Allan Houston
A silky-smooth shooter whose clutch baskets propelled the New York Knicks to their last NBA Finals appearance in the 1990s.
Born 1971 (age 55)·American basketball player·Birthday: April 20·Generation X
Biography
Allan Houston hit a last-second runner in Miami during the 1999 playoffs, clinching a first-round series and sparking an underdog run to the NBA Finals. The son of a college coach, his textbook jump shot made him a reliable scorer for the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. He twice earned All-Star selections. A knee injury cut his career short, but he remains the offensive centerpiece of the last great Knicks teams of the 20th century.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Allan was born in 1971, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Allan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Allan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 50
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 55 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hit a game-winning, series-clinching shot for the New York Knicks in the final second of Game 5 of the 1999 NBA playoffs first round.
- Played a central role in leading the New York Knicks to the 1999 NBA Finals as an 8th seed.
- Won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the U.S. men's basketball team at the 2000 Sydney Games.
- Was selected as an NBA All-Star twice, in 2000 and 2001.
- Scored over 10,000 points during his nine-season tenure with the New York Knicks.
Did You Know?
His father, Wade Houston, was the head basketball coach at the University of Tennessee.
He led the NBA in free-throw percentage during the 2002-2003 season, shooting 91.9%.
He served as the New York Knicks' assistant general manager after his playing career.
He played college basketball at the University of Tennessee, where he is still the all-time leading scorer for the Volunteers.
“Pressure is a privilege. It's a chance to do something when people are watching and it matters.”
