new york knicks

The New York Knicks were founded in 1946 as part of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which later merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA in 1949. They are one of the oldest and most storied franchises in the league.

Under coach Joe Lapchick, the Knicks became a competitive team in the early years, reaching three consecutive NBA Finals from 1951 to 1953 but failing to win a championship. The team struggled in the late 1950s before rebuilding in the 1960s.

With stars like Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, and Dave DeBusschere, the Knicks became one of the NBA’s best teams. They won their first NBA championship in 1970, highlighted by Reed’s heroic Game 7 performance against the Lakers. They won a second title in 1973, again defeating the Lakers.

The Knicks declined after their championship success but saw a resurgence in the 1980s and 1990s with the arrival of Patrick Ewing in 1985. Led by Ewing and later coached by Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy, the Knicks became Eastern Conference contenders, reaching the NBA Finals in 1994 but losing to the Houston Rockets.

After Ewing’s departure in 2000, the Knicks went through a long period of mediocrity, plagued by poor management decisions and unsuccessful roster moves.