New York Knicks
Franchise Overview 1947-2021 (75 seasons)

Teams New York Knicks History Franchise Overview

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.

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.

2000 New York Knicks

1947-2021 (75 seasons)

New York Knicks Team History

All-time franchise record

2841-3019 (.485)

2 championships in 8 appearances

Franchise History

1950-2021

New York Knicks (NBA)

1947-1949

New York Knicks (BAA)

Top Seasons

Year Record Result

1999 27-23 Lost NBA Finals

1994 57-25 Lost NBA Finals

1973 57-25 Won NBA Finals

1972 48-34 Lost NBA Finals

1970 60-22 Won NBA Finals

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Last 5 Seasons

Year Record Result

2021 41-31 Lost First Round

2020 21-45 Missed Playoffs

2019 17-65 Missed Playoffs

2018 29-53 Missed Playoffs

2017 31-51 Missed Playoffs

View All Knicks Seasons

1st Round Draft Picks

Year Rd/Pick Player

2021 1 / 19 Kai Jones C

2021 1 / 21 Keon Johnson SG

2020 1 / 8 Obi Toppin PF

2020 1 / 23 Leandro Bolmaro SF

2019 1 / 3 RJ Barrett SG/SF

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Longest Serving GM's

Tenure Years General Manager

1965-82 13 Eddie Donovan

1947-57 11 Ned Irish

1992-99 8 Ernie Grunfeld

1958-65 7 Fred Podesta

2000-04 5 Scott Layden

View All Knicks General Managers

Team Owners

Tenure Years Owner

1947-21 24 Madison Square Garden Corp.

1994-09 16 CableVision Corp.

1994-96 3 ITT Corporation

1989-93 5 Paramount Communications

1977-88 12 Gulf Western

1959-76 18 Graham Paige Corporation

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F i l t e r & S o r t

New York Knicks Media Guidepublication

New York Knicks Media Guide

79 issues 1947-2025

This media guide is a comprehensive resource created by the team to provide detailed information about its players, coaches, history,...