To many Knicks fans, Allan Houston was the toast of the town when he led the eighth-seeded Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1999.
Yesterday, the only thing New Yorkers seemed willing to celebrate was Houston's retirement.
"He needed to retire, he didn't do nothing for (the Knicks) anyway," Jeffrey Bruno of Brooklyn said while standing outside of Foot Locker on W. 33rd St. "He was just on the bench, so it's good for the team.
"I admired him for what he did ... . But he can't play anymore."
The majority of fans questioned yesterday welcomed the end of Houston's 12-year career, which included nine seasons with the Knicks.
"He should have retired, he's a bum," said Clifton Brown of Manhattan. "He's had all those knee surgeries and never came back. He never did anything for them."
Most fans agreed that Houston had become a nonentity since leading the Knicks to the Finals seven seasons ago.
"Allan Houston, who's that?" said Tim Dowling of Orange County in reaction to the news.
It was a fitting question, considering the injury-plagued 34-year-old shooting guard played in just 70 of a possible 144 games the past two seasons.
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