The team could be in the midst of a rebound, thanks in part to the arrivals of free agent Amar'e Stoudemire, trades for Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, and the shocking emergence of point guard Jeremy Lin.
Founded: 1946
Home Town: New York, NY
Owner: James Dolan/Madison Square Garden LLP
General Manager: Glen Grunwald (interim)
Coach: Mike Woodson (interim)
Home Court
Name:Madison Square GardenOpened: 1968
Seating Capacity: 19,673
Team History
The team was founded in 1946 as one of the first members of the Basketball Association of America - a league that would merge with the National Basketball League in 1949 and become what is now known as the NBA. The game between the Knicks and Toronto Huskies on November 1, 1946 is now considered the first game in NBA history.
Other surviving members of that precursor league include the Sacramento Kings (then known as the Rochester Royals), the Los Angeles (Minneapolis) Lakers, Detroit (Fort Wayne) Pistons and Golden State (Philadelphia) Warriors.
The Knicks' glory years came in the early 70s, when teams led by coach Red Holzman, Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Willis Reed, "Dollar" Bill Bradley and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe won NBA titles in 1970 and 1973. Phil Jackson -- a bench player and defensive specialist on those teams -- went on to coach the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers to ten NBA championships.
The late 70s and early 80s were a dark time for the franchise, but help was on the way. The Knicks won the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery in 1985, and the chance to draft Georgetown center Patrick Ewing. With Ewing in the middle and a series of big-name coaches like Rick Pitino, Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy, the Knicks were title contenders for most of the 90s, though their aspirations were thwarted by Michael Jordan's Bulls, Hakeem Olajuwon's Rockets and David Robinson's San Antonio Spurs.
The franchise fell on hard times after the departures of Ewing and Van Gundy. A series of free-agent signings, coaching changes and new general managers, designed to keep the franchise in contention, only served to put the franchise in a deeper hole. The Knicks bottomed out during Isiah Thomas' reign as president, general manager and coach, with the dubious distinction of having the league's highest payroll but one of the worst records.
Thomas was replaced by Donnie Walsh, the well-regarded general manager of the Indiana Pacers. Walsh hired Mike D'Antoni -- well known for his fast-paced and entertaining style of basketball -- away from the Phoenix Suns to coach the team, and started clearing contracts in the hopes of making a big splash with the free-agent class of 2010.
Walsh succeeded - to a degree. He was unable to land his primary target - LeBron James - but he did manage to acquire Amar'e Stoudemire. He also acquired Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets, though many suspect that owner James Dolan ultimately pulled the trigger on the Anthony deal, and that Walsh would have given up far less in the trade if left to his own devices. That perception gained steam when Walsh and Madison Square Garden parted ways after the 2010-11 season.
Championships: 1970, 1973Conference Titles: 1951, 1952, 1953, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1994, 1999
Division Titles: 1953, 1954, 1970, 1971, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994
Retired Numbers
- 10: Walt "Clyde" Frazier
- 12: Dick Barnett
- 15: Earl "The Pearl" Monroe
- 15: Dick McGuire
- 19: Willis Reed
- 22: Dave DeBusschere
- 24: Bill Bradley
- 33: Patrick Ewing
- 613: Red Holzman (Holzman won 613 games as head coach of the Knicks)
Hall of Famers
- Walt Bellamy
- Bill Bradley
- Dave DeBusschere
- Patrick Ewing
- Walt Frazier
- Harry Gallatin
- Tom Gola
- Jerry Lucas
- Dick McGuire
- Earl Monroe
- Willis Reed
New York Knicks All-Time Won-Loss Records
| Season | Wins | Losses | Playoff Result | Coach |
| 2010-11 | 42 | 40 | First Round | Mike D'Antoni |
| 2009-10 | 29 | 53 | Mike D'Antoni | |
| 2008-09 | 32 | 50 | Mike D'Antoni | |
| 2007-08 | 23 | 59 | Isiah Thomas | |
| 2006-07 | 33 | 49 | Isiah Thomas | |
| 2005-06 | 23 | 59 | Larry Brown | |
| 2004-05 | 33 | 49 | Lenny Wilkens | |
| 2003-04 | 39 | 43 | First Round | Don Chaney, Herb Williams, Lenny Wilkens |
| 2002-03 | 37 | 45 | Don Chaney | |
| 2001-02 | 30 | 52 | Jeff Van Gundy, Don Chaney | |
| 2000-01 | 48 | 34 | First Round | Jeff Van Gundy |
| 1999-00 | 50 | 32 | Conference Finals | Jeff Van Gundy |
| 1998-99 | 27 | 23 | NBA Finals | Jeff Van Gundy |
| 1997-98 | 43 | 39 | Conference Semifinals | Jeff Van Gundy |
| 1996-97 | 57 | 25 | Conference Semifinals | Jeff Van Gundy |
| 1995-96 | 47 | 35 | Conference Semifinals | Don Nelson, Jeff Van Gundy |
| 1994-95 | 55 | 27 | Conference Semifinals | Pat Riley |
| 1993-94 | 57 | 25 | NBA Finals | Pat Riley |
| 1992-93 | 60 | 22 | Conference Semifinals | Pat Riley |
| 1991-92 | 51 | 31 | Conference Semifinals | Pat Riley |
| 1990-91 | 39 | 43 | First Round | Stu Jackson, John MacLeod |
| 1989-90 | 45 | 37 | Conference Semifinals | Stu Jackson |
| 1988-89 | 52 | 30 | Conference Semifinals | Rick Pitino |
| 1987-88 | 38 | 44 | First Round | Rick Pitino |
| 1986-87 | 24 | 58 | Hubie Brown, Bob Hill | |
| 1985-86 | 23 | 59 | Hubie Brown | |
| 1984-85 | 24 | 58 | Hubie Brown | |
| 1983-84 | 47 | 35 | Conference Semifinals | Hubie Brown |
| 1982-83 | 44 | 38 | Conference Semifinals | Hubie Brown |
| 1981-82 | 33 | 49 | Red Holzman | |
| 1980-81 | 50 | 32 | First Round | Red Holzman |
| 1979-80 | 39 | 43 | Red Holzman | |
| 1978-79 | 31 | 51 | Willis Reed, Red Holzman | |
| 1977-78 | 43 | 39 | Conference Semifinals | Willis Reed |
| 1976-77 | 40 | 42 | Red Holzman | |
| 1975-76 | 38 | 44 | Red Holzman | |
| 1974-75 | 40 | 42 | First Round | Red Holzman |
| 1973-74 | 49 | 33 | Conference Finals | Red Holzman |
| 1972-73 | 57 | 25 | NBA Champions | Red Holzman |
| 1971-72 | 48 | 34 | NBA Finals | Red Holzman |
| 1970-71 | 52 | 30 | Conference Finals | Red Holzman |
| 1969-70 | 60 | 22 | NBA Champions | Red Holzman |
| 1968-69 | 54 | 28 | Division Finals | Red Holzman |
| 1967-68 | 43 | 39 | Division Semifinals | Dick McGuire, Red Holzman |
| 1966-67 | 36 | 45 | Division Semifinals | Dick McGuire |
| 1965-66 | 30 | 50 | Harry Gallatin, Dick McGuire | |
| 1964-65 | 31 | 49 | Eddie Donovan, Harry Gallatin | |
| 1963-64 | 22 | 58 | Eddie Donovan | |
| 1962-63 | 21 | 59 | Eddie Donovan | |
| 1961-62 | 29 | 51 | Eddie Donovan | |
| 1960-61 | 21 | 58 | Carl Braun | |
| 1959-60 | 27 | 48 | Andrew Levane, Carl Braun | |
| 1958-59 | 40 | 32 | Division Semifinals | Andrew Levane |
| 1957-58 | 35 | 37 | Vince Boryla | |
| 1956-57 | 36 | 36 | Vince Boryla | |
| 1955-56 | 35 | 37 | Eastern Division Third Place Tiebreaker | Joe Lapchick, Vince Boryla |
| 1954-55 | 38 | 34 | Division Semifinals | Joe Lapchick |
| 1953-54 | 44 | 28 | Eastern Division Round Robin | Joe Lapchick |
| 1952-53 | 47 | 23 | NBA Finals | Joe Lapchick |
| 1951-52 | 37 | 29 | NBA Finals | Joe Lapchick |
| 1950-51 | 36 | 30 | NBA Finals | Joe Lapchick |
| 1949-50 | 40 | 28 | Division Finals | Joe Lapchick |
| 1948-49 | 32 | 28 | Division Finals | Joe Lapchick |
| 1947-48 | 26 | 22 | Quarterfinals | Joe Lapchick |
| 1946-47 | 33 | 27 | Semifinals | Neil Cohalan |