New York Knickerbockers are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team competes in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The Knicks, as they are usually called, play in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Knicks entered the NBA in 1946-1947. They were one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference during the early 1950’s, reaching the NBA playoff finals three consecutive seasons from 1950 through 1953. Stars of those teams included forward Harry Gallatin and guards Dick McGuire and Max Zaslovsky.
The Knicks declined from the mid-1950’s through the late 1960’s, and then became one of the NBA’s dominant teams under coach Red Holzman. The Knicks won the NBA championship in 1969-1970 and 1972-1973 and made the finals in 1971-1972. Several of the greatest players in NBA history played on those teams, including forwards Bill Bradley and Dave DeBusschere, center Willis Reed, and guards Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, and Dick Barnett.
The Knicks struggled during most of the seasons from the mid-1970’s through the late 1980’s. The team won the division title in 1988-1989 and finished first or second in the division every year from 1992 through 1998 and made the NBA finals in 1999. Leading Knicks players during the 1990’s included center Patrick Ewing, guards John Starks and Allan Houston, and forwards Charles Oakley and Larry Johnson.
The Knicks missed the playoffs from 2004 through 2010. The team made the playoffs in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, led by forward Carmelo Anthony and center Amare Stoudemire. New York won the Atlantic Division championship in 2012-2013, and Anthony led the NBA in scoring with an average of 28.7 points a game. The Knicks returned to the playoffs in the 2020’s, led by forward Julius Randle and guard Jalen Brunson.
