Allan Houston
Encyclopedia
Allan Wade Houston (born April 20, 1971) is a retired American
professional basketball
player for the NBA
, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks
. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire. Houston also currently spends his time helping different charity and non-profit organizations.
and played at Ballard High School
in Louisville, helping them to win the 1988 Kentucky state championship. He went on to play at the University of Tennessee
(where he played under his coach and father Wade
) and graduated in 1993 as the school's all-time leading scorer, and he is currently second to Chris Lofton at Tennessee for three point field goals made. Houston is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
fraternity. On March 6, 2011 the University of Tennessee retired Houston's number "20" during halftime ceremonies of a Tennessee-Kentucky game.
in the 1993 NBA Draft
, and averaged 8.5 points per game in his rookie year. His average was raised to 14.5 and 19.7 points per game in the next two years.
with the New York Knicks, for whom he played for the next nine seasons. In his first year as a Knick, Houston took the place of John Starks
in the starting lineup, with Starks serving as a mentor for him coming off the bench. Houston kept his scoring average at a consistent clip of 17 points per game, and later helped to lead the team to the 1999 NBA Finals
. His most famous play came in the decisive Game 5 of the first round of the 1999 Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Miami Heat. In the fourth quarter, with the Knicks inbounding the ball trailing by one with little time left, Allan Houston caught the inbounds pass, and nailed a running jumper in the lane with 0.8 seconds left on the clock to win the game 78-77 and the series for the Knicks, resulting in one of the few times in the NBA playoffs where a #8 seed had knocked off a #1. The play is #50 in the 60 greatest playoff moments by NBA.com. The Knicks would later go on to reach the NBA Finals. He was a member of the USA men's national basketball team that won the basketball tournament and gold medal along with 11 other NBA players at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney, Australia. Houston also made the All-Star team
in 2000 and 2001.
Despite the accolades, though, Houston's lasting legacy may be something that happened off the court: In 2001, Houston signed a maximum contract extension with the Knicks. Houston's yearly salary of over $20 million made him virtually untradeable and injury problems would burden the Knicks. Houston missed 32 games in 2003-04 due to a knee injury, and despite claims in the summer of 2004 that he would be ready to play the next season (he even refused to have surgery on his knee that summer), he played in only 20 games that season because his injury hadn't completely healed. The knee injury would eventually force Houston to announce his retirement, on October 17, 2005.
Houston retired as one of the most prolific scorers in Knicks history, and his last-second shot in the deciding game of the 1999 playoffs against the Miami Heat
was one of the most dramatic moments in Knicks history, sending the team into the Eastern Conference semifinals and eventually to the NBA Finals.
On March 30, 2007, while waiting for his current contract to expire with the Knicks, Houston was reportedly interested in making a comeback. Despite not having played in the league since 2005, Houston was the second highest paid player in the league two years later during the 2006-07 NBA season at $20.7 million.
On June 27, it was again reported that Houston was interested in making a comeback. The Knicks signed Houston to a contract, of which terms were not disclosed. On October 8, 2007, it was reported that Houston would join the Knicks in training camp, and that Jared Jeffries
, who wore number 20 with the Knicks, would switch to number 1 so that Houston could wear his old number. It was reported later that Houston would not end up wearing no. 20, as the NBA does not allow jersey number changes without prior approval (Jeffries could not give up #20). On October 20, after only spending a week with the Knicks and seeing six minutes of activity in one pre-season game against the Boston Celtics
, Houston decided to end his comeback attempt because of bad timing in choosing to join the team so late into preparation for the regular season. Houston's participation in voluntary games for the Phoenix Suns
in September 2008 was a harbinger for his return to the NBA. Houston was signed by the Knicks to play in 2008, and wore number 14 during preseason practices in honor of his father. However, he was cut before the end of the preseason, without appearing in a game.
Houston was appointed special assistant to the General Manager and President Donnie Walsh
. Houston is also a friend of President Barack Obama
, and hosted fundraisers at his home to raise money for Obama during the 2008 primary and general elections. Houston is also a co-owner of the UNK NBA
clothing brand along with his partner and friend David UNK Huie. UNK is an NBA licensed company based out of New York City founded in 1996. On May 22, 2011, Houston delivered the commencement speech at Western Connecticut State University
and was conferred an honorary degree.
| align="left" | 1993–94
| align="left" | Detroit
| 79 || 20 || 19.2 || 0.405 || 0.299 || 0.824 || 1.5 || 1.3 || 0.43 || 0.16 || 8.5
|-
| align="left" | 1994–95
| align="left" | Detroit
| 76 || 39 || 26.3 || 0.463 || 0.424 || 0.86 || 2.2 || 2.2 || 0.8 || 0.18 || 14.5
|-
| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Detroit
| 82 || 75 || 37.5 || 0.453 || 0.427 || 0.823 || 3.7 || 3 || 0.74 || 0.2 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 1996–97
| align="left" | New York
| 81 || 81 || 33.1 || 0.423 || 0.385 || 0.803 || 3 || 2.2 || 0.51 || 0.22 || 14.8
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | New York
| 82 || 82 || 34.7 || 0.447 || 0.385 || 0.851 || 3.3 || 2.6 || 0.77 || 0.29 || 18.4
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | New York
| 50 || 50 || 36.3 || 0.418 || 0.407 || 0.862 || 3 || 2.7 || 0.7 || 0.18 || 16.3
|-
| align="left" | 1999–2000
| align="left" | New York
| 82 || 82 || 38.6 || 0.483 || 0.436 || 0.838 || 3.3 || 2.7 || 0.79 || 0.17 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | New York
| 78 || 78 || 36.6 || 0.449 || 0.381 || 0.909 || 3.6 || 2.2 || 0.67 || 0.13 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | New York
| 77 || 77 || 37.8 || 0.437 || 0.393 || 0.87 || 3.3 || 2.5 || 0.7 || 0.13 || 20.4
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | New York
| 82 || 82 || 37.9 || 0.445 || 0.396 || 0.919 || 2.8 || 2.7 || 0.66 || 0.09 || 22.5
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | New York
| 50 || 50 || 36 || 0.435 || 0.431 || 0.913 || 2.4 || 2 || 0.76 || 0.04 || 18.5
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | New York
| 20 || 11 || 26.6 || 0.415 || 0.388 || 0.837 || 1.2 || 2.1 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 839 || 727 || 33.7 || 0.444 || 0.402 || 0.863 || 2.9 || 2.4 || 0.67 || 0.1 || 17.3
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 63 || 63 || 40.1 || 0.448 || 0.42 || 0.884 || 2.9 || 2.2 || 0.68 || 0.16 || 19.3
threshold regardless of how long or how rich the contract was. The provision did not negate the player's contract, a team's obligation to pay the player, or the impact on the salary cap; it merely removed the player's salary when computing the luxury tax. This rule benefited teams that were in danger of facing the "luxury tax" penalty, a tax paid on salaries spent above a certain threshold of total team salary. The correct term is "amnesty clause," but because the team with the worst problems was the Knicks, and their worst financial liability was Houston, it was quickly dubbed the "Allan Houston Rule." Ironically, the Knicks chose not to use the exception for Houston, but for forward Jerome Williams
instead, since the Knicks correctly predicted Houston would retire due to lingering injuries over his last two seasons. As a result, Houston's contract counted a total of $40 million against the luxury tax threshold over last two years of the contract even though he did not participate in any games for the Knicks.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire. Houston also currently spends his time helping different charity and non-profit organizations.
High school and college
Houston was born in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and played at Ballard High School
Ballard High School (Louisville)
Ballard High School is a senior high school in the eastern suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. The school opened in the fall of 1968. The first students were in grades 7-9, and a grade was added each year as the building was expanded. This kept the school system from having to transfer upper class...
in Louisville, helping them to win the 1988 Kentucky state championship. He went on to play at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
(where he played under his coach and father Wade
Wade Houston
Wade Houston is a former college basketball player and coach. He was an assistant coach under Denny Crum at Louisville for 13 years until 1989 when he was named the head coach of the University of Tennessee....
) and graduated in 1993 as the school's all-time leading scorer, and he is currently second to Chris Lofton at Tennessee for three point field goals made. Houston is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
fraternity. On March 6, 2011 the University of Tennessee retired Houston's number "20" during halftime ceremonies of a Tennessee-Kentucky game.
NBA career
Houston was selected 11th overall by the Detroit PistonsDetroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in the 1993 NBA Draft
1993 NBA Draft
The 1993 NBA Draft took place on June 30, 1993 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, and Jamal Mashburn all looked like possible Hall of Famers until their careers were cut...
, and averaged 8.5 points per game in his rookie year. His average was raised to 14.5 and 19.7 points per game in the next two years.
New York Knicks
In 1996 after his rookie contract expired, Houston signed as a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
with the New York Knicks, for whom he played for the next nine seasons. In his first year as a Knick, Houston took the place of John Starks
John Starks (basketball)
John Levell Starks is a former American professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career...
in the starting lineup, with Starks serving as a mentor for him coming off the bench. Houston kept his scoring average at a consistent clip of 17 points per game, and later helped to lead the team to the 1999 NBA Finals
1999 NBA Finals
The 1999 NBA Finals was the championship round of the shortened 1998–99 NBA season or the 1999 season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference for the title, with the Spurs holding home court advantage...
. His most famous play came in the decisive Game 5 of the first round of the 1999 Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Miami Heat. In the fourth quarter, with the Knicks inbounding the ball trailing by one with little time left, Allan Houston caught the inbounds pass, and nailed a running jumper in the lane with 0.8 seconds left on the clock to win the game 78-77 and the series for the Knicks, resulting in one of the few times in the NBA playoffs where a #8 seed had knocked off a #1. The play is #50 in the 60 greatest playoff moments by NBA.com. The Knicks would later go on to reach the NBA Finals. He was a member of the USA men's national basketball team that won the basketball tournament and gold medal along with 11 other NBA players at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney, Australia. Houston also made the All-Star team
National Basketball Association All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. From that year on, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Conference with the best players in the Western Conference....
in 2000 and 2001.
Despite the accolades, though, Houston's lasting legacy may be something that happened off the court: In 2001, Houston signed a maximum contract extension with the Knicks. Houston's yearly salary of over $20 million made him virtually untradeable and injury problems would burden the Knicks. Houston missed 32 games in 2003-04 due to a knee injury, and despite claims in the summer of 2004 that he would be ready to play the next season (he even refused to have surgery on his knee that summer), he played in only 20 games that season because his injury hadn't completely healed. The knee injury would eventually force Houston to announce his retirement, on October 17, 2005.
Houston retired as one of the most prolific scorers in Knicks history, and his last-second shot in the deciding game of the 1999 playoffs against the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
was one of the most dramatic moments in Knicks history, sending the team into the Eastern Conference semifinals and eventually to the NBA Finals.
On March 30, 2007, while waiting for his current contract to expire with the Knicks, Houston was reportedly interested in making a comeback. Despite not having played in the league since 2005, Houston was the second highest paid player in the league two years later during the 2006-07 NBA season at $20.7 million.
On June 27, it was again reported that Houston was interested in making a comeback. The Knicks signed Houston to a contract, of which terms were not disclosed. On October 8, 2007, it was reported that Houston would join the Knicks in training camp, and that Jared Jeffries
Jared Jeffries
Jared Scott Carter Jeffries is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New York Knicks. He was drafted in 2002 by the Washington Wizards as the 11th overall pick...
, who wore number 20 with the Knicks, would switch to number 1 so that Houston could wear his old number. It was reported later that Houston would not end up wearing no. 20, as the NBA does not allow jersey number changes without prior approval (Jeffries could not give up #20). On October 20, after only spending a week with the Knicks and seeing six minutes of activity in one pre-season game against the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
, Houston decided to end his comeback attempt because of bad timing in choosing to join the team so late into preparation for the regular season. Houston's participation in voluntary games for the Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
in September 2008 was a harbinger for his return to the NBA. Houston was signed by the Knicks to play in 2008, and wore number 14 during preseason practices in honor of his father. However, he was cut before the end of the preseason, without appearing in a game.
Houston was appointed special assistant to the General Manager and President Donnie Walsh
Donnie Walsh
Joseph Donald Walsh Jr., better known as Donnie Walsh is a former professional basketball coach, and former president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks.-Biography:...
. Houston is also a friend of President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, and hosted fundraisers at his home to raise money for Obama during the 2008 primary and general elections. Houston is also a co-owner of the UNK NBA
UNK NBA
- The Brand :UNK NBA is an NBA-inspired fashion label, which was started in 1996 by David " UNK " Huie. When the company started out, they were exclusively a hat label that catered to Celebrities in both upscale and Urban looks.- History :...
clothing brand along with his partner and friend David UNK Huie. UNK is an NBA licensed company based out of New York City founded in 1996. On May 22, 2011, Houston delivered the commencement speech at Western Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University is a public university in Danbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1903, WestConn has an arts and sciences curriculum, a business school, and several professional programs including elementary and secondary education, nursing, music performance, and social work...
and was conferred an honorary degree.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 1993–94
| align="left" | Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| 79 || 20 || 19.2 || 0.405 || 0.299 || 0.824 || 1.5 || 1.3 || 0.43 || 0.16 || 8.5
|-
| align="left" | 1994–95
| align="left" | Detroit
| 76 || 39 || 26.3 || 0.463 || 0.424 || 0.86 || 2.2 || 2.2 || 0.8 || 0.18 || 14.5
|-
| align="left" | 1995–96
| align="left" | Detroit
| 82 || 75 || 37.5 || 0.453 || 0.427 || 0.823 || 3.7 || 3 || 0.74 || 0.2 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 1996–97
| align="left" | New York
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 81 || 81 || 33.1 || 0.423 || 0.385 || 0.803 || 3 || 2.2 || 0.51 || 0.22 || 14.8
|-
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | New York
| 82 || 82 || 34.7 || 0.447 || 0.385 || 0.851 || 3.3 || 2.6 || 0.77 || 0.29 || 18.4
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | New York
| 50 || 50 || 36.3 || 0.418 || 0.407 || 0.862 || 3 || 2.7 || 0.7 || 0.18 || 16.3
|-
| align="left" | 1999–2000
| align="left" | New York
| 82 || 82 || 38.6 || 0.483 || 0.436 || 0.838 || 3.3 || 2.7 || 0.79 || 0.17 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | New York
| 78 || 78 || 36.6 || 0.449 || 0.381 || 0.909 || 3.6 || 2.2 || 0.67 || 0.13 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | New York
| 77 || 77 || 37.8 || 0.437 || 0.393 || 0.87 || 3.3 || 2.5 || 0.7 || 0.13 || 20.4
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | New York
| 82 || 82 || 37.9 || 0.445 || 0.396 || 0.919 || 2.8 || 2.7 || 0.66 || 0.09 || 22.5
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | New York
| 50 || 50 || 36 || 0.435 || 0.431 || 0.913 || 2.4 || 2 || 0.76 || 0.04 || 18.5
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | New York
| 20 || 11 || 26.6 || 0.415 || 0.388 || 0.837 || 1.2 || 2.1 || 0.4 || 0.1 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 839 || 727 || 33.7 || 0.444 || 0.402 || 0.863 || 2.9 || 2.4 || 0.67 || 0.1 || 17.3
Playoff
|-| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 63 || 63 || 40.1 || 0.448 || 0.42 || 0.884 || 2.9 || 2.2 || 0.68 || 0.16 || 19.3
"Allan Houston Rule"
In 2005, the NBA agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The most striking innovation granted NBA teams a one-time option to release a player without his contract counting against the luxury taxLuxury tax (sports)
A luxury tax in professional sports is a surcharge put on the aggregate payroll of a team to the extent to which it exceeds a predetermined guideline level set by the league...
threshold regardless of how long or how rich the contract was. The provision did not negate the player's contract, a team's obligation to pay the player, or the impact on the salary cap; it merely removed the player's salary when computing the luxury tax. This rule benefited teams that were in danger of facing the "luxury tax" penalty, a tax paid on salaries spent above a certain threshold of total team salary. The correct term is "amnesty clause," but because the team with the worst problems was the Knicks, and their worst financial liability was Houston, it was quickly dubbed the "Allan Houston Rule." Ironically, the Knicks chose not to use the exception for Houston, but for forward Jerome Williams
Jerome Williams
Jerome Williams is a former professional basketball player in the NBA, who last played for the New York Knicks. He was a star player on the Magruder High School basketball team...
instead, since the Knicks correctly predicted Houston would retire due to lingering injuries over his last two seasons. As a result, Houston's contract counted a total of $40 million against the luxury tax threshold over last two years of the contract even though he did not participate in any games for the Knicks.
See also
- 1998–99 New York Knicks season1998–99 New York Knicks seasonThe 1998-99 New York Knicks season was the 52nd season of NBA basketball in New York City, New York. The Head Coach was Jeff Van Gundy, serving for his 4th year. The team played its home games at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Key contributors included Patrick Ewing, Marcus...
- List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders
External links
- Official site
- NBA career stats @ basketball-reference.com
- NBA career stats @ databasebasketball.com