Top 5 all-time New York Knicks blocks leaders

Patrick Ewing sits atop the New York Knicks’ all-time blocks list.

The New York Knicks have won nine Atlantic Division titles and, fresh off being crowned league champions of the 2025-26 season, three NBA titles (also: 1970, ’73) throughout their 81-year history. We’re taking a deeper look at the top paint protectors across the franchise, with arguably the greatest Knickerbocker of all time claiming the top spot.

Note that blocks did not become an official NBA stat until the 1973-74 season.

1.

Patrick Ewing

– 2,758 blocks

Can you hear that?

It’s the sound of the next closest player behind Ewing in New York’s esteemed history books. With almost 2,800 rejections on his resume, Ewing had a lengthy Hall of Fame career spanning 17 years, 15 of them being played as the home team inside the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden.

From 1985-86 to 1998-99, he averaged 2.7 blocks per game, adding 23.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals across 977 appearances (all starts). The run started with Ewing earning Rookie of the Year honors and an All-Star selection after putting up 20.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg and 2.1 bpg at age-23. During that stretch, he recorded at least 2.0 blocks in each season, at least 3.0 blocks in five straight (1987-88–1991-92), and set a career-best with 4.0 blocks and 28.6 points in 1990.

Ewing finished his incredible tenure as an 11-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive, and was voted to the

NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team

in 2021. He played one-year stints with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic before officially retiring in 2002. Ewing holds career averages of 21.0 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.0 spg and 2.4 bpg over 1,183 games.

2.

Mitchell Robinson

– 690 blocks

Although now a member of the Boston Celtics, Robinson proved he’s one of the best defenders and shot-blockers in today’s NBA under the bright lights of New York City. A second-round pick (36th overall) by the Knicks in 2018, Robinson fought his way onto the court as a rookie and averaged 7.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 0.8 steals and a career-best 2.4 blocks in only 20.6 minutes across 66 games (19 starts). He’s swatted at least 1.1 shots in all eight of his professional campaigns, led the league with 4.5 offensive rebounds in 2023, and led the league in field goal and effective field goal percentage (74.2%) in 2020. Robinson has averaged 7.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 0.9 spg and 1.7 bpg in 397 appearances (215 starts) to this point in his career.

3.

Bill Cartwright

– 543 blocks

Cartwright burst onto the scene as a rookie in 1979-80 after the Knicks selected him No. 3 overall in the 1979. Draft. He earned his lone All-Star appearance and finished with career-highs in scoring (21.7 points) and rebounding (8.9) to go along with 2.0 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.2 blocks across all 82 games. Cartwright played eight seasons in New York, from 1979-88 (missed all of 1984-85 with a foot injury), compiling averages of 16.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.6 spg and 1.0 bpg in 537 outings, and set a personal best with 1.5 bpg in 1983. Cartwright was traded to the Chicago Bulls in 1988 in exchange for Charles Oakley, where the former enjoyed a six-year run that resulted in three straight NBA championships (1991–93) alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. The 15-year veteran played one final season with the SuperSonics before retiring in 1995.

4.

Marvin Webster

– 541 blocks

The No. 3 overall pick in 1975 by the Atlanta Hawks, Webster played the 1975-76 season with the Denver Nuggets of the ABA before the franchise joined the NBA ahead of the 1976-77 campaign. A year later, Webster broke out with career-best numbers as a SuperSonic, tallying 14.0 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, helping him finish tenth in the MVP race. Webster signed as a free agent with the Knicks in 1978, where he spent the next six years of his career until 1984. He then missed the following two seasons while battling and recovering from hepatitis. Webster came back briefly with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1986-87 before his retirement at age-34. He averaged 6.0 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.1 apg and 1.3 bpg over 402 appearances (96 starts) with New York.

5.

Kurt Thomas

– 479 blocks

The Miami Heat chose Thomas No. 10 overall in the 1995 NBA Draft. He spent two years in South Beach and made a one-year stop with the Dallas Mavericks before signing with New York, leading up to the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. Thomas enjoyed the best stretch of his 18-year career as a Knick from 1998-2005, posting averages of 11.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks across 530 contests (412 starts). The span included personal bests in scoring (14.0), rebounds (10.4) and blocks (1.2), and his only professional campaign in which he averaged a double-double (11.5 ppg-10.4 rpg in 2004-05). Thomas also suited up for the SuperSonics, Bulls, Bucks, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers before retiring as a Knick in 2013.