Things looked bleak for Anthony Mason when news first broke he had suffered multiple heart attacks. But if you were going to use two words to describe Mason, they would be “tough” and “fighter,” so you know he wasn’t going down easily.
And he hasn’t. While not out of the woods by any stretch Mason’s son Antoine told the New York Post things are looking better.
Mason played 13 NBA seasons and bounced around a little, but is best remembered as a fan-favorite of the Knicks in the Patrick Ewing era. He was tough, could defend multiple positions, and on a team known for physicality and grinding the other team down Mason was arguably the most physical. Mason went to South Beach with Pat Riley and while a member of the Heat Mason won the Sixth Man of the Year in 1995. He averaged 10.8 points, and 8.3 rebounds a game over the course of his career.
His former Knicks teammate gave this recent tribute to Mason, reports the Post.“He was a hard-nosed player. We came to the Knicks around the same time and he fought for everything he got in this league as well as growing up,” Starks said during the 16th Annual Knicks Bowl at Chelsea Piers. “He’s fighting right now for his life, and I believe he’s going to pull through.
“I think I was at a game when I heard about it. It was a shock. He’s still a young man. Unfortunately these things do occur in life. There’s no rhyme or reason why it happens, but it’s something he continues to fight. His family continues to pray. We continue to pray. It’s just tough right now. Mase is the type of guy who’s going to fight every inch of the way. He’s going to pull through this.”
