Kenny Anderson on his legacy — “Young kids don’t know me too well, but their parents do”
Kenny Anderson
In the early 90s, Michael Jordan rose to prominence and took over the league, marking the beginning of the end for 80s superstars such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Isiah Thomas. In the process, less was heard about other notable players at the time, including Kenny Anderson.
Wrong place at the wrong time
Looking back, Anderson proved that he was destined to become an NBA star from the get-go, having been hailed by the late, legendary NBA scout Tom Konchalski as “the greatest high school point guard of all time.”
Drafted by the New Jersey Nets in 1991, Anderson quickly made his mark on the team, having registered his career-best scoring average of 18.8 points per game in just a matter of three seasons.
However, “Mr. Chibbs” happened to be in the wrong era as there was just a wide array of top-grade point guards ruling the league when he arrived. Needless to say, Anderson was often overshadowed by guys like John Stockton and Gary Payton.
On top of that, the Nets were struggling to become title contenders back then. In fact, in 1994, the New York Knicks made easy work of the Nets in the first round of their Eastern Conference series, beating New Jersey 3-1. Anderson was the Nets’ second-best scorer in that series and it would’ve been monumental had they beaten the Patrick Ewing-led Knicks.
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Nevertheless, 1993-94 was still Anderson’s best season in the league as it happened to be his only All-Star year.
Once a legend
Anderson may not have been able to reach those heights again after 1994, but after playing for almost 14 years in the league, he still racked up a decent tally of career stats-12.6 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
After the NBA, Anderson did not completely part ways with basketball. Instead, he has found a new lease on life, helping the younger generation as the head coach of the NAIA Fisk University basketball team in Nashville. And unlike other former NBA players, Anderson doesn’t feel the need to boast about his legacy, especially to the youngsters.
“The young kids don’t know me too well, but their parents do,” Anderson told Slam in October 2021.
These days, we may seldom hear Kenny’s name when talking about the best point guards of all time, but for “Mr. Chibbs,” it’s enough that some fans know he once propelled in the game.
