Bernard King

Bernard King's 1984-85 season with the Knicks was one of the most dominant scoring campaigns in NBA history. He averaged 32.9 points per game, won the scoring title, and did it with a mid-range game so lethal that defenders knew exactly what was coming and still couldn't stop it. His turnaround jumper from the baseline, executed with a quick release and perfect footwork, was the most reliable two points in basketball.

King's 1984 playoff series against the Detroit Pistons — in which he averaged 42.6 points per game over five games, including a 44-point Game 6 — remains one of the greatest individual playoff performances ever. He scored 40 or more in four consecutive playoff games, a feat that speaks to the kind of offensive zone that only the very greatest scorers can sustain.

A devastating ACL tear in 1985 nearly ended King's career. He missed nearly two full seasons and was never the same explosive athlete. But his comeback with Washington — averaging 22.3 points in 1990-91 and earning a final All-Star selection — was one of the most remarkable injury recoveries of the pre-modern surgical era. King's peak, while brief, was as good as any scorer who has ever played.