The New York Knickerbockers (more widely known and referred to as the New York Knicks) are a team in the National Basketball Association based out of New York City. Besides the Boston Celtics, they are the only team still based out of their original home city. The team played its first game on November 1, 1946, against the Toronto Huskies, in Toronto. During their early years, the Knicks were consistently seen in the playoffs. Their team remained steady but never spectacular. Then, from 1960 to 1966, the Knicks became the bottom of the barrel, finishing last in the NBA Eastern Division every year. One giant loss during this time was to the Lakers on November 15, 1960, with a pathetic score of 162-100. In another game in March of 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored an NBA record of 100 points against the team. In 1964, the Knicks drafted Willis Reed, who became the Rookie of the Year in 1965, and in 1967, the franchise made the playoffs for the first time since 1959. At this point, they hired a new coach (Red Holzman) and continued their trips to the playoffs, making it past the first round in 1969. The following season saw the best win-loss record for their team since it came into existence (60-22). This time around, they managed to defeat the Bucks to win the division finals and the Lakers to win the NBA finals. This began a road to success for the Knicks, with a return to the Finals in 1972. They again defeated the Lakers to win the championship. After this the Knicks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals one last time in the 1973-74 season, after an impressive regular season, only to be knocked out of the championship run by the Boston Celtics. Following this loss, the team began to retreat to its previous condition in a slump. The Knicks have consistently been an up-and-down team, but their fan base have been faithful followers through the good times and the bad. This is one of the perks of being a team that has stayed in one place throughout its rich history. |
