- 1946
- 1968
- 1970
- 1973
- 2011
-
New York Knickerbockers Team Formation
Irish wanted a distinct name for his franchise that was representative of the city of New York. He called together members of his staff for a meeting to cast their votes in a hat. After tallying the votes, the franchise was named the Knickerbockers. The “Knickerbocker” name comes from the pseudonym used by Washington Irving in his book A History ... -
Madison Square Garden Re-opens
On February 11, 1968, the current Madison Square Garden (sometimes referred to as Madison Square Garden IV) opened after Irving M. Felt, who purchased the air rights from the Pennsylvania Railroad, tore down the above-ground portions of the original Pennsylvania Station. The new structure was one of the first of its kind to be built above the platforms of an ... -
NBA Finals Winner 1970
NBA Finals – 1970 The 1970 NBA World Championship Series the championship round of the 1970 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association 1969 – 1970 season. The Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks faced the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers in a best-of-seven series that the Knicks won 4 games to 3 for their first NBA title. -
NBA Finals Winner 1973
NBA Finals – 1973 The 1973 NBA World Championship Series pitted the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference against the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference for the NBA championship. The series was an exact reversal of the prior year, with the Lakers winning Game 1 and the Knicks taking the next four games. -
Anthony Acquired from Denver
In spite of the team’s mounting success, New York made a push to acquire Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony. After months of speculation, on February 22, 2011, Anthony was traded to New York, with teammates Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and former Knick Renaldo Balkman. Denver acquired Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Mozgov, Kosta Koufos, a 2014 first-round draft ...
History of the Knickerbockers
The New York Knickerbockers, commonly referred to as the Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in New York City. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden, located in the borough of Manhattan. They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City; the other is the Brooklyn Nets. 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. Along with the Boston Celtics, the Knicks are one of only two original NBA teams still located in its original city.
Established
1946
City
New York
League History
1949 – Present / National Basketball Association
1946 – 1949 / Basketball Association of America
Team History
1946 – Present / New York Knickerbockers
Nickname
Knickerbockers – The term “Knickerbockers” referred specifically to pants rolled up just below the knee by Dutch settlers in the New World during the 1600s. Many of these settlers found homes in and around New York City, where a cartoon drawing of Father Knickerbocker became a prominent symbol of the city. In 1845, baseball’s first organized team was nicknamed the Knickerbocker Nine and the name was evoked again in 1946 when New York was granted a franchise in the Basketball Association of America. Team founder Ned Irish reportedly made the decision to call the team the Knickerbockers.
Championship
NBA Championships 2
1973, 1970
Arena
1946 – Present / Madison Square Garden
Owner
1999 – Present / James Dolan - The Madison Square Garden Company
1946 – 1999 / Ned Irish - The Madison Square Garden Company
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
10 / Walt Frazier
12 / Dick Barnett
15 / Earl Monroe
15 / Dick McGuire
19 / Willis Reed
22 / Dave DeBusschere
24 / Bill Bradley
33 / Patrick Ewing
613 / Red Holzman
*Blue is this team’s history