New York Knicks

New York Knicks
2023–24 New York Knicks season
New York Knicks logo
ConferenceEastern
DivisionAtlantic
Founded1946
HistoryNew York Knicks
1946–present[1][2]
ArenaMadison Square Garden
LocationNew York, New York
Team colorsRoyal blue, orange, silver, black, white[3][4][5]
         
Main sponsorSphere[6]
PresidentLeon Rose
General managerVacant
Head coachTom Thibodeau
OwnershipMadison Square Garden Sports (James Dolan, Executive Chairman)[7]
Affiliation(s)Westchester Knicks
Championships2 (1970, 1973)
Conference titles4 (1972, 1973, 1994, 1999)
Division titles8 (1953, 1954, 1970, 1971, 1989, 1993, 1994, 2013)
Retired numbers9 (10, 12, 15, 15, 19, 22, 24, 33, 613)
Websitewww.nba.com/knicks
Association jersey
Team colours
Association
Icon jersey
Team colours
Icon
Statement jersey
Team colours
Statement
City jersey
Team colours
City
Classic jersey
Team colours
Classic

The New York Knickerbockers,[3][8] shortened and more commonly referred to as 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 they share with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City; the other team is the Brooklyn Nets. Alongside the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are one of two original NBA teams still located in its original city.

The team, established by Ned Irish in 1946, was one of the founding members of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which became the NBA after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949. The Knicks were successful during their early years and were constant playoff contenders under the franchise's first head coach Joe Lapchick. Beginning in 1950, the Knicks made three consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals, all of which were losing efforts. Lapchick resigned in 1956 and the team subsequently began to falter.

It was not until the late 1960s when Red Holzman became the head coach that the Knicks began to regain their former dominance. Holzman successfully guided the Knicks to two NBA championships, in 1970 and 1973. The Knicks of the 1980s had mixed success that included six playoff appearances; however, they failed to participate in the NBA Finals.

The playoff-level Knicks of the 1990s were led by future Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing; this era was marked by passionate rivalries with the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. During this time, they were known for playing tough defense under head coaches Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy, making NBA Finals appearances in 1994 and 1999. However, they were unable to win an NBA championship during this era.

Since 2000, the Knicks have struggled to regain their former successes, but won their first division title in 19 years in 2012–13, led by a core of forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. They were eventually eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Indiana Pacers, and had failed to make the playoffs for eight years until 2020–21 when they were led by forward Julius Randle and sophomore RJ Barrett, who was selected third overall in the 2019 NBA draft.[9]

  1. ^ "NBA.com/Stats–New York Knicks seasons". Stats.NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  2. ^ "History: Team by Team" (PDF). 2018-19 Official NBA Guide (PDF). NBA Properties, Inc. October 8, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "What's a Knickerbocker?". NYKnicks.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  4. ^ "NBA LockerVision - New York Knicks - Association Edition - Story Guide". LockerVision.NBA.com. NBA Properties, Inc. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 12, 2021. The New York Knicks Association Edition is a white uniform with blue and orange accents, a staple within the Knicks uniform lineup. The jersey honors the city that made us with an electric orange "New York" wordmark outlined in royal and gray.
  5. ^ "New York Knicks Reproduction and Usage Guideline Sheet". NBA Properties, Inc. Archived from the original on February 12, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  6. ^ "Sphere, the Next-Generation Entertainment Venue, Named the New York Knicks Official Jersey Patch Partner". NYKnicks.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. October 24, 2023. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  7. ^ "Front Office". NYKnicks.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Archived from the original on May 1, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  8. ^ "What Is A Knickerbocker?" (PDF). 2017–18 New York Knicks Media Guide (PDF). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. October 9, 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  9. ^ "NBA playoff watch: Atlanta Hawks wrap up berth; Boston Celtics land in play-in". ESPN.com. May 13, 2021. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.