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Former NBA All-Star, New York Knicks Player Anthony Mason Dies At 48

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Anthony Mason, a New Rochelle resident and one of the leading players on the New York Knicks during their title-contending teams in the mid-90s, died Saturday.

Anthony Mason in attendance at the first home game in Westchester Knicks' history in November at the County Center in White Plains.

Anthony Mason in attendance at the first home game in Westchester Knicks' history in November at the County Center in White Plains.

Photo Credit: Westchester Knicks
Anthony Mason helped the Knicks make the 1994 NBA finals and was the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 1995.

Anthony Mason helped the Knicks make the 1994 NBA finals and was the league's Sixth Man of the Year in 1995.

Photo Credit: MSG

Mason, who was diagnosed with congestive heart failure after suffering a massive heart attack earlier this month, died in Manhattan. He was 48.

“As you all would expect, our father — Big Mase — put up an incredible fight, dealing with severe heart issues,” Mason's son, former St. John's University standout Anthony Mason Jr., said in a statement. “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.”

Anthony Mason Jr. completed his eligibility at St. John's in 2010. Another son, Antoine Mason, New Rochelle High School's Athlete of the Year in 2009-10, is a senior at Auburn University after transferring from Niagara.

NBA Commission Adam Silver, in a statement, said Mason "exemplified perseverance for all players fighting for their chance in the NBA."

Mason, nicknamed "Mase," was a 6-foot-7, 250-pound bruising power forward known as a defensive stopper who combined toughness with skills and scoring ability. A Queens native, he starred at Tennessee State before starting a 13-year NBA career, in which he played for the Knicks from 1992-95, winning the NBA's Sixth Man Award in 1995, a senior after helping the Knicks make the NBA final in 1994.

He averaged 11 points and 8.3 rebounds for his NBA career, which included an NBA All-Star Game selection at age 34 in 2001 as a member of the Miami Heat as well as stints with the he New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks.

The Knicks are expected to have a moment of silence prior to tipoff of their 7:30 p.m. games Saturday against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden.

 

 

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