New York Knicks
Original New York basketball since 1946.
The New York Knickerbockers, commonly called 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 it shares with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). They are one of two NBA teams in New York City, the other being the Brooklyn Nets. Alongside the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are one of two original BAA teams (founded 1946) still in their original cities.
Quick Facts
- Key figures
- Isiah Thomas vs. Patrick Ewing
- Home venues
- The Palace of Auburn Hills; Madison Square Garden
- Conference
- Eastern Conference
- Status
- Historical Rivalry
- Peak series
- 1990s Playoff Meetings
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. After signing guard Jalen Brunson in 2022, and acquiring Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns between 2023 and 2024, the Knicks returned to playoff contention.
Reader's Guide
The Knicks' history includes early success under Joe Lapchick with three Finals appearances but no titles, a championship era under Red Holzman in 1970 and 1973, and Finals appearances in 1994 and 1999 without a championship. The team has not won an NBA championship since 1973.
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