New York Knicks Timeline

New York Knicks 60

1946 Name chosen from a hat Staff at Madison Square Garden draw names from a hat; "Knickerbockers" — after Father Knickerbocker, symbol of old New York — is the overwhelming choice.
1946 Franchise founded Ned Irish founds the Knickerbockers as a charter member of the new Basketball Association of America at the Commodore Hotel meeting in New York.
1946 First-ever BAA game, a win The Knicks defeat the Toronto Huskies on the road, playing in the first game in BAA (later NBA) history.
1947 Joe Lapchick becomes head coach The successful St. John's coach takes over, ushering in a decade of consistent playoff contention.
1949 – 1950 Knickerbockers shortened to "Knicks" To avoid confusion with baseball's New York Giants, who shared the "Knickerbockers" nickname, the team officially shortens its name before the 1949-50 season.
1949 Knicks join the NBA The BAA merges with the National Basketball League to form the NBA; the Knicks become charter members of the new league.
1950 – 1951 First trip to the NBA Finals New York reaches its first NBA Finals, the first of three consecutive appearances (1951-53), losing to the Rochester Royals.
1952 Second straight Finals loss The Knicks lose the NBA Finals to the Minneapolis Lakers, their second consecutive Finals defeat.
1953 Third straight Finals loss A third consecutive Finals appearance ends in defeat, this time to the Minneapolis Lakers again, closing the franchise's early golden run.
1956 Lapchick resigns Joe Lapchick steps down as head coach; the Knicks begin a long slide into mediocrity through the early 1960s.
1964 Willis Reed drafted The Knicks draft center Willis Reed, the cornerstone of the championship teams to come.
1967 Red Holzman becomes head coach Holzman takes over as head coach, instilling the tough, team-first defensive identity that defines the Reed-era Knicks.
1967 Walt Frazier drafted New York drafts guard Walt "Clyde" Frazier out of Southern Illinois, adding a future Hall of Fame backcourt star.
1968 Dave DeBusschere acquired A trade with the Detroit Pistons brings forward Dave DeBusschere to New York, completing the championship-core nucleus.
1969 – 1970 18-game winning streak The Knicks win 18 consecutive games during the 1969-70 season en route to a franchise-best 60-22 regular season record.
1970 Reed sweeps MVP awards Willis Reed becomes the first player to win the NBA regular-season MVP, All-Star Game MVP, and Finals MVP in the same season.
1970 "Willis Reed Game" — first NBA title Reed limps onto the court for Game 7 of the Finals against the Lakers, scores the game's first basket, and inspires New York to a 113-99 win and its first NBA championship.
1972 Earl Monroe joins the Knicks "The Pearl" arrives via trade from Baltimore, pairing with Frazier in one of basketball's great backcourts.
1973 Second NBA championship The Knicks defeat the Lakers again, this time in five games, for their second NBA title.
1974 Willis Reed retires After a loss to Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals, Reed announces his retirement, closing the championship era.
1976 Knicks move to Eastern Conference Atlantic Division The 1976-77 realignment following the ABA merger places New York in the Atlantic Division, where it remains.
1977 Bill Bradley retires Forward and future US Senator Bill Bradley, a member of both title teams, retires from the Knicks.
1981 Bernard King traded to New York The Knicks acquire forward Bernard King, who becomes one of the most electrifying scorers of the early 1980s.
1984 – 1985 Bernard King's injury-shortened MVP-caliber season King is in the midst of a historic scoring season when a severe knee injury derails his career and the Knicks' playoff hopes.
1985 – 1986 Ewing wins Rookie of the Year Patrick Ewing is named NBA Rookie of the Year in his debut season.
1985 Knicks win first NBA Draft Lottery A favorable bounce in the league's inaugural draft lottery gives New York the first overall pick.
1985 Patrick Ewing drafted first overall The Knicks select Georgetown center Patrick Ewing with the No. 1 pick, hailed as the franchise's savior.
1991 Pat Riley hired as head coach Riley takes over, building New York into a physical, top-defense contender around Ewing.
1992 Knicks push Bulls to seven games New York takes the eventual champion Chicago Bulls to seven games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
1993 Charles Smith blocked at the rim In Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Bulls defenders block Charles Smith four times at the rim in the final seconds, sealing a Chicago win.
1994 John Starks' shot blocked in Finals Game 6 With a chance to win the championship, John Starks' three-point attempt is blocked by Hakeem Olajuwon, and Houston wins Game 6.
1994 Lose NBA Finals to Houston Rockets The Knicks fall to the Rockets in seven games, Ewing's only Finals appearance as an active player ending without a title.
1994 Game 7 win over Pacers sends Knicks to the Finals Ewing scores 24 points and grabs 22 rebounds as New York beats Indiana in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 1973.
1996 Jeff Van Gundy becomes head coach Van Gundy takes over the bench, continuing the Knicks' defense-first identity through the late 1990s.
1999 Eighth-seeded Knicks reach NBA Finals New York becomes the first eighth seed to reach the NBA Finals, falling to the San Antonio Spurs in five games — Ewing's final Finals appearance.
2000 Last playoff trip of the Ewing era The Knicks make their final playoff appearance with Ewing on the roster before his trade the following year.
2003 Isiah Thomas becomes president of basketball operations Thomas takes control of basketball decisions, leading to a series of high-priced, unsuccessful acquisitions.
2005 Eddy Curry trade The Knicks trade two first-round picks to Chicago for center Eddy Curry, a deal that becomes emblematic of the era's mismanagement.
2008 Donnie Walsh hired, rebuild begins Donnie Walsh is brought in as president to begin clearing salary cap space for a future star pursuit.
2010 Amar'e Stoudemire signs as free agent After missing out on top free agents, the Knicks sign Amar'e Stoudemire, who immediately energizes Madison Square Garden.
2011 Carmelo Anthony trade New York trades a large package of players and picks to Denver for star forward Carmelo Anthony.
2012 "Linsanity" Undrafted point guard Jeremy Lin has a sensational multi-game scoring stretch that captivates New York and the wider basketball world.
2013 Division title and playoff run Led by Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks win their first division title in 19 years before falling to Indiana in the Conference Semifinals.
2014 Phil Jackson hired as president Hall of Fame executive Phil Jackson takes over basketball operations, beginning a turbulent five-year tenure.
2017 Carmelo Anthony era ends The Knicks begin moving on from Carmelo Anthony amid front-office turmoil, eventually trading him in 2017.
2019 Eight-year playoff drought continues The Knicks miss the playoffs again, extending one of the league's longest postseason droughts into a new decade.
2020 – 2021 Return to the playoffs Under Thibodeau, the Knicks make the playoffs for the first time since 2013.
2020 Tom Thibodeau hired as head coach Thibodeau takes over as head coach, immediately instilling a defensive culture.
2021 Jalen Brunson pursued; cap-clearing moves begin The front office, led by president Leon Rose, begins a series of contract and trade maneuvers aimed at clearing space to sign Jalen Brunson.
2022 Jalen Brunson signs with the Knicks New York signs point guard Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract with a uniquely descending salary structure — a deal that reshapes the franchise.
2023 50-win season and conference semifinals run The Knicks post their best record in years and reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
2024 – 2025 Eastern Conference Finals — first since 1999/2000 Boosted by Towns, the Knicks reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.
2024 OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges acquired New York signs OG Anunoby to a five-year deal and trades a large package of first-round picks for Mikal Bridges, overhauling the roster around Brunson.
2024 Karl-Anthony Towns trade In a blockbuster three-team deal, the Knicks acquire All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota for Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick.
2025 – 2026 Brunson takes a discounted extension Jalen Brunson signs a four-year, $156.5 million extension that pays him less than a standard max deal, preserving roster flexibility.
2025 Knicks win inaugural NBA Cup New York captures the first-ever NBA Cup title.
2026 13-game winning streak rescues the season After trailing the Hawks 2-1 in the first playoff round, the Knicks win 13 straight games and lose only once more on their title run.
2026 Mike Brown's first season as head coach Mike Brown, previously fired four times around the league, leads the Knicks through their championship season.
2026 Jalen Brunson named Finals MVP Brunson wins the Bill Russell Trophy as NBA Finals MVP in a unanimous vote, averaging 32.6 points, 4.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds across the series.
2026 Third NBA championship — first since 1973 Jalen Brunson scores 45 points in Game 5 as the Knicks defeat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90, winning the title 4-1 — New York's first championship in 53 years.