New York Knicks

The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden, an arena they share with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City, the other being the Brooklyn Nets. Alongside the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are one of two original NBA teams still located in its original city.

The team, established by Ned Irish in 1946, was one of the founding members of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which became the NBA after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949. The Knicks were successful during their early years and were constant playoff contenders under the franchise's first head coach, Joe Lapchick. Beginning in 1950, the Knicks made three consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals, all of which were losing efforts.

It was not until the late 1960s when Red Holzman became the head coach that the Knicks began to regain their former dominance. Holzman successfully guided the Knicks to two NBA championships. The Knicks of the 1980s had mixed success that included six playoff appearances; however, they failed to participate in the NBA Finals.

The playoff-level Knicks of the 1990s were led by future Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing; this era was marked by passionate rivalries with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. During this time, they were known for playing tough defense under head coaches Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy, making NBA Finals appearances in and . However, they were unable to win an NBA championship during this era.

Since 1999–2000, the Knicks have struggled to regain their former successes, but won their first division title in 19 years in 2012–13, led by a core of forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. They were eventually eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks failed to make the playoffs for eight years until 2020–21 when they were led by forward Julius Randle and sophomore RJ Barrett, who was selected third overall in the 2019 NBA draft.

History

See also: List of New York Knicks seasons

1946–1967: Early years

In 1946, basketball was becoming very popular in New York City, especially college basketball. Hockey was also popular, but the arenas weren't used much outside of hockey games. A sportswriter named Max Kase thought it would be a good idea to start a professional basketball league to showcase college players after they graduated. He met with the owner of Boston Garden, Walter A. Brown, who liked the idea because it would bring in more money when the hockey teams weren't playing. Together with others, they formed the Basketball Association of America (BAA) on June 6, 1946, granting franchises to major cities across the country.

Ned Irish, who was president of Madison Square Garden, was there. Kase wanted to own the New York team himself but was told Madison Square Garden had to own any professional teams that played there. So, the franchise was awarded to Irish. He wanted a name that represented New York and after a vote, the team was named the Knickerbockers, after a pseudonym used by author Washington Irving. The name "Knickerbocker" came to mean New Yorkers in general.

Irish hired Neil Cohalan as the first coach, but Joe Lapchick, a successful coach from St. John's University, took over in 1947. Under Lapchick, the team made the playoffs every year from 1947 to 1956. They had some standout players like Carl Braun, who became the team's leading scorer. The team won two NBA championships in the early 1970s under coach Red Holzman.

1967–1975: Championship years

In the 1967–68 season, the Knicks started slowly but improved under coach Red Holzman, who was hired midway through the season. They made the playoffs and had promising rookies like Phil Jackson and Walt Frazier. The next season, they added Dave DeBusschere and had a great run, making it to the NBA Finals. In the 1969–70 season, they had a record 18-game winning streak and went all the way to win the NBA championship. Willis Reed, their captain, inspired the team when he played through an injury in the final game.

The Knicks won another championship in 1973, beating the Los Angeles Lakers. But after Reed retired in 1974, the team's success began to fade.

1975–1985: Post-championship years

After winning their championships, the Knicks struggled. Coach Red Holzman was replaced, and the team had several losing seasons. They made the playoffs a few times but didn't go far. In 1985, they drafted a promising center named Patrick Ewing, who became a star for the team.

1985–2000: The Patrick Ewing era

With Patrick Ewing, the Knicks became competitive again. They made the playoffs many times during his career. In the 1990s, coach Pat Riley led the team to the NBA Finals in 1994, but they lost to the Houston Rockets. Despite some great seasons, they never won a championship during Ewing's time.

2000–2003: Downfall

After Ewing left, the Knicks had some tough years. They missed the playoffs and struggled with poor performance and salary issues.

2003–2008: Isiah Thomas era

Isiah Thomas took over as president and tried to rebuild the team, but it didn't go well. They had losing seasons and faced many challenges.

2008–2010: Rebuilding

The team started fresh with new leadership and made some changes to the roster, but still struggled to make the playoffs.

2010–2013: Arrival of Carmelo Anthony

In 2010, the Knicks signed Amar'e Stoudemire, and in 2011, they traded for Carmelo Anthony. This helped them return to the playoffs. In 2012, Jeremy Lin had a surprising run of good games, known as "Linsanity," but the team didn't go far in the playoffs.

2013–2017: Phil Jackson era

Phil Jackson became president and tried to bring success, but the team had three losing seasons and missed the playoffs.

2017–2020: Further struggles

The Knicks continued to struggle, making several changes to the roster and coaching staff but not finding success.

2020–present: Return to success

In 2020, the Knicks hired new leadership and had a surprising successful season in 2020–21, making the playoffs for the first time in years. They continued to build a competitive team, making the playoffs again in 2023 and winning their first playoff series since 2013. In 2025–26, they won the NBA Cup championship.

Season-by-season record

List of the last five seasons completed by the Knicks. For the full season-by-season history, see List of New York Knicks seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage

Logos and uniforms

1946–1964: Father Knickerbocker

The first logo of the New York Knicks showed a character named "Father Knickerbocker" dribbling a basketball. It was designed by a cartoonist and used the team's blue and orange colors. The home uniforms were white with blue and orange trim, while the away uniforms were blue with orange and white trim.

1964–1992: Classic roundball

The Knicks introduced a famous logo showing the word "Knicks" over a basketball. This logo lasted for many years with small changes. The uniforms were updated with new lettering styles and added details like side stripes.

1968–1979; 1983–1997: Championship era uniforms

The Knicks wore special uniforms during their championship seasons in 1970 and 1973. These uniforms had the city name "NEW YORK" in orange lettering and featured the player's name in a unique style.

1979–1983: Crimson red era uniforms

For a few years, the Knicks changed their colors to navy and crimson red. The home uniforms had the team name below the number in crimson red with navy trim.

1992–2012: Black-accented triangle

The Knicks updated their logo again, adding a silver triangle accent. They also introduced black as an accent color and created new uniform designs.

2012–present: Modified triangle

The Knicks changed their logo once more, removing black from the color scheme. They brought back designs inspired by their championship era uniforms and added gray as an accent color.

Special uniforms

The Knicks have worn special uniforms for events like Noche Latina and St. Patrick's Day. These uniforms often use different colors and designs to celebrate special occasions.

Throwback uniforms

The Knicks have worn special throwback uniforms to honor important moments in their history, like the team's 50th and 75th anniversaries. These uniforms recreate designs from earlier eras of the team.

Personnel

The New York Knicks have many important players and history. Some players have had their numbers retired, meaning they were very special to the team. These players are honored forever by the Knicks.

Many great players from the Knicks have been chosen to play in the NBA All-Star Game, which is a big game where the best players from around the league play together. Here are some of those players:

• Vince Boryla
• Harry Gallatin
• Dick McGuire
• Max Zaslofsky
• Carl Braun
• Nathaniel Clifton
• Richie Guerin
• Willie Naulls
• Ken Sears
• Johnny Green
• Tom Gola
• Len Chappell
• Willis Reed
• Dick Barnett
• Dave DeBusschere
• Walt Frazier
• Bill Bradley
• Earl Monroe
• Bob McAdoo
• Bill Cartwright
• Micheal Ray Richardson
• Bernard King
• Patrick Ewing
• Mark Jackson
• Charles Oakley
• John Starks
• Allan Houston
• Latrell Sprewell
• David Lee
• Amar'e Stoudemire
• Carmelo Anthony
• Tyson Chandler
• Kristaps Porziņģis
• Julius Randle
• Jalen Brunson
• Karl-Anthony Towns

Staff

Management

Steve Mills was the general manager and president of the team during the 2013–14 season. After that season, Phil Jackson took over as president, but he returned to the role in 2017, with Scott Perry becoming the new general manager.

Head coaches

Main article: List of New York Knicks head coaches

Franchise leaders

The New York Knicks have had many great players over the years. Here are the top players who have scored the most points for the team:

1. Patrick Ewing (23,665 points)
2. Walt Frazier (14,617 points)
3. Willis Reed (12,183 points)
4. Allan Houston (11,165 points)
5. Carl Braun (10,449 points)
6. Richie Guerin (10,392 points)
7. Carmelo Anthony (10,186 points)
8. Earl Monroe (9,679 points)
9. Dick Barnett (9,442 points)
10. Bill Bradley (9,217 points)

There are also many other important statistics for the team, which are shown in tables below.

Individual awards

The New York Knicks have had many players and coaches earn important awards in basketball. Some of these awards include the NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, and NBA Rookie of the Year. Players like Willis Reed, Patrick Ewing, and Carmelo Anthony have been recognized for their amazing skills and teamwork.

Other awards the Knicks have won are the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and NBA Most Improved Player. Coaches such as Red Holzman and Pat Riley have also been honored with the NBA Coach of the Year award. These awards show the high level of talent and sportsmanship that the Knicks have had over the years.

Rivalries

Boston Celtics

Main article: Knicks–Celtics rivalry

The New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics are two of the oldest teams in the NBA, dating back to 1946. Their rivalry comes from the competition between New York City and Boston, similar to other sports rivalries like the Yankees–Red Sox and Jets–Patriots. The teams have played each other nine times in the playoffs. The most recent meeting was in the 2012–13 season, when the Knicks won their first Atlantic Division title since 1994 and went on to win the series.

Brooklyn Nets

Main article: Knicks–Nets rivalry

The Brooklyn Nets are the Knicks' closest rival because both teams are based in New York City—the Knicks in Manhattan and the Nets in Brooklyn. This rivalry is compared to others in New York sports, like the Subway Series between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. The Knicks and Nets have met in the playoffs three times, with the Knicks winning two of those matchups.

Chicago Bulls

Main article: Knicks–Bulls rivalry

The Knicks have a notable rivalry with the Chicago Bulls, especially in the late 1980s and early 1990s when both teams were top contenders. Famous players like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Patrick Ewing, and John Starks made these matchups exciting. After a break in the 2000s, the rivalry returned when new stars joined both teams.

Indiana Pacers

Main article: Knicks–Pacers rivalry

The rivalry between the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers began in 1993 and became very intense. They met in the playoffs six times between 1993 and 2000. The rivalry was highlighted by exciting games and famous moments, including a renewal in the 2013 NBA playoffs and again in the 2024 NBA playoffs.

Miami Heat

Main article: Knicks–Heat rivalry

The Miami Heat have been strong rivals of the New York Knicks, especially from 1997 to 2000 when they met in the playoffs each year. The Heat and Knicks each won two of those playoff series. They met again in the 2012 NBA playoffs, with the Heat winning that series before going on to win the 2012 NBA Finals.