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The Knicks are a professional basketball team based out of New York.
The franchise is part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, and they play their games at the Madison Square Garden.
New York Knicks Brief History
The team was first established in 1946 as one of the founding members of the Basketball Association of America, or BAA, which eventually became the NBA after a merger with the rival National Basketball League or NBL, in 1949.
The Knicks were quite successful during their first years and were regular postseason contenders under head coach Joe Lapchick.
They made 3 straight appearances at the NBA Finals, but after Lapchick resigned in 1956, the franchise began to experience constant flaws.
They started to regain strength during the late ’60s when the team was led by head coach Red Holzman.
Under his command, the Knicks managed to acquire their only two championship titles to date, in 1970 and 1973 respectively.
The team also enjoyed some success during the ’80s, as they made it to the postseason six times, but failed to make it to the NBA Finals during those years.
Then, during the ’90s, the team was led by superstar Patrick Ewing, an era that was marked by the team’s rivalries with the Bulls, Pacers, and Heat.
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New York Knicks Interesting Facts
- The real name of this team is the Knickerbockers. And the name is related to the pants that Dutch settlers wore.
- The Madison Square Garden is the fourth arena that was baptized with the same name.
- The Knicks were the team that signed the first non-white player, back in 1947. It was a player from Japan named Wataru Musaka.
- This team also signed the first African-American player: Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, back in 1950.
- This franchise is full of firsts, as this was also one of the first two teams that played the first official game in the league, the other being the Toronto Huskies. The Knicks end up winning this match in Toronto by 68-66.
- This is the seventh most valuable sports team in the world, and they are the most valuable NBA franchise, worth $3.6 billion. The second team are the Lakers, and third the Warriors, at $3.1 billion each.
New York Knicks Awards and Accomplishments:
- Championships: 2 (1970, 1973)
- Conference titles: 8 (1951, 1952, 1953, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1994, 1999)
- Division titles: 5 (1971, 1989, 1993, 1994, 2013)
New York Knicks Hall of Famers and Famous Players
Here’s a list of the top 3 Hall of Famers for the New York Knicks:
Patrick Ewing: Back in 1996, he was selected as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. He spent most of his career with the Knicks and then departed to play with the SuperSonics and the Magic for short stints.
- 15 seasons with the Knicks, 11 times All-Star, averaged 22 points per game
- Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2008
- College Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2012
Walt Frazier: He’s one of the players that led the Knicks to their only two NBA titles to date.
- 10 seasons with the Knicks, 7 times All-Star, averaged 19 points per game
- Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1987
- College Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2006
Willis Reed: He spent all of his career with the Knicks, and was also part of the team that won the two titles for New York. And, just like Ewing, he was also named as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.
- 10 seasons with the Knicks, 1-time MVP, 7 times All-Star, averaged 18 points per game
- Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1982
- College Basketball Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2006
New York Knicks Rivalries
As one of the top NBA teams, this is also one with many rivalries, including the Celtics, the Nets, the Bulls, the Pacers, and the Heat.
Boston Celtics
This clash is related to the old rivalry between the cities of Boston and New York, and also related to the Yankees-Red Sox strife.
These franchises have met a total of nine times in the playoffs. The last time was back in the 2012-13 season, with the Knicks winning the series 4-2.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are the closest rival to the Knicks, in terms of geography.
The rivalry compares to other intra-state rivalries from other sports, including Yankees vs. Mets, and Islanders and Rangers.
Chicago Bulls
This intense rivalry was born during the late eighties and early nineties when the Knicks were led by Patrick Ewing, and the Bulls were led by Michael Jordan.
And, even though the rivalry went dormant for a while, it awoke with the arrival of future NBA MVP Derrick Rose, in 2008.
Indiana Pacers
This rivalry began in 1993, and quick turned into one of the most bitter ones in the history of the league.
They met in the postseason six times, from 1993 to 2000, and the rivalry was fueled from both sides by two key figures: Reggie Miller from the Pacers, and long-time NY fan Spike Lee from the Knicks.
The rivalry was revived during the 2013 NBA Playoffs, with the Pacers taking the series in six games.
Miami Heat
This team was once of the strongest inter-divisional rivals for New York.
The two franchises met in the postseason every single year from 1997 to 2000.
An interesting fact is that Pat Riley has served as head coach for both teams.
The rivalry was ignited again when the two teams met during the first round of the 2012 postseason, with the Heat taking the series four games to one, on their way to get the 2012 NBA championship title.
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