Of the 72 seasons the New York Knicks have suited up to play basketball, only twice has the team reached the pinnacle, and a late December trade for Dave DeBusschere — which went down half a century ago this week — is often credited with being the move that pushed the ‘Bockers over the hump and into the promised land.
As December was nearing its end in 1968, the Knicks were nothing to scoff at. They sat at 18-17 and were coming off back-to-back playoff appearances after having previously undergone a seven-year hiatus from the postseason.