He was a decent guard, but after we drafted Frazier, he became superfluous. He was then sent to Detroit with Walt Bellamy for Dave DeBusschere.

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP)—Howard “Butch” Komives, who led the nation in scoring at Bowling Green in 1964 and went on to play 10 seasons in the NBA, has died. He was 67.

Komives died Sunday after battling health problems for the last decade.

He was found unconscious Thursday at his home and never regained consciousness, said his son, Shane Komives. A cause of death was not released.

Komives led Bowling Green to two Mid-American Conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances in 1962 and 1963.

During his senior year, the left-handed shooter with a high-arcing jump shot led the nation in scoring with just under 37 points per game. He also set a national record that season by making 50 consecutive free throws.

Komives played in the NBA with the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Buffalo Braves and Kansas City-Omaha Kings.

His two best years came with the Knicks in 1966 and 1967, when he scored over 1,000 points each season. He was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

He is survived by his wife, Marcia Komives; son, Shane; and stepsons, Christopher and David Cook.

[Edited by - ira on 03-23-2009 6:03 PM]

never heard of him, but R.I.P

he was a solid player and was pretty popular here before he got traded.

Posted by EnySpree:

Posted by Marv:

he was a solid player and was pretty popular here before he got traded.

not trying to make fun of your age Marv but you and my pops are the same age just about...he remembers the dude...i think its a shame how every year we hear the same tired "willis reed" story....I'd like to find out more about the Knicks before them...and after richie g....

you want to find out more you take me and your pops out drinkin'. you pay, we'll talk.

Posted by VDesai:

Posted by EnySpree:

Posted by Marv:

he was a solid player and was pretty popular here before he got traded.

not trying to make fun of your age Marv but you and my pops are the same age just about...he remembers the dude...i think its a shame how every year we hear the same tired "willis reed" story....I'd like to find out more about the Knicks before them...and after richie g....

The answer to your question above is that was the last time the Knicks had a losing record 8 straight seasons. I have a feeling we won't be talking about this period of Knicks history much in 40 years either...

You mean they won't be bringing back Marbury for Legends Night in 20 years?

Jerome doesn't have to be alive. The Hamburglar can accept the award in his honor.

Posted by EnySpree:

Posted by sebstar:

never heard of him, but R.I.P

thats a shame...but as soon as he and the more famed Bellamy....well history happened...who remembers anything that happened before the 69 season? Someone needs to do a documentary on life before the championships.

I started rooting for the Knicks during the season they traded Komives and Bellamy. They had an amazing run when Frazier, Reed, and DeBusschere finally started clicking during the second half of the season. It took a last hurrah from Bill Russell and the Celtics to derail us, or we might have won that year also. The Knicks were probably playing the most exciting ball in the league by the end of the year, and it carried right into the 69-70 championship season.

Books have been written about the following year, when they won the title, but that 68-69 season was probably just as interesting in terms of the Knicks and the NBA in general. On the Knicks you had the trade and the emergence of Reed and Frazier as true stars, the professionalism and leadership that DeBusschere (Who had actually coached Detroit at age 26), brought with him, and, the Cazzie Russell/Bill Bradley saga, which was to end in 69-70, when Red Holtzman benched Russell and made Bradley a SF. It was also the last season of Bill Russell's career, Wilt Chamberlain's first year with the Lakers, and the year where people were already thinking about the impact that Lew Alcindor might have on the NBA the next year.

An entertaining and transitional year of basketball in the NBA.

DeBusschere pitched for the White Sox also. A rare duel pro career!

Back in the day cheap owners used to let star players coach.

I went to my first Knick game in 1971. Pistol Petes NY debut. I never followed college or pro before then. I heard about the "knicks" winning so it naturally peaked my interest at age 9. NO one in my family was into sports before. That Year my uncle had season tix to knicks and got to see Alcinder his rookie year, connie hawkins with the suns, and Earl the pearl in a bullit uniform. I got hooked.

Willis Reed was Rookie of the year in 1964 and the team with Bellamy as center and willis at the 4 was pretty good. Probem for knicks back then you had Boston and Philly and they played them a lot. Balitimore was pretty good too!!!!

Posted by DrAlphaeus:

I went to the Hall of Fame in 2008 on a road trip to see Celtics-Heat at the other Garden with my good friend and his pops, both Celtics fans. It was hilarious, it seemed like everyone in there got a career or all-time stat against the Knicks! I definitely feel like I need to learn more about the history of the club, so it was nice to be there last night and learn a little about these guys, and the evolution of the game in general.

THe team is like 50 years old and I'd say we have had a solid good 20, maybe 25 years with only two championships. The last being 36 years ago. We keep hearing how "storied" the franchise is but nothing like the Lakes and Celts who basically dominated over 30 years of that history! We have had some really bad teams for the most part.

Socially the knicks have had important players early on and have a strong following thru the years. But lets be real, "REAL KNICK BASKETBALL" is not that strong a statement to make unless your inception for the team are the Riley/Van Gundy era.

Ainge was a third baseman for the bluejays.

Back then they promoted the those two sport guys quick as tehy had the "other" sport to fall back on.

Bo Jackson as a baseball player was a trip. Dude was so strong!

Nobody doing the "Neon Dion" thing anymore.