Allen Houston ran into Father Time

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Allen Houston – a great career ends

Allen Houston ended his comeback with the New York Knicks.

Good thing, too, or Isiah Thomas would have had one more embarrassing moment to deal with; cutting one of the all time scorers and popular Knicks would not have made for good press.

Squibster remembers Allen’s early days in the league with the Detroit Pistons where he teamed up with Lindsey Hunter to give the Pistons shooting and speed. Allen was the shooting.

His days as a Piston ended in free agency when the Knicks offered him a then outrageous sum of 57 million bucks. Later he signed a max extension with the Knicks for 20 mill. That move sort of hamstrung the Knicks from making other big moves.

If you get a chance to see Allen shoot a hoop ball, study it closely. He has classic form. His wrist is so supple that his hand goes almost flat facing upward toward the ceiling of the Madison Square Garden, and then with a quick release at the peak of his jump he drills another long jumper.

His shot was, as they say, a thing of beauty.

NBA Allen Houston factoid Allen’s high school won the 1988 Kentucky high school championship.

So why did Allen want to come back?

Houston rejoined his former team late last week, two years after he was forced to retire because of chronic knee pain. However, the Knicks already had the maximum 15 players under contract, and Thomas said he only gave the 36-year-old guard an invite to camp because of his history in New York. source

And why did he end the comeback?

“While my body and my knees, in particular, feel fine, I know what is required for me to be truly effective in the NBA again, and it involves a timing and progression that would not be fair to Isiah and the Knicks right now,” Houston said in a statement released by the Knicks. “With the season opening less than two weeks away, I think it is best for the team to move on without me. I appreciate the opportunity that Isiah and the Knicks have given me, and I wish the team nothing but success.”

You know that sounds good and all that and no knock on Allen, but his time has past and he needs to hang it up. He could see the handwriting on the wall. The roster was full and no one was going to be traded or released to make room for a 36 year old with gimpy knees.

Yes, Allen has played Father Time one on one and Father Time won!

NBA Basketball Fan Question Do like when veterans try to hang on past their prime?

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