Brief History of the New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are NYC’s hometown Basketball team. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are also currently in the playoffs, making fans across the five borough wild with glee. Recent years haven’t been kind for Knicks fans, but their fortunes may be changing. Let’s have a look at the history of the New York Knicks.
What’s In a Name
The New York Knicks is short for the New York Knickerbockers. What is a Knickerbocker? The word “Knickerbocker” was created by Washington Irving, the author most known for “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” He also wrote “A History of New York,” and used the word “Knickerbocker” to refer to the quaint Dutch denizens of Manhattan’s bygone Dutch era. It eventually came to be a word that simply referred to New Yorkers. Ned Irish, the franchise’s first president, wanted a distinctly New York name. In 1946 members of his staff took a vote and “The New York Knickerbockers” won. The rest is history. It’s also worth noting that to this day, the Knicks are one of only two NBA teams to still be in their original cities.
The Championship Years
Many claim that the best years to be a Knicks fan were 1967-1975, also known as “The Championship Years.” While the name might make one believe they won all the championships those years, the truth is The New York Knicks have only won 2 NBA Championships in their history. The Knicks won the NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973. However, under the leadership of coach Ron Holzman, they were a constant presence in the finals and semi-finals of the NBA Championships. Then, in 1975, they posted their first losing record in eight seasons.
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing is one of basketball’s all-time greats. Patrick Ewing joined the New York Knicks in 1985 and would stay through 2000. Patrick Ewing was the first pick in the first round of the NBA draft, and lived up to expectations. In hist first season, Ewing led all rookies in both scoring and rebounds, and, unsurprisingly, won the Rookie of the Year award. Despite Ewing’s star power, The Knicks still posted a losing record.
Pat Riley
Pat Riley may currently be the president of the Miami Heat, but he was also head coach of the New York Knicks from 1991 to 1995. While he never got the coveted NBA Championship title with the team, Pat Riley did lead the Knicks to their best regular season record in team history. In 1995, he did help The New York Knicks defeat the Chicago Bulls and make the championship final. They fell in game 7 to the Houston Rockets. This did, however, give Pat Riley a unique distinction. He became the first coach to ever appear in Game 7 in the NBA Championships with two different teams! The first was the L.A. Lakers, and then the second, our beloved New York Knicks.
Tough Years for the New York Knicks
The last 20 years have been really tough for the New York Knicks, but in 2020, Tom Thibodeau was hired as the head coach. Their fortunes seem to have been changing. They are currently battling it out with the Boston Celtics, the other team in the NBA to have remained in its original city. The winner will claim the conference semi-final title and have a chance to claim the conference title and perhaps the NBA Championship.
The New York Knicks play at Madison Square Garden, and the games are so much fun to attend. There is not a bad seat in the house, and every moment is full of excitement. Keep your eyes open, you may spot several celebrities in the front row!
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