Former New York Knicks shooter Doug McDermott has sunk his last “McBucket.”
The NBA veteran announced his retirement from professional basketball on Friday, ending a professional career that lasted 12 seasons. That included a 55-game tour with the Knicks after McDermott was one of the main acquisitions of the Carmelo Anthony trade in 2017.
“What an amazing story our guy Doug has written,” McDermott’s agent Mark Bartelstein wrote in a social media statement. “Over the last 12 years in the NBA, Doug has been one of the league’s most elite shooters, and he has been beloved and respected by each and every one of his teammates and coaches. It has all added up to such a special career.”
McDermott came to the Knicks from Oklahoma City in 2017 along with Enes Kanter and a second-round pick that was used to select future New York champion Mitchell Robinson. It was part of the infamous Anthony deal, one that effectively signaled the end of the “KnicksTape” era that also featured Tyson Chandler, JR Smith, and Amar’e Stoudemire.
McDermott became a bit of a bright spot during what became a 29-win season, delighting Madison Square Garden with his fearless three-point shooting. He averaged 7.2 points during his 55 showings for Manhattan and hit 38.7% of his three-point tries.
While McDermott was best-known for his outside shooting (which earned the nickname “Dougie McBuckets”), his most-renowned highlight as a Knick was perhaps a reverse dunk and ensuing staredown of Josh Jackson during a November win over Phoenix.
McDermott also had three 20-point games off the bench as a Knick, including a then-career-best five-three game in another win over the Los Angeles Clippers. New York would trade him to the Dallas Mavericks at the 2018 trade deadline in exchange for Emmanuel Mudiay.
From there, McDermott also spent time in Indiana (two stints) and San Antonio before ending his career with two seasons in Sacramento. He ends his career with a scoring average of 8.5 and sank 1,032 three-pointers during his 12-year tour.
McDermott’s time with the Knicks was not his first introduction to success on MSG’s hardwood: he previously starred in the Creighton Bluejays’ maiden voyage in the Manhattan mainstay that is the Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament, guiding them to the final against Providence.
The conference runner-up finish was one of the final accomplishments of a season where McDermott (playing for his father and Creighton head coach Greg) that saw him win national player of the year honors, as well as lead the nation in scoring.
McDermott also won the Big East Player of the Year title later earned by current Knicks Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Tyler Kolek and his No. 3 was eventually retired by Creighton next to the digits of Bob Gibson, Kyle Korver, Paul Silas, and more.
McDermott began his NBA career as the 11th pick of the 2014 draft, starting out with the Chicago Bulls. Ironically enough, he made his NBA debut at MSG, scoring 12 points in a 104-80 Chicago victory.
