca left with him. Following a stretch of 14 consecutive postseason appearances, New York has since missed the playoffs in 11 of 15 seasons.
It was through the 2002 NBA Draft that then general manager Scott Layden was hoping to land the next franchise player: Yao Ming.
Ming will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at just 35 years of age. Injuries took him from the Association, but he still managed to piece together one of the most influential careers in NBA history.