PHILADELPHIA (AP) Vin Baker knows he's running out of chances to prove he can stay sober and contribute in the NBA. The New York Knicks are willing to give him that opportunity.

The former All-Star signed Friday with the Knicks for the rest of the season, a day after winning his arbitration case against the NBA. He was added to the active roster immediately, and coach Lenny Wilkens will decide if Baker plays Friday night against Philadelphia.

``I'm taking this opportunity as my last chance to come out and not only play basketball, but as a person, I don't want to make the same mistakes,'' the 32-year-old Baker said. ``I'm going to try my hardest from day to day not to make the same mistakes that I've made in the past.''

The 6-foot-11 forward was the eighth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1993 draft and a four-time All-Star, but his career took a troubling turn during his battle with alcoholism that led to his release by Boston.

Baker was shooting more than 50 percent for the Celtics before he was suspended _ and subsequently had his contract terminated _ for violating terms of his alcohol treatment program.

Baker said he didn't believe counselors when they told him relapse would be part of recovery, and he ignored his aftercare program. Baker put basketball ahead of his alcohol counseling, which led to a relapse that he said ``snuck up on me.''

Baker said he wouldn't make that mistake again and was now following his program.

``This is a disease and I have to take it one day at a time,'' Baker said. ``In the last three or four weeks, I've been able to put that back first in my life.''

Thomas was not concerned about Baker's previous troubles and said testing and counseling would be handled by the team.

``He's coming to a situation where there are people in management that are very sensitive to the situation and have a very unique understanding of the situation,'' said Thomas, whose brother, Ronnie, died from the effects alcoholism. ``You have to learn from your failures. I think Vin is old enough and mature enough to accept some of those failures and deal with them a little better than he dealt with them in the past.''

Baker was a free agent after winning his case against the league. No details about Baker's contract were announced.

Baker considered signing with Miami and visited with Heat president Pat Riley on Thursday, but decided on the Knicks on the plane ride back to his Connecticut home. The Knicks are in need of frontcourt depth and a player who can score in the low post.

``I was torn,'' Baker said. ``It just boiled down to praying about it. I didn't want to take too long. I wanted to get acclimated. It's playoff basketball, and I wanted to get with a team as fast as I could.''

In Baker's grievance against the NBA, argued Monday, arbitrator Roger Kaplan invalidated a league memo barring all 29 teams from signing Baker until his grievance against the Celtics is settled.

Kaplan set an initial hearing date of April 12 for that case.

Baker averaged 21 points and 10 rebounds over his last two seasons in Milwaukee before he was traded to Seattle for the 1997-98 season. He spent five years in Seattle, averaging 14.1 points in his final year.

The Celtics signed Baker before the 2002-03 season, but he averaged just 5.2 points before he was suspended on Feb. 27, 2003, amid reports of a drinking problem. Baker later said he was an alcoholic who began binge drinking during the 1998-99 lockout.

After treatment, he returned in better shape and determined to make it up to his teammates.

He scored in double figures in 21 of his first 35 games, but then his production dropped off again.

``With the success I had coming back, I thought I had everything under wraps,'' Baker said. ``I thought everything was back, going the way it was in Milwaukee. You just have to pay attention to it.''

Now, he's grateful for another chance.

``I'm going to work hard everyday to enjoy this, for my family, for my friends, for my teammates and for the fans in New York,'' Baker said, as tears filled his eyes. ``I'm just grateful to be here. I just hope it turns out great.''

The Knicks also activated guard Moochie Norris, and placed guard Frank Williams and Cezary Trybanski on the injured list. Norris missed five games with Achilles' tendinitis.