New York Knicks

Lore & Background

Established in 1946 by Ned Irish, the New York Knicks were among the founding members of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949 to form the NBA. Under their first head coach, Joe Lapchick, the Knicks were a perennial playoff contender, reaching three consecutive NBA Finals between 1951 and 1953 but never winning a championship. After Lapchick resigned in 1956, the franchise entered a prolonged decline, reaching the playoffs once between 1956 and 1966.

The Knicks returned to prominence in the late 1960s under head coach Red Holzman, winning their first NBA championships in 1970 and 1973. They made six playoff appearances in the 1980s but did not reach the NBA Finals. In the 1990s, led by Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing and the team's physical, defense-oriented style under head coaches Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy, the Knicks reached the NBA Finals in 1994 and 1999, but did not win a championship.

After Ewing's departure, the Knicks entered another prolonged period of playoff absences, and although Hall of Fame forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire led the team to a division title in 2013 (their first in 19 years), the team suffered their worst-ever regular season records thereafter.

Reader's Guide

The Knicks' early years saw them play their first game on November 1, 1946, defeating the Toronto Huskies 68–66. Under Joe Lapchick, the team made nine straight playoff appearances beginning in 1947. The Knicks signed Nathaniel Clifton in the 1950–51 season, becoming the first professional basketball team to sign an African American player. The team's home games are played at Madison Square Garden.

Did You Know?

• The Knicks were named after the pseudonymous pen name used by Washington Irving in A History of New York.
• The Knicks' first head coach was Neil Cohalan, who served as interim coach for the 1946–47 season while Joe Lapchick finished his final season at St. John's University.
• Wataru Misaka, signed in 1947, was the first non-Caucasian basketball player in the BAA.

Charter Origins and Historic Longevity

The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics share an exclusive distinction as two of only three remaining charter franchises from the Basketball Association of America, which began operations in 1946. The third surviving original team is the Golden State Warriors. However, among these three, only the Celtics and Knicks remain located in their original cities. This continuity has fostered the most frequent matchup history in the league. Their 498 regular-season meetings stand as the highest total in NBA history. When counting all games played, the Celtics hold a slight lead with 6,196 games compared to the Knicks' 6,187. This nine-game difference is directly attributed to Boston's participation in the 2020 NBA Bubble, an opportunity New York did not have during that specific season.

The Decades of Dominance and Disparity

The early decades were defined by a clear hierarchy favoring Boston. In the 1950s, despite three conference championships for New York with stars like Dick McGuire and Harry Gallatin, the Knicks never won an NBA title, losing in the Finals to the Rochester Royals and the Lakers multiple times. Conversely, Boston won titles in the 1956–57, 1958–59, and 1959–60 seasons. The 1960s saw Boston's dominance continue with championships every year from 1959 to 1966, while the Knicks failed to qualify for the playoffs from 1960 to 1966. The tide turned in the early 1970s. In the 1972–73 season, the Knicks defeated Boston in a grueling seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series to win their second NBA title. The following year, Boston regained control, winning the 1973–74 Conference Finals 4–1 en route to their 12th championship.

The Ewing Era and Modern Struggles

The Knicks, despite Bernard King's efforts, had minimal success until the 1990s. Under Patrick Ewing and Anthony Mason, New York reached the Eastern Conference Finals in 1994 and 1999 but fell short of a title. Their primary rivals expanded to include the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, and Indiana Pacers. After Ewing was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics following the 1999–2000 season, the Knicks entered a prolonged slump. They failed to win a single playoff game from 2001 until 2012. In contrast, Boston revitalized under Paul Pierce and the 'Big Three' of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, winning their 17th title in the 2007–08 season.

Defining Playoff Battles and Rivalry Intensity

The playoff history is filled with dramatic series. The first meeting in 1950–51 saw the Knicks sweep Boston. In 1968–69, the teams met in a seven-game Division Final where Boston won by single points in Games 4 and 7 to capture another title. The 1984 Eastern Conference Semifinals featured a Boston victory in Game 7, with the home team winning every game of that series. The 2013 first-round series remains legendary for the Knicks' resilience; after falling behind 0–2, they won three straight games, including a historic comeback from 26 points down in Game 6. In 2025, the rivalry reignited with New York winning Games 1 and 2 of the second round. The Knicks became the first team in NBA history to come back from 20-point deficits twice in a single series, securing wins via overtime heroics and clutch steals by Mikal Bridges.