http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/houston_051017.html

NEW YORK, October 17, 2005 –

Allan Houston, one of the greatest players in New York Knickerbockers history,
today moves from playing professional basketball into the next stage of life.
After 12 seasons in the NBA, including nine in New York, the 34-year-old guard
finishes his career as one of the most prolific scorers in franchise annals and
as the NBA’s 11th best three-point shooter of all-time. A highly-respected man
amongst his peers and pillar of the community, Houston will also be forever
remembered as one of the purest clutch long-range shooters in NBA history.

"My career as an NBA player and member of the New York Knicks must
unfortunately come to an end," Houston said. "Over the last two years, I have
done everything I could possibly do to get back on the court, but injuries to
my knee would not allow me to do it. While it is extremely disappointing to
not be in a Knick uniform again, I feel that it is in the best interests of
my family and the franchise that I move on.

“I hope that all of our fans realize how much of an honor and privilege it
was to represent them and New York at Madison Square Garden for all of these
years. When I arrived as a free agent in 1996, it was truly a blessing to be
surrounded by the greats: Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, John Starks, Larry
Johnson and Charlie Ward, to name a few. As time moved on, I have been
fortunate to play for and with other great coaches and teammates. I can
honestly say that we tried to give our fans 100-percent each and every night.
I also thank the fans and the Knicks organization for all their support, and
giving me some of the most memorable experiences of my life.

I will forever be a Knick and a New Yorker.”

Originally signed on July 14, 1996, Houston finished his Knicks career as the
fourth leading scorer in franchise history during the regular season (11,165)
and eighth leading scorer during the playoffs (1,139). Only NBA legends
Patrick Ewing, Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Willis Reed scored more points
during their regular season careers with the orange and blue. On Oct. 4, 1999,
he was named a team captain, and held that title for six seasons. He was
selected to be a member of the 2000 and 2001 NBA All-Star teams and was a
member of the gold medal-winning United States team at the 2000 Summer
Olympic Games in Sydney.

On May 16, 1999, the Louisville, KY-native authored one of the most memorable
shots in club history with a game-winning runner at Miami in the closing
seconds of Game Five in the first round of the 1999 NBA Playoffs. After
defeating the Heat, the Knicks went on to defeat the Atlanta Hawks in the
conference semifinals and Indiana Pacers in the conference finals to make
their first NBA Finals appearance since 1994.

As impressive as his court-heroics were, Houston’s generosity off the court
in the New York metropolitan area will be perhaps his greatest legacy. The
list of monetary donations and personal appearances that he has made to
support events over the past nine years is beyond compare. The Allan Houston
Foundation’s current effort to bring a Life Enrichment Center to Harlem will
benefit the entire metropolitan area for years to come.

“My professional goal is to help the Knicks win an NBA championship,”
Houston once said, “but I also have a life purpose – to assist in impacting
the lives of others in a positive way. God has overwhelmed me with blessings
and I am led to share them others.”

As recently as last month, Houston joined other NBA and WNBA players in
Hattiesburg, Biloxi and Gulfport, MS to deliver 20 tractor trailers loaded
with supplies as part of Operation Rebound to aid the victims of Hurricane
Katrina. His year-round efforts in the area included: Father Knows Best
Basketball Retreat, Allan’s Courtside Classroom, My Teacher Is My Hero and
Allan’s Hometown Heroes, benefiting young people of all kinds and their
parents/mentors. For six straight years, his work saw him recognized as one
of The Sporting News’
                   “Good Guys In Sports.”