When news broke overnight of Anthony Mason’s passing, New York lost a little bit of its fire.
Mason was never the best scorer on the Knicks during his tenure in New York, but he was the epitome of hard work, hustle and he had the desire to win. If you were driving the lane, he wasn’t going to let you get a free two points. Whether it was he or Charles Oakley, you were either going to get blocked or fouled hard.
Here’s Mason’s family statement on his passing:
“We would like to thank everyone for their heartfelt thoughts and strong prayers. Anthony felt each and every one. He fought like a warrior to the very end. Please keep your prayers and thoughts with us through this very hard time – it is a great loss for us. We ask for our privacy during this time.”
Knicks President Phil Jackson released a statement as well:
“As a competitor, there was none fiercer than Anthony Mason. Standing on the opposite end of the playing field, coaching in those great Chicago/New York battles, No. 14 in the Orange and Blue always stood out. On behalf of the entire Knickerbocker community, our condolences go out to Lahis family. Rest in peace, Mase.”
A former New York Met and New York Yankee, the legendary Dwight “Doc” Gooden, shared his two cents on Twitter of Mason, who he referred to as a “good friend both on and off the court.”
Rest in peace Big Mase!
RIP my good friend thanks for all the great memories on& off the court pic.twitter.com/EVgZAfYxrW
— Dwight Gooden (@DocGooden16) February 28, 2015
