NEW YORK — Former University of Tennessee All-American Allan Houston, one of the greatest players in New York Knicks history, announced his retirement today after 12 years in the NBA, including nine at New York.

"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."

Houston is the leading scorer in Tennessee basketball history.