New York Knicks rookie Kevin McCullar Jr. made his NBA debut following a year-long rehabilitation process from left knee surgery and even has two points to show for it.
The Knicks beat the Dallas Mavericks, 128-113.
“It felt amazing. It felt good,” McCullar said. “As a kid, that’s what you dream of doing, so to go out there and finally get in the game and be able to score my first bucket was big.”
The Knicks’ rookie was gifted the game ball by veteran teammate Josh Hart, who had originally gotten it for breaking the franchise’s single-season triple-double record.
“Josh, he’s a good dude, man. That’s like my vet on the team,” McCullar said. “He’s shown me nothing but love since I got here, and I appreciate him doing that.”
McCullar was drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the 56th overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft but was immediately shipped off to the Knicks as part of a draft-day deal. New York signed him to a two-way contract on Aug. 5 that offseason.
Following a five-year college career (three with Texas Tech and two at Kansas), McCullar, a 6’6″ two-way wing, seemed like the exact archetype of a player that Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau dreams of getting his hands on and molding like a ball of clay.
Due to his status as one of the older rookies in the class—23 years old at the time of the draft—he might have even been able to bypass some of the first-year player “prove it” moments that come so few and far between on Thibodeau-coached teams.
The only issue was that McCullar wasn’t ready to play, and the Knicks knew it. He was on crutches at the time of the NBA Draft Combine. Their acquisition of him was more of a down payment on services that would be provided at a later date.
McCullar’s collegiate career ended early due to a lingering bone bruise in his left knee that had been limiting his abilities on the court. He missed the end of the regular season and the NCAA tournament before getting a procedure done to correct his injury that offseason. The recovery process would then see him miss the NBA Summer League and the start of his rookie season.
McCullar had the best season of his career before being shut down, averaging 18.3 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on 45.6% FG, 33.3% 3PT, and 80.5% FT.
On Jan. 31, McCullar was cleared to resume basketball activities with no limitations and made his debut with the Westchester Knicks. He’s played 11 games in the G-League since, where he’s averaged 11.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 26.7 minutes a night.
McCullar posted back-to-back triple-doubles in his last two games in Westchester, helping the team past the Atlanta Hawks’ affiliate College Park Skyhawks in both.
