Anthony Mason, a longtime NBA player who helped the New York Knicks reach the 1994 NBA Finals, has died at the age of 48.
A Knicks spokesperson confirmed to ESPN that Mason died early Saturday morning. The 13-year NBA veteran had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure earlier this month.
"First I want to thank all those who offered prayers and well-wishes for my Father, our family really appreciates it," his son, Anthony Mason Jr., said Saturday. "Overnight, New York City and the world lost a legend, a friend, a brother ... but more than anything our father, Anthony Mason. As you all would expect our father -- Big Mase -- put up an incredible fight, dealing with a severe heart issue. I'm wishing this was something else I was writing, but Pops we've got to let you know we love you and know you'll always be with us."
[+] EnlargeAnthony Mason
Brad Mangin/NBAE/Getty Images
Anthony Mason played parts of 13 seasons in the NBA and was a key member of the 1993-94 Knicks team that reached the NBA Finals.
Mason's other son Antoine, a senior basketball player at Auburn, had said earlier this week that his father was "getting better" following multiple heart surgeries.
Mason played for six teams but was best remembered for his five-year tenure with the Knicks. Mason's bruising, physical play epitomized then-coach Pat Riley's Knicks teams. The 6-foot-7 forward became a fan favorite for his physical play and also drew attention for the creative artwork and messages that he had carved in his hair cuts.
Mason teamed with Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and John Starks to help the Knicks win the Eastern Conference in 1994 and reach the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Houston Rockets in seven games.
Mason won the NBA's Sixth Man Award in 1994-95 as a member of the Knicks. He also played with the Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat following his stint with the Knicks.
"Anthony was a multifaceted individual," his longtime agent Don Cronson told ESPN.com's Ian O'Connor. "There were many aspects to his personality, and some that people weren't aware of. In the best sense of the term he was a momma's boy. From the day I met him he was always thinking of his mom and taking care of her. As rough and tough as he was, Anthony was also a doting father, and I saw that many times.
"Anthony willed himself into the NBA, and very few players can do that. Any NBA team could've had him for a nickel, and he turned out to be the perfect Pat Riley player. I think Pat saw a lot of himself in Anthony, and really they were the same guy. That's why they butted heads as often as they did. They were both blue-collar guys and fighters. Anthony told me, 'Pat Riley was the one who gave me my chance. He's the one who saw something in me when nobody else did.'"
Mason was reunited with Riley later in his career while playing for Miami, where he was named to his one and only All-Star team in 2001.
Mason's career is a story of perseverance.
After playing high school basketball at Springfield Gardens in Queens and college basketball at Tennessee State University, Mason was selected in the third round of the 1988 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, who waived him shortly thereafter.
Mason then played in Turkey and Venezuela before joining the then-New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets for short stints. He also played in the USBL and CBA.
Mason found a permanent home with the Knicks in 1991 after receiving an invite to play on the organization's summer league team.
Riley appreciated Mason's intense, physical approach and kept him on the roster, beginning a run that would end with Mason leaving an indelible mark on the Knicks organization and its fan base.
Last edited by Basketball Fan on Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:41 am; edited 1 time in total
Damn. One of my favorite players back in the day. Hope he pulls through. _________________ "It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up."-The Greatest
Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 3079 Location: Portugal
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 12:58 am Post subject:
Always liked him.
It was him Starks and Oakley that gave soul to the Knicks.
He came from the NBA, and evolved his game to all star level at the advent of his career.
The disco bouncer look turned eyes from his excelent ball handling skills (not often he'd take the ball upcourt when Rivers was injured), and his lefty jumper was efficient.
The Mason surname made for brick jokes. He was a 71% FT shooter. _________________ -----------------------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/user/NBAMadeira
Joined: 15 Nov 2006 Posts: 19866 Location: Prarie & Manchester, high above the western sideline
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 6:25 am Post subject:
According to doctors, even with the best prognosis he will now only be able to shoot freethrows using one hand. _________________ http://chickhearn.ytmnd.com/
Joined: 09 Dec 2009 Posts: 4330 Location: Meeting the man who met Andy Griffith.
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 7:47 am Post subject:
Loved Mason on the Knicks. Hope he makes a full recovery. _________________ "The best there is. The best there was. The best there ever will be.", said Bret Hart regarding the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to doctors, even with the best prognosis he will now only be able to shoot freethrows using one hand.
Hrted Mase. One of Davo's faves. He's gonna be hurt to hear this news. I remember a Mase trade rumor to us in 97-8. He was high post point-PF. That's a rare feat that deserves to be shaved into one's hair. He could've fit "Point PF" in there.
He'll forever be on the most unusual FT form list:
Rick Barry
Keith/Jamaal Wilkes
Mase
Bill Cartwright
Duds
Dantley, who had to rotate the ball 3-4 times to get the seams lined up with his fingertips. Only other guy whose shooting form was approximate to Jamaal's.
Michael Adams, who hopped off the ground on his
Van Exel, Nuggets yrs and beyond, shooting his 2 feet from the line
Mike when he wanted to show off by closing his eyes, and he always hit em
Rodman with his utter disdain for shooting, walkin away from the line during his release, haha
Marty Conlon. I got a clip of Elden and Nick lolling at a extremely un-rhythmic Marty play. He set us whiteboys back, man.
Drexler had a weird overhead release. He shot them fast, sometimes didn't even dribble prior. They would ping in the basket, frozen ropes, but he was an career 800 guy.
Malone had that odd habit of shooting the 1st standing still and then shooting the 2nd while backing away. He was never able to correct that, and he shot the 2nd short a lot of times when he was with us. One of Paul/Stu's consistent gripes.
Extra props to Jack Sikma, who didn't really have a weird shot other than swaying backwards on his pivot foot and then lunging forward on his shots, even at the FT line. That's not it. He lead the league in 1988 in FT%, at 7 feet. Rarely brought up. Rest of the league should've been ashamed. He was .922 that year on 348 attempts. That ain't like Calderon shooting .980 on a measly 150 or so.
Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 3079 Location: Portugal
Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 9:25 am Post subject:
non-player zealot wrote:
C M B wrote:
According to doctors, even with the best prognosis he will now only be able to shoot freethrows using one hand.
Hrted Mase. One of Davo's faves. He's gonna be hurt to hear this news. I remember a Mase trade rumor to us in 97-8. He was high post point-PF. That's a rare feat that deserves to be shaved into one's hair. He could've fit "Point PF" in there.
He'll forever be on the most unusual FT form list:
Rick Barry
Keith/Jamaal Wilkes
Mase
Bill Cartwright
Duds
Dantley, who had to rotate the ball 3-4 times to get the seams lined up with his fingertips. Only other guy whose shooting form was approximate to Jamaal's.
Michael Adams, who hopped off the ground on his
Van Exel, Nuggets yrs and beyond, shooting his 2 feet from the line
Mike when he wanted to show off by closing his eyes, and he always hit em
Rodman with his utter disdain for shooting, walkin away from the line during his release, haha
Marty Conlon. I got a clip of Elden and Nick lolling at a extremely un-rhythmic Marty play. He set us whiteboys back, man.
Drexler had a weird overhead release. He shot them fast, sometimes didn't even dribble prior. They would ping in the basket, frozen ropes, but he was an career 800 guy.
Extra props to Jack Sikma, who didn't really have a weird shot other than swaying backwards on his pivot foot and then lunging forward on his shots, even at the FT line. That's not it. He lead the league in 1988 in FT%, at 7 feet. Rarely brought up. Rest of the league should've been ashamed. He was .922 that year on 348 attempts. That ain't like Calderon shooting .980 on a measly 150 or so.
That's right, he was a lefty, despite dunking a lot right handed. _________________ -----------------------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/user/NBAMadeira
Report: Anthony Mason’s condition has “improved slightly”
Things sounded dire when news of Anthony Mason’s condition broke on Wednesday. He had congestive heart failure that led to multiple surgeries — one lasting nine hours — in the last few days and was fighting for his life.
But there is a ray of hope, with the news coming courtesy the New York Times.
Don Cronson, who was Mason’s agent when he played in the N.B.A., expressed slight optimism during the day on Thursday after a member of Mason’s immediate family gave him an update on Mason’s condition. “Right now, it’s day to day, but that’s an improvement from moment to moment,” Cronson said.
He said Mason, 48, who last played in the N.B.A. in the 2002-3 season, had gone to a hospital for a checkup for heart issues and had the heart attack there. Cronson said family members had been told that Mason might need a heart transplant if he survived.
There is no good news here, but if you’re going to have a heart attack the hospital is the best place to do it.
Mason played 13 NBA seasons for a number of NBA teams but is best remembered as a fan-favorite in New York. His toughness, ability to defend multiple positions, and physicality were a big part of the Pat Riley’s New York grinding teams in the Patrick Ewing era. Riley recruited Mason to Miami when Riley went south, and with the Heat Mason was named the Sixth Man of the Year in 1995. He averaged 10.8 points and 8.3 rebounds a game over the course of his career. He made the All-Star Game in 2001.
Our thoughts remain with Mason’s family in this difficult time.
Things looked bleak for Anthony Mason when news first broke he had suffered multiple heart attacks. But if you were going to use two words to describe Mason, they would be “tough” and “fighter,” so you know he wasn’t going down easily.
And he hasn’t. While not out of the woods by any stretch Mason’s son Antoine told the New York Post things are looking better.
“I actually spoke to him today,” Antoine Mason told the website on Monday. “He can’t talk yet, but he can hear things and respond by blinking and shaking his head and things like that. When I talked to him, my mom and him, they’re telling me he’s getting better.”
Mason played 13 NBA seasons and bounced around a little, but is best remembered as a fan-favorite of the Knicks in the Patrick Ewing era. He was tough, could defend multiple positions, and on a team known for physicality and grinding the other team down Mason was arguably the most physical. Mason went to South Beach with Pat Riley and while a member of the Heat Mason won the Sixth Man of the Year in 1995. He averaged 10.8 points, and 8.3 rebounds a game over the course of his career.
His former Knicks teammate gave this recent tribute to Mason, reports the Post.
“He was a hard-nosed player. We came to the Knicks around the same time and he fought for everything he got in this league as well as growing up,” Starks said during the 16th Annual Knicks Bowl at Chelsea Piers. “He’s fighting right now for his life, and I believe he’s going to pull through.
“I think I was at a game when I heard about it. It was a shock. He’s still a young man. Unfortunately these things do occur in life. There’s no rhyme or reason why it happens, but it’s something he continues to fight. His family continues to pray. We continue to pray. It’s just tough right now. Mase is the type of guy who’s going to fight every inch of the way. He’s going to pull through this.”
Ugh, I have to pick better websites to get my news. Read a few unnecessarily rude and baseless comments somewhere else about Mason. I was a big fan of the Knicks during the 90s Lakers malaise. Mason lived up to the title "power forward" and made the East bracket work for their wins. 48 is way too young, needless to say. _________________ -Avenue of the Champions- -RIP Dr Buss- #824
Circa 95, I think he was suspended by Riley and he showed up in the Ricki Lake audience. Cam guy kept panning in on him. Funny sh. Mase kept it rail. No one disliked that chap. RIP, Mase and Jerome. NBA of the 90s has taken loss after loss. _________________ GOAT MAGIC REEL SEDALE TRIBUTE EDDIE DONX!
Damn, I was so hoping he'd make it. Unique player, a great asset to those Knicks. Of course fans will remember his free throw style, fooling even his own teammates. Loved the haircuts/hairstyles.
Sad day. _________________ Smrek 2, Nevitt 1, Barkley 0
Circa 95, I think he was suspended by Riley and he showed up in the Ricki Lake audience. Cam guy kept panning in on him. Funny sh. Mase kept it rail. No one disliked that chap. RIP, Mase and Jerome. NBA of the 90s has taken loss after loss.
First some of the players we watched growing up have kids in the NBA. Now a few of them are passing on.
Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 67716 Location: In a world where admitting to not knowing something is considered a great way to learn.
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:52 pm Post subject:
The good die young for some reason. RIP Mase _________________ Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
Last edited by jodeke on Sat Feb 28, 2015 3:17 pm; edited 1 time in total
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