New York Knicks LINES, ODDS, PICKS AND REVIEWS

How is the New York Knicks' History?

The New York Knicks (or New York Knickerbockers) are a professional basketball franchise based in the borough of Manhattan in New York City that plays its home games at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks are a professional basketball team participating in the National Basketball Association (NBA). They are a part of the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. Madison Square Garden is the venue for the club's home games; they do so in conjunction with their fellow National Hockey League neighbors, the New York Rangers (NHL). 

They are a National Basketball Association (NBA) member and play their home games in New York City, along with the Brooklyn Nets. The New York Knicks are one of two original NBA teams still based in the city where the team was founded, along with the Boston Celtics.

How Were the New York Knicks Founded?

1946 marked the beginning of the franchise's existence as a member of the Basketball Association of America, which would later transform into the National Basketball Association (NBA) the following year. The Knicks finished each of their first nine seasons with a winning record, and they made it to the NBA championship game on three separate occasions (1951–1953), where they were ultimately defeated each time.

Throughout the remainder of the decade and into the early 1960s, the New York Knicks fielded teams that ranged from mediocre to poor. However, the team's fortunes began to change in 1964 when they drafted center Willis Reed.

How is the New York Knicks' Patrick Ewing Era?

In 1985, the New York Knicks drafted Ewing, marking the beginning of a relationship that would last for the next 15 years. After that, they offered him a contract worth $32 million over ten years, and he accepted. The New York Times later referred to this contract as "a tremendous contract at that time or any time."

After averaging 20 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks per game in his first year in the league, he was voted NBA Rookie of the Year and named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. It was despite injuries plaguing his first year in the league. Soon after that, he gained a reputation as one of the most formidable centers in the league. 

Ewing had a fruitful career, as he was recognized as an NBA All-Star eleven times, as a member of the All-NBA First Team once, as a member of the All-NBA Second Team six times, and as a member of the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times. He was also named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team three times. At the Olympic Games in 1992, he participated as a member of the very first Dream Team. In addition to that, the National Basketball Association (NBA) recognized him as one of the 50 best players in league history.

In 1994, Patrick Ewing led the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals, where they met Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets. The Knicks were defeated in that series in seven games, with the final game taking place in Houston and ending with a score of 90-84.

During the waning years of Patrick Ewing's career, the New York Knicks competed in the NBA Finals once again, this time against the San Antonio Spurs in 1999. Those Knicks were the first eighth-seeded team to advance to the final round of the postseason, but they were eliminated in five games. Due to his injuries, Ewing was unable to participate in the tournament's Finals.

Despite this, the 7-footer from Georgetown holds nearly every significant record that can be found about the Knicks. Ewing has the record for the most points scored by a Knick and the most blocks, rebounds, steals, free throws, field goals, and minutes played.

The table shows the career summary of Patick Ewing as of this writing:

How is the New York Knicks Willis Reed Era?

The New York Knicks chose Willis Reed in the second round of the 1964 NBA draft. They used the eighth overall pick to make their selection. Reed earned a reputation almost immediately as a fierce, dominant, and physically dominant force on both ends of the court. 

In a game against the Los Angeles Lakers in March of 1965, he scored 46 points, the second-highest single-game total ever by a rookie player for the Knicks. He finished the 1964–1965 NBA season ranked seventh in the league in scoring (19.5 points per game), and he was fifth in the league in rebounding (14.7 rebounds per game). In addition to that, he made his first of many appearances in the NBA All-Star Game, won the Rookie of the Year Award in the NBA, and was selected to the First Team of the NBA All-Rookie Team.

In pressure situations, Reed always seemed to rise to the occasion. He was recognized for his clutch play in the postseason throughout his career, and it was one of the aspects of his game that made him so special.  In the 1966–1967 season, he increased his regular-season averages to 20.9 points per game and 27.5 points per game in the postseason, suggesting that this was a talent of which he was aware.

He was a center on the team. He made up for his lack of height by playing a physical game, and he frequently finished seasons with respectable averages in blocking and rebounding. He had a stature that was relatively average for a basketball player. During his playing career, his contemporaries Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stood 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m) and 7 feet 2 inches (2.18 m), respectively, while he stood 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m), but he was listed with shoes at 6 feet 10 inches (as is common practice). He stood 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m).

The team remained unsuccessful for several years despite making smart player acquisitions through trades and the draft. In the middle of the 1967–1968 season, Red Holzman took over as head coach, succeeding Dick McGuire in that role. Under McGuire's leadership, the Knicks finished with a 15–22; Holzman led them to a record of 28–17. The New York Rangers finished the 1968 season with a record of 43–39, their first winning record since the 1958–1959 season.

During the 1969–1970 season, the Knicks set a then-single-season NBA record with an 18-game win streak. It enabled them to win 60 games that year, which was also an NBA record at the time. Reed was the first player in the history of the NBA to be recognized as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the NBA All-Star Game, the NBA regular season, and the NBA Finals all in the same season. He did this three times in total. 

1970 was the year that this achievement took place. During the same season, he was awarded the distinction of being chosen for the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In addition, he was awarded the title of Athlete of the Year by ABC's Wide World of Sports, and the title of NBA Most Valuable Player was bestowed upon him by Sporting News.

The table shows the career summary of Willis Reed as of this writing:

How is the New York Knicks Bernard King Era?

Although Bernard King played for the New York Knicks for only 138 games, nearly every one of those games will live long in the memory of Knicks fans.

King achieved this feat in January 1984, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50 points in consecutive games while shooting 20-of-23 and 20-of-28, respectively. King had a game against the New Jersey Nets on Christmas Day of the following season and scored 60 points.

The scoring exhibition that King put on during the 1984-1985 season was the most exciting the franchise had ever seen. His average of 32.9 points per game is higher than any other Knick has achieved to this point in the season.

When King was at the pinnacle of his career, he attempted to block a dunk by Kansas City King Reggie Theus by planting his right leg under the basket. Unfortunately, the move resulted in a career-ending injury to King's right leg. King was injured again on March 23, 1985, when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, fractured knee cartilage, and a broken leg bone. As a result of the extensive surgery required, King was unable to play during the 1985–1986 season. Until then, no NBA player had ever returned to form after suffering such a potentially career-ending injury, undergoing such a life-altering procedure, and missing such a significant amount of time.

King undertook his rehabilitation completely away from the media's scrutiny and then pushed himself to get back into fighting shape. Despite averaging 22.7 points per game during his first six games back from injury, the Knicks decided to let him go at the end of the 1987 season because he had not regained the explosiveness he had before the injury.

The table shows the career summary of Bernard King as of this writing:

What are the New York Knicks' Championships?

The New York Knicks won the NBA Championship twice, 1970 and 1973. Since the year 2000, the New York Knicks have had a difficult time regaining their previous successes. However, in the 2012–13 season, the Knicks won their first division title in 19 years, led by a core consisting of forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire. The Indiana Pacers eventually eliminated them in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The team had not qualified for the postseason in eight years before the 2020–21 season. 

The table shows the game summary of the 1970 NBA Finals:

The Los Angeles Lakers were the champions of the Western Division, but the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks prevailed in a best-of-seven series, winning four games to three to claim their first NBA championship.

After Dave DeBusschere made a shot with three seconds left to give New York a 102-100 lead and the Los Angeles Lakers were unable to use any of their time-outs, it appeared as though the Knicks had won a back-and-forth Game 3 of the series. Jerry West, known as "Mr. Clutch," received the inbound pass from Los Angeles and proceeded to make a game-winning shot from well beyond the midcourt line. Because at the time, only the ABA had a three-point shot, it was only worth two points, which meant that the game had to go into overtime, where the Knicks were able to pull out the victory by a score of 111-108.

The table shows the game summary of the 1973 NBA Finals:

After dropping the series' first game, the Knicks went on a tear, winning the next four games in a row to reclaim their NBA championship. It is the most recent NBA Championship that the Knicks have won to this point. The next time New York competed in the NBA Finals would not be until 1994.

It would also be the last time the Lakers would compete in the Finals during this decade. Their subsequent appearance, which would take place in 1980, would be the first of nine trips to the Finals that the franchise would make within a period of 12 years.

How are the New York Knicks' last five years?

The table shows the New York Knicks’ last five years:

How is the New York Knicks' season-by-season record?

The table shows the New York Knicks’ season-by-season record:

The New York Knicks have played for 76 NBA seasons.

Who are the New York Knicks’ Players?

The first season of the "Tom Thibodeau experiment" with the New York Knicks was a winning one for the franchise. The Knicks qualified for the playoffs in Thibs' first season as head coach, and Julius Randle was named the NBA's most improved player. Additionally, in many defensive categories, New York ranked near the top of the NBA, which is characteristic of teams that Thibodeau coaches. 

The Knicks have been highly active during this off-season, making several significant additions to a roster that was already in the process of maturing. The continued difficulties in the backcourt for New York have been significantly alleviated by the additions of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. In addition, the following players will all be returning for the team:

• Julius Randle
• Kevin Knox
• Immanuel Quickley
• Nerlens Noel
• Mitchell Robinson
• Derrick Rose
• R.J. Barrett
• Obi Toppin

Due in large part to the fact that they were able to acquire Quentin Grimes, Miles McBride, Rokas Jokubaitis, and Jericho Sims in this year's draft, New York will be among the most talented teams in the league. Walker, Barrett, Fournier, and Randle, along with Robinson, would be the members of the starting lineup that would make the most intuitive sense.

The table shows the New York Knicks’ players:

How did James Dolan’s Ownership Affect the New York Knicks?

James Lawrence Dolan is an American businessman born on May 11, 1955. He currently holds the positions of executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports and Madison Square Garden Entertainment, in addition to his role as executive chairman of MSG Networks. Dolan, in his capacity as chairman of the companies, is responsible for supervising all of the operations that take place within the companies as well as the day-to-day operations of the professional sports teams owned by the companies, namely the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers, as well as the regional sports networks owned by the companies, including MSG Network and MSG Plus. Dolan was previously the Chief Executive Officer of Cablevision until the company was sold in June of 2016.

Dolan hired Isiah Thomas in 2003 to take over for troubled executive Scott Layden in the role of Team President of Basketball Operations and General Manager for the Nets. Through trades, the NBA Draft, and free agency, Thomas made aggressive moves to retool and improve the Knicks roster. The team's performance did not live up to expectations, and Thomas was frequently the target of the ire of Knicks fans. Dolan was also on the receiving end of the ire of Knicks fans for his commitment to Thomas in spite of Thomas' sometimes questionable decisions. Despite the talent Thomas imported, the team did not perform up to expectations, and Thomas was often the target of that frustration.

After the end of the 2004–2005 season, the Knicks gave head coach Larry Brown a contract worth a total of $50 million over five years. Brown was fired after only one season, during which the team finished with a losing record, and the team paid $18 million to buy him out of his contract. After coaching the Knicks for just one season, Brown walked away with a grand total of $28 million in compensation.

Isiah Thomas took over as the Knicks' head coach after Larry Brown was let go from his position with the team. During a staged interview on the MSG Network, Dolan issued an ultimatum to Thomas, telling him to demonstrate "evident progress" or face the possibility of losing his job. Dolan extended Thomas' contract for a number of years during the second half of the 2006–2007 campaign when the Knicks were still in contention for a postseason berth. After that, the team was eliminated from playoff contention, and Dolan received a lot of criticism for extending Thomas's contract. Because Thomas had only led the Knicks to the playoffs once during his tenure with the team, Dolan decided to relieve Thomas of his front office responsibilities during the following season. After the season's conclusion, the newly elected President of the team, Donnie Walsh, fired Thomas from his position as head coach.

Don Chaney (head coach of the Knicks from 2001–2003) and Lenny Wilkens (head coach of the Knicks from 2003–2005) are two examples of other head coaches who had brief stints leading the Knicks. They remained on the Knicks' payroll after leaving the bench because they had signed multi-year contracts with the owner (and in the case of Chaney, two separate contract extensions). It was also the case for Thomas and Brown.

What are the Symbols of the New York Knicks?

The symbols of the New York Knicks are a blue and orange shield with a basketball in the middle. Spike Lee, the team's director, serves as the sole mascot for the Knicks. In the end, no one knows why this is the case. In contrast, for the New York Knicks, the team's name simply does not lend itself to having a mascot.

What is the New York Knicks' Logo?

The New York Knicks logo was approved in the year of the team's debut and met all of the team's basketball-focused criteria. The name and the ball are clearly visible. As a result, the emblem's entire history is a progression from simple to complex. The sports club has been around for a long time, and it has had eight different logos to choose from.

The name "Knickerbockers" is derived from Dutch settlers who arrived in the New World and was used as the club's initial logo. In what is now known as New York City, the majority of them settled. Here, the settlers' particular choice of pants is being discussed. Breeches, or pantaloons, were the pants rolled up below the knee and became known as such. Most of the time, the team's name is simply "Nix," and this word is now largely forgotten.

The initial logo was created for the 1946/47 season, the first year of organized basketball in the United States. In this image, a player dubbed Father Knickerbocker is depicted. With both hands, he snatches the ball from his opponent's grasp. The main character's attire is red-orange vests, blue pants, and a camisole of the same color. Boots with large buckles are attached to the lower legs of the character. Willard Mullin is the man behind the cartoon. He is a cartoonist, so the style of drawing is fitting.

One of New York Knickerbockers' iconic logos would last for the next 30 years. Bud Freeman, an art director at the J. C. Bull advertising agency, created it. It features a brown basketball with the wordmark "KNICKS" and "illuminating" it. In order to create a three-dimensional effect, the lower portion of the letters is orange and has a shadow. In addition, a black outline can be seen around the letters.

In this new iteration of the New York Knicks logo, the designer chose a lighter shade of blue for the basketball. The blue outline and black seams were also his additions. All that's changed is the lettering's color, which is now burgundy with a white and blue outline. With a wider and deeper shadow, "KNICKS" appeared to be three-dimensional.

The New York Knicks redesigned their logo in 1992. Michael Doret suggested a triangle. Tom O'Grady created other elements. On top of a blueish-grey geometric figure, the word "KNICKS" appeared slightly tilted back. The lower portion of the letters is darkened. The basketball seams and outline are a light blue color. Orange is the primary color.

Only a basketball connects the current and previous versions, which was not the case with the original. However, even though it is a remake of the previous logo, the emblem's details have gotten more complex over time. There are no longer any black shadows to be seen, and the intensity of the brick color has been toned down. Everything else remained the same as it had been.

By the mid-1990s, the inverted triangle had become synonymous with the New York Knicks. According to the designers, the triangular base should elicit such associations, so it was added to give the basketball team's logo a superhero feel. In the spirit of Gotham City, Batman and Superman, the design was based on their respective emblems.

How is the New York Knicks' Uniform?

The words "New York" are prominently displayed on the front of the Knicks' jerseys, which also have dark blue numbers printed on them. Additionally, the numbers on the original 1946 jersey were printed on a larger scale, just as they are on the 2021-22 version.

What are the New York Knicks' Colors?

The New York Knicks colors are Knicks blue, Knicks orange, silver, and black. 

The New York Knicks team colors in Hex, RGB, and CMYK can be found below:

Who are the Rivals of the New York Knicks?

The rivals of the New York Knicks include the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat. 

Since the beginning of the Nets franchise, the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets have generally had a contentious relationship with one another. The New York Americans was going to be the team's original name when it was founded in 1966 as a founding member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), and the league's original plan was for the team to play their home games at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan. 

However, those plans were scrapped. The Knicks of the older NBA were able to coerce the Armory into backing out three months before opening day. As a result, the Nets were left scrambling for a venue as opening day drew closer, and it was finally decided that the Teaneck Armory in Teaneck, New Jersey would serve as the location for their home games. 

The Nets would remain a transient franchise for the remainder of their time in the ABA because they were unable to establish a permanent home in the Tri-State area until 1972, when they became the basketball tenant of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Before that, the Nets played their home games at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale.

Between the years 1997 and 2000, the Knicks and the Heat faced each other in the postseason on four separate occasions, with New York prevailing in three of the four series.

The most remarkable event undoubtedly took place in 1999, when the eighth-seeded Knicks defeated the first-seeded Heat in the series-deciding Game 5 on the strength of a last-second shot by Allan Houston. This opened the door for New York's Cinderella run all the way to the championship round.

These two teams had an honest-to-goodness adversarial relationship with one another. In particular, Mourning and Larry Johnson were sworn adversaries to one another. That was the level of intensity.

Obviously, considering that the Knicks and the Heat have only competed against one another in the playoffs since then (2012), this rivalry isn't nearly as intense as it once was. But anybody who was alive during the 1990s is aware of how significant an impact this rivalry had on the sport of basketball.

What Is the Average Cost for New York Knicks Tickets?

The average cost for a ticket to a Knicks game is $394. This may surprise some people, given that the team has not been very successful in recent years. However, demand for Knicks tickets remains high due to the popularity of basketball in New York City.

Where to Buy New York Knicks Tickets?

You can buy New York Knicks tickets through Ticketmaster. They are the official ticketing partner of the NBA.