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. 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 and won the NBA championship in 2026, ending their 53-year championship drought.

Reader's Guide

The Knicks' early years (1946–1967) began with the founding of the BAA in 1946. Ned Irish, a college basketball promoter and president of Madison Square Garden, was awarded the New York franchise. The team was named the Knickerbockers after a vote among Irish's staff. The Knicks played their first game on November 1, 1946, defeating the Toronto Huskies 68–66. Under interim coach Neil Cohalan, they finished 33–27 and reached the playoffs. Joe Lapchick took over in 1947, leading the team to nine straight playoff appearances. The Knicks made history by signing Nathaniel Clifton, the first African American player in professional basketball. They reached the NBA Finals in 1951, 1952, and 1953 but lost each time. The team's history after 1967 is covered in the lore section above.

Did You Know?

• The Knicks were named after the pseudonym used by Washington Irving in his book A History of New York.
• The Knicks' first head coach was Neil Cohalan, who served as interim coach for the 1946–47 season.
• Wataru Misaka, signed in 1947, was the first non-Caucasian player in the BAA.