New York Knicks (1946-Present)

Historical Moments:
1946/47: On June 6th a group of 11 franchises formed the Basketball Association of America in a meeting at New York's Commodore Hotel. Named after the Dutch settlers that landed in New York in the 1600's the Knickerbockers faced the Huskies in the league's first game on November 1st in Toronto's historic Maple Leaf Gardens, the Knicks as they will become more well known as would win that inaugural game 68-66, on the way wining 10 of their first 12 games. However, the Knicks would play mediocre basketball down the stretch as they finished in 3rd place with a 33-27 record. In the playoffs the Knicks would overcome a 26-point loss in Game 1 to beat the Cleveland Rebels n a 3-game series. However, in the semifinals the Knicks would be swept in 2 straight by the Philadelphia Warriors.

1947/48: The Knickerbockers would fall one game short of the division title posting a record of 26-22 in their 2nd season. However, in the playoffs the Knicks would stumble as they are beaten by the Baltimore Bullets in a 3-game series.

1948/49: In their 3rd season the Knickerbockers remained a playoff contender finishing in 2nd place with a record of 32-28. In the playoffs the Knicks would get a measure of revenge by betting the Baltimore Bullets in a 3-game tussle. However, in the Eastern Finals the Knicks would fall in a 3-game battle with Washington Capitols.

1949/50: The BAA absorbs the rival National Basketball League to form the NBA, as ten Knickerbockers finish in 2nd place with a 40-28. In the playoffs the Knicks would beat the Washington Capitols in 2 straight. However, in the Eastern Finals the Knicks would fall to the Syracuse Nationals in a 3-game series.

1950/51: Former Harlem Globetrotter star Nathaniel "Sweetwater" Clifton joins the Knickerbockers as one of the first black players in the NBA. Clifton would see significant playing time as the Knicks made the playoffs again with a record of 36-30 while finishing in 3rd place. In the playoffs the Knickerbockers would stun the Boston Celtics in 2 straight to reach their 4th East Final in 5 years. After failing to reach the League finals on their first 3 attempts the Knicks finally break through by beating the Syracuse Nationals in a hard fought 5-game series. In the finals the Knicks would hit a wall as they quickly found themselves down 3-0 against the Rochester Royals. However the Knicks would not go down without a fight winning the next 3 to force a decisive 7th game. In Game 7 the Knicks would fall 4 points short of becoming the first team to rally from a 0-3 deficit, as they lost 79-75.

1951/52: Led by Harry Gallatin and Dick McGuire the Knickerbockers battle all season for first place before falling just 3 games short while posting a 37-29 record for a 3rd place finish. However, come playoffs the Knicks would get revenge by stunning the Boston Celtics in a 3-game series winning the decisive 3rd game 88-87 in double overtime. In the East Finals the Knickerbockers would continue to roll beating the Syracuse Nationals in 4 games. However in eh finals the Knicks would again come up 1 game short as they fell to the Minneapolis Lakers in a 7-game battle that saw each team alternate victories.

1952/53: The Knickerbockers capture their first Division Title by posting a solid record of 47-23. In the playoffs the Knicks would continue to dominate the East as they shot down the Baltimore Bullets in 2 straight before beating the Boston Celtics in 4 games to reach their 3rd straight NBA Finals. In the Finals the Knickerbockers would get off to a fast start as they captured Game 1 of their rematch against the Minneapolis Lakers. However, the Knicks season would end in disappointment again as the Lakers captured the NBA Title with 4 straight wins.

1953/54: The Knickerbockers would win their 2nd straight Eastern Division Title by posting a solid record of 44-28 as Henry Gallatin captured the NBA rebounding title. However, under a round robin playoff format the Knicks would lose out dropping all 2 games each to the Syracuse Nationals and Boston Celtics.

1954/55: The Knickerbockers fall 5 games short of their 3rd Straight Division title by posting a record of 38-34. In the playoffs the Knicks would be tripped up in the first round by the Boston Celtics in a 3-game series.

1955/56: The Knickerbockers fail to make the playoffs for the first time in their 10-year existence as they finish in last place with a record of 35-37, losing out in a tie-breaker to the Syracuse Nationals which would have gotten them into 3rd place and the playoffs.

1956/57: The Knickerbockers end up with the short straw as they finished in last place for the 2nd straight season despite posting a 36-36 record.

1957/58: Despite leading the league with 112.1 ppg the Knickerbockers miss the playoffs and finish in last place for the 3rd straight season with a record of 35-37.

1958/59: On December 11th Richie Guerin scores 57 points against the Syracuse Nationals, becoming the first Knickerbocker to score 50 points in a game. The Knicks would go on to end a 3-year slump by finishing in 2nd place with a record of 40-32. However, in the playoffs the Knickerbockers would lose 2 straight to the Nationals.

1959/60: Despite averaging a franchise best 117.3 ppg the Knickerbockers miss the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years by finishing in last place with a record of 27-48.

1960/61: The Knickerbockers defensive woes continued as they struggled all season to post a record of 21-58. Along the way the Knicks allowed 71 points to Los Angeles Lakers star Elgin Baylor establishing a single game record. Also on Christmas the Knicks would lose by 62 to the Syracuse Nationals a franchise worst loss.

1961/62: The Knickerbockers would find themselves on the wrong end of history again as Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors becomes the first player to score 100 points in a NBA game on March 2nd in Hershey, PA. The Knicks would go on to finish in last place again with a record of 29-51.

1962/63: The Knickerbockers continue to struggle as they finish in last place for the 4th straight season with a miserable record of 21-59.

1963/64: The Knickerbockers continued to be the worst team in the NBA as they finish in last place for the 5th straight season with a record of 22-58.

1964/65: Hoping to change the organization the Knickerbockers introduce a new logo featuring the shortened name Knicks over a basketball. However the biggest move was the drafting of Center Willis Reed from Grambling. Reed would make an immediate impact as he captured the NBA Rookie of the Year. However, the Knicks would still finish in last place although their 31-49 record was a noticeable improvement.

1965/66: The Knicks are unable to build off their 10-game improvement as they thread water while finishing in last place for the 7th straight season with a 30-50 record.

1966/67: Thanks to expansion and expanded playoffs the Knicks end a 7-year playoff drought by finishing in 4th place with a record of 36-45. However, in the playoffs it would be a quick exit as the Knicks are bounced in 4 games by the Boston Celtics.

1967/68: The Knicks would host the All-Star Game with Willis Reed a Dick Barnett playing in the game, as they opened the modern Madison Square Garden just 17 blocks south of the old building. Despite the All-Stars the Knicks continued to struggle under Coach Dick McGuire getting off to a 15-22 start. However, when Red Holzman replaces McGuire in the middle of the season the Knicks began to play to their full potential posting a 28-17 record down the stretch to finish in 3rd place with a 43-39 mark on the season. In the playoffs the young Knicks would fall to Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games.

1968/69: The Knicks would get off to a slow start again posting a 10-14 record when Dave DeBusschere is acquired from the Detroit Pistons for Walt Bellamy and Howard Komives. DeBusschere would make his former team pay right away as the Knicks beat the Pistons 135-87 the day after the deal. The win would be the spark of a 10-game winning streak. The Knicks would also put together an 11-game winning streak as they battled for the Eastern Division Title. The Knicks would end up 3 games short as they posted a solid record of 54-28. In the playoffs the Knicks would make some noise as they stunned the Baltimore Bullets in 4 straight. However, facing the veteran Boston Celtics in the Eastern Finals the Knicks would be taken to school losing in 6 games.

1969/70: The Knicks would come flying out of the gate winning 19 of their first 20 games including a then record 18-straight on the way to a franchise best 60-22 record that earned them the first division title in 16 years as Willis Reed earned MVP honors. In the playoffs the Knicks would find themselves in a tight battle right away, as they needed 7 games to beat the Baltimore Bullets. The Knicks would find things easier in the Eastern Finals as they beat the Milwaukee Bucks led by New York School legend Lew Alcindor in 5 games. In the Finals the Knicks would face the Los Angeles Lakers after winning Game 1 at the Garden the Knicks would be tripped up in Game 2 losing by 2 points. The Knicks would rebound in Game 3 overcoming a half court shot by Jerry West that sent the game to overtime. However, the series would be tied up again by the Lakers who captured Game 4 in overtime. In Game 5back at the Garden the Knicks would win 107-100, but their chances of winning the Championship appeared to take hit when Willis Reed suffered a leg injury along the way. Without Reed in Game 6 the Knicks were dominated by Wilt Chamberlain and the Lakers in LA losing 135-113. Game 7 was back in New York on May 8th and the discussion was would Reed play or not? Moments before the game the question was answered as Reed limped on to the court minutes before tip-off in his warm-ups as the Garden erupted. Reed would score the first 2 baskets of the game giving his team a shot in the arm. The 2 baskets scored by Willis Reed would be the only ones he scored in the decisive 7th game but his emotional presence alone was enough to earn the Knicks a Championship with a 113-99 win and him the Finals MVP.

1970/71: The NBA divides into 4 Divisions as the Knicks capture the first Atlantic Division title with a record of 52-30. The Knicks continued their strong defense behind the stars like Walt Frazier, who was considered one of the best on the ball defenders of all time. In the playoffs the Knicks would easily beat the Atlanta Hawks in 5 games. However, in the Eastern Finals the Knicks would be stunned by the Baltimore Bullets in 7 games losing Game 7 at home 93-91.

1971/72: The Knicks who were shot down by the Baltimore Bullets would improve themselves by acquiring on of their top player Earl "the Pearl" Monroe in an early season trade for Mike Riordan and Dave Stallworth. Monroe was a consummate showman, a flashy ball handler, and an imaginative shot maker. He popularized the reverse-spin move on the dribble. However, his initial effect on the team was distractive as he had problems adjusting to the more defensive pass orientated Knicks. As the season wound down the Pearl would begin to find his place on the team as the Knick finished in 2nd place with a 48-34 record. In the playoffs Earl Monroe would make the Bullets pay by beating them in 6 games. In the Eastern Finals the Knicks would continue to roll as they beat the Boston Celtics in 5 games. Facing the Los Angels Lakers in the Finals the Knicks would take Game 1 in LA 114-92. However, the Lakers who won a then record 69 games would rebound to win the next 4 games.

1972/73: Despite a stellar 57-25 record the Knicks fall 11 games short of an Atlantic Division Title, as the Boston Celtics posted an impressive 68-14 record. In the playoffs the Knicks would easily shoot down the Baltimore Bullets in 5 games setting up an Eastern Conference Finals match up with the Celtics. The Kicks would get off to a fast start winning 3 straight after dropping Game 1 to take a 3-1 series lead. However, after a 1-point loss in Game 5 and a home loss in Game 6 the Knicks appeared to be seeing the Eastern Title slip away as they needed to win Game 7 in Boston. However, the Knicks would rise to the occasion shutting down the Celtics with their tenacious D winning 94-78. Facing the Los Angels Lakers in the Finals again the Knicks would drop Game 1 by 3 points. However, in a reversal of last year the Knicks would rally to win the next 4 games and their 2nd NBA Championship, holding the Lakers under 100 points in a 4 games as Willis Reed out dueled Wilt Chamberlain again to win the Finals MVP.

1973/74: Coming off their 2nd NBA Championship the Knicks continued to dominate the NBA with their stingy defense posting a 49-33 record while finishing in 2nd place. In the playoffs the Knicks would need 7 games to knock off the Capital Bullets. Their tussle with The Bullets would weaken the Knicks who were beaten by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Finals in 6 games. Following the season Willis Reed would stun the Knicks by announcing his retirement.

1974/75: With out Willis Reed the Knicks would struggle to post a 40-42 record as they finished in 3rd place. Despite their first losing record in 8 years the Knicks would make the playoffs as the NBA expanded the postseason again. In the playoffs the Knicks would lose a 3-game series to the Houston Rockets.

1975/76: The Knicks miss the playoffs for the first time 9 years as they fall into the Atlantic Division cellar with a record of 38-44.

1976/77: The Knicks continue to struggle as they miss the playoffs for the 2nd straight season by finishing in 3rd place with a record of 40-42. Following the season Coach Red Holzman is fired and replaced by former MVP and playoff hero Willis Reed.

1977/78: As Willis Reed took over as Coach, the Knicks were a team in transition as Walt Frazier was traded and Bill Bradley retired for a career in politics. However, with the addition of Bob McAdoo who finished 3rd in the league in scoring with 26.5 ppg the Knicks would end a 2-year playoff drought by posting a 43-39 record good enough for 2nd place. In the playoffs the Knicks would sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2 straight before being swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in 4 straight.

1978/79: Red Holzman would be brought back into coach the Knicks after Willis Reed is fired with a 6-8 start. However, not even Holzman could stop the Knicks skid as they posted a 31-51 record while finishing in 4th place.

1979/80: Second year Guard Michael Ray Richardson has a break out season leading the NBA in assists and steals. However, the Knicks would miss the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years losing out by a tiebreaker, while finishing in 4th place with a record of 39-43.

1980/81: Michael Ray Richardson continued to establish himself as one of the top guards in the NBA as the Knicks overachieved all season to finish in 3rd place with a solid 50-32 record. However, in the playoffs the Knicks would be stunned in 2 straight by the Chicago Bulls.

1981/82: "The Ship Be Sinking" so stated Michael Ray Richardson who was rising to All-Star Status struggled all seasons as he dealt with drug addiction. It would be the end of Richardson's Knicks career as the team plummeted to last place posting a 33-49 record. It would also mark the end of Red Holzman's coaching career, who retired at the end of the season with 613 career wins. The Knicks would later retire the number 613 in his honor.

1982/83: The Knicks would rebound under new Coach Hubble Brown as Bill Cartwright established himself as a presence in the middle during a 44-38 season in which the team finished in 4th place making the playoffs. In the playoffs the Knicks would beat the New Jersey Nets in 2 straight before being swept by the Philadelphia 7ers in 4 straight.

1983/84: Bernard King who was acquired in the Michael Ray Richardson deal a year earlier had the year of a lifetime, averaging 26.3 ppg finishing 5th in the league in a season highlighted by back to back 50 point games on January 31st and February 1st. Led by King's scoring touch the Knicks would finish in 3rd place with a record of 47-35. In the playoff King would average 42-6 ppg as the Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons in a grueling 5-game series that saw a classic Game 5 overtime duel between Knicks star Bernard Kings and Isaiah Thomas of the Pistons as both players topped 40 points in a tight overtime battle. In the 2nd round the Knicks would give the eventual Champion Boston Celtics all they could handle before falling in 7 games.

1984/85: Bernard King continued to be the Knicks biggest star as he set a franchise record for 60 points in a Christmas Day game against the New Jersey Nets, and led the league in scoring. However, despite King's 32.9 ppg the Knicks struggled all season. Those struggles would worsen n March 23rd when Bernard King suffered a devastating knee injury. The Knicks would go on to lose their final 12 games without King finishing in last place with a 24-58 record. However, the team's end of the year struggles would have a silver lining as they won the first every draft lottery enabling them to draft Georgetown star Patrick Ewing.

1985/86: Patrick Ewing arrived with much hoopla leading Rookies in scoring and rebounding to win the Rookie of the Year. However Ewing would miss 32 games, while Bernard King was lost for the entire season as the Knicks finished in last place again with a 23-59 record.

1986/87: The Knicks continued to struggle as Bernard King finally made his return near the end of a season in which the Knicks finished in last place for the 3rd straight year with a record of 24-58. However, it was clear King was not the same player he was before he blew out his knee. Following the seasons He would be released by the Knicks who drafted St. John's star Mark Jackson.

1987/88: With a young team led by Patrick Ewing and Rookie of the Year Mark Jackson the Knicks felt they needed a young energetic coach so they hired Rick Pitino who had led Providence to the Final Four. The move would work as the Knicks made a 14-game improvement finishing in 3rd place with a 38-44 record, which would get them into the playoffs as the 8th seed. However, in the playoffs the young Knicks would fall to the Boston Celtics in 4 games.

1988/89: Prior to the season in a move to give Patrick Ewing some rebounding help the Knicks acquire Charles Oakley in a trade with the Chicago Bulls for Bill Cartwright. Led by a 26-game home winning streak the Knicks win their first Division title in 18 years by posting a solid record of 52-30. In the playoffs the Knicks would make quick work of the Philadelphia 76ers sweeping them in 3 straight. However, in the 2nd round the Knicks would be frustrated by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls falling in 6 games.

1989/90: Prior to the start of the season the Knicks are stunned by Coach Rick Pitino who suddenly quits to take over the Coaching reigns of the University of Kentucky. Under his replacement Stu Jackson the Knicks would finish in 3rd place with a record of 45-37. In the playoffs the Knicks appeared to be heading for a quick exit as they dropped their first 2 games to the Boston Celtics. However, the Knicks would rally and win the next 3 games to stun the aging Celtics in 5. However, in the 2nd round the Knicks would be beaten by the Detroit Pistons 4 games to 1.

1990/91: The Knicks seemed to lack leadership as Coach Stu Jackson is replaced by John MacLeod as they struggle all season posting a disappointing record of 39-43. Despite their sub-.500 record the Knicks would still sneak into the playoffs, but they would be no match for the Chicago Bulls who swept them in 3 straight.

1991/92: To help get the team back on track Pat Riley is hired to take over the Coaching reigns prior to the season. Riley would have an instant impact establishing a defensive system as the Knicks finished with a 51-31 record only losing the Division by a tiebreaker. In the playoffs the Knicks would knock off the Detroit Pistons in 5 games before facing the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks would frustrate the Bulls and Michael Jordan with their physical play before falling in 7 games. However, along the way a new rivalry was born.

1992/93: To help get them past the 2-time NBA Champion Chicago Bulls, the Knicks trade Mark Jackson to the Los Angeles Clippers for Charles Smith, Doc Rivers, and Bo Kimble. While acquiring Rolando Blackman form the Dallas Mavericks. All season the Knicks looked on track for the NBA Finals as they posted a 60-22 record equaling their franchise best mark set in their Championship year of 1969/70. In the playoffs the Knicks would make quick work of the Indian Pacers beating them in 4 games, and Charlotte Hornets beating them in 5 to set up their much anticipated Eastern Finals match up with the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks would get off to a fast start in the East Finals winning the first 2 games at the Garden, as the Bulls had to deal with gambling rumors surrounding Michael Jordan. However, as the series shifted to Chicago the Bulls would rebound to take the next 2 games. Needing a win in Game 5 back at the Garden the Knicks had a chance in the final seconds as Charles Smith is reject at the basket on 4 attempts before having ball swatted down court for a fastbreak that gave the Bulls a 97-94 win. Needing to force Game 7 with a win in Chicago the Knicks would be foiled again by Jordan and the Bulls who went on to a 3rd straight Championship.

1993/94: With the retirement of Michael Jordan the Knicks were widely considered the heir to the throne. Despite the loss of Doc Rivers to a knee injury in December the Knicks appeared to be on track for Championship all season winning their 2nd straight Division title with a 57-25 record, as they acquired Derek Harper form the Dallas Mavericks to fill the void left by Rivers. In the playoffs the Knicks would make quick work of the New Jersey Nest beating them in 4 games to set up a match up with the Chicago Bulls. However, despite the retirement of Jordan the Knicks would need 7 hard fought games to barely advance to the Eastern Finals. In the Eastern Finals against the Indian Pacers the Knicks would again be given all they could handle as the Pacers took a 3-2 series lead with a stunning Game 5 win on the Garden's floor as Reggie Miller mocked Knicks super fan Spike Lee. However, Lee and the Knicks would have the last laugh as the Knicks comeback to claim the last 2 games and advance to the NBA Finals. In the NBA Finals the Knicks would face the Houston Rockets, and their star Center Hakeem Olajuwon. The Knicks found themselves facing 3-1 hole after splitting the first 2 games in Houston and losing Game 3 at home. However, the Rangers who had won the Stanley Cup in between Games were on the floor for inspiration in Game 4 as the Knicks evened the series. Even with fans peering up at the scoreboard to see the live Police Chase involving O.J. Simpson the Knicks keep their focus beating the Rockets to take a 3-2 series lead needing to win just 1 game in Houston to win the NBA Championship. However, that win would never come as John Starks missed a wide open shot that would have won Game 6, and missed 17 shots in Game 7.

1994/95: The Knicks continued to play solid basketball as they posted a 55-27 record despite finishing in 2nd place. In the playoffs the Knicks would dispatch the Cleveland Cavaliers in 4 games before facing the Indiana Pacers in the 2nd Round. The Knicks would get off to a horrible start in their rematch with Pacers as Reggie Miller scored 8 points in the final 16 seconds to stun the Knicks, who seemingly had a safe 5-point lead. The Pacers would go on to grab a 3-1 series edge, before the Knicks came alive to win 2 straight to force a 7th game at the Garden. Down by 1-point in the final seconds Patrick Ewing had a chance to give the Knicks a win, but had his driving lay-up rim out as the Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. Following the season the Knicks would be stunned again when Pat Riley quit to take over the Coaching job with the Miami Heat.

1995/96: To replace Pat Riley the Knicks would hire Don Nelson. However, the team never seemed to gel under Nelson, as he was repealed in the middle of the season by long time assistant Jeff Van Gundy. Under Van Gundy the Knicks wood finish the season winning 13 of their final 22 to post a 47-35 record for a 2nd place finish. In the playoffs the Knicks would make quick work of the Cleveland Cavaliers again sweeping them in 3 straight. However, in the 2nd Round the Knicks would be done in by an old foe s they are dominated by the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan who had returned a season earlier in 5 games.

1996/97: With the addition of Larry Johnson, Allan Houston, Chris Childs and Buck Williams to complement veterans Patrick Ewing, John Starks and Charles Oakley, the Knicks were revitalized as they posted a 57-24 record falling 4 games short in a battle for the Division Title with Pat Riley's Miami Heat. In the playoffs the Knicks would swat the Charlotte Hornets away sweeping them in 3 straight to set up a 2nd round battle with the Heat. The Knicks would dominant the Heat early on taking a 3-1 series lead. However, late in Game 5 loss the Knicks would lose their discipline as Patrick Ewing and Larry Johnson are suspended for leaving the bench during an altercation between Charlie Ward and Heat sub P.J. Brown. The Heat would go on to win the final 2 games and the series against the undermanned Knicks.

1997/98: The Knicks were off to a 15-11 start when their season looked like it would go down the drain as Patrick Ewing going up for a rebound landed hard shattering his left wrist. Without Ewing for the rest of the regular season the Knicks would scrape and claw their way into the playoffs with a 43-39 record. Facing the Miami Heat in the first round the Knicks found themselves down 2-1 needing a Game 4 win to force a 5th game. As the Knicks were sealing the game on the free throw line Larry Johnson got into a fight with Heat star center Alonzo Mourning. During the fright which led to the suspensions of Johnson and Mourning for Game 5, Jeff Van Gundy did all he could to break up the scuffle, but ended up the punch lien of a joke as he end up riding on Mourning leg like a dog in heat. Without Mourning the Knicks would dominate the Heat in Game 5 in Miami to get revenge for the previous year. However, in the 2nd round the Knicks run would come to an end as they fell to the Indian Pacers in Game 5 despite a surprising early return from Patrick Ewing.

1998/99: In a season delayed by a 4-month lockout that wipes out half the season the Knicks begin play with a new look as Latrell Sprewell is acquired from the Golden State Warriors for John Starks, Chris Mills and Terry Cummings. In addition Charles Oakley is dealt the Toronto Raptors for Marcus Camby. However, the new team took awhile to gel as the barley made the playoffs with a record of 27-23, as Patrick Ewing continued to struggle with injuries as he played most of the season with an Achilles injury. However, once the playoffs started it would be a different story as the 8th Knicks battled the top seeded Miami Heat in another classic series. After splitting the first 4 games the Knicks trailed 77-76 with 4.5 seconds left in Game 5. Needing a desperate shot Alan Houston would bank in a shot to give the Knicks a 78-77 win with .5 on the clock. Spurred on by their dramatic win the Knicks would sweep the Atlanta Hawks in 4 straight in the 2nd round. In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indian Pacers the Knicks appeared to be heading for disaster as Patrick Ewing was forced to the sideline after it was discovered his Achilles tendon was partly torn. However, with Marcus Camby rising up to the occasion the Knick managed to keep Game 3 close, when Larry Johnson won the game on a miraculous 4-point lay after hitting a 3-point shot while being fouled. The miracle shot would spur the Knicks on as they stunned the Pacer sin 6 games. However, Johnson himself would be slowed by a knee injury suffered in Game 6 limiting his effectiveness in the Finals as the Knicks were overmatched by the San Antonio Spurs who won the Championship easily in 5 games.

1999/00: The Knicks built off their trip to the Finals by posting a solid 50-32 record that was good enough for 2nd place, despite Patrick Ewing being limited to his nagging injuries. In the playoffs the Knicks would make quick work of the Toronto Raptors sweeping them in 3 straight. Facing the Miami Heat for the 4th year in a row the Knicks would emerge victorious in 7 rough and tumble games. However, in the Eastern Conference Finals rematch with Indian Pacers the Knicks would be beaten in 6 games. Following the season the Patrick Ewing era would come to an end as he is traded in a 3-team deal to the Seattle Supersonics for Glen Rice, Luc Longley and Travis Knight.

2000/01: In their first season without Patrick Ewing the Knicks remained a perennial playoff contender despite any contribution of worthwhile note form the 3 players acquired in the Ewing deal. The Knicks would go on to finish in 3rd place with a 48-34 record earning the 4th seed in the playoffs. However, in the playoffs the Knicks would fail to advance to the 2nd round for the first time in 10 years as they are beaten by the Toronto Raptors in 5 games.

2001/02: The Knicks would get off to a shaky start posting a 10-9 record when Coach Jeff Van Gundy suddenly resigned. Under his replacement Don Chaney the bottom would fall out as the Knicks won just 20 of their final 63 games missing the playoffs for the first time in 15 years while finishing in last place with an awful 30-52 record. Following the season in an attempt to change the struggle team's fortunes Marcus Camby who missed most of the season due to injury was traded to the Denver Nuggets for Antonio McDyess.

2002/03: The Knicks hopes for a rebound season took a hit before the season even started, as it was determined that Antonio McDyess needed knee surgery and was lost for the entire season. With Latrell Sprewell missing most of the first month of the season the Knicks would get off to a terrible start losing their first 4 games, and winning just 1 of their first 9 games. Sprewell would return and would play solid basketball but the Knicks would never recover from their slow start as they were a non-factor in the race for a playoff spot for the second year in a row finishing tied for 5th place with a record of 37-45, as frustrated Knicks fans called for GM Scott Layden to lose his job. Following the season the Knicks would continue retool by trading Sprewell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 3-team deal that saw the Knicks land Keith Van Horn.

2003/04: The Knicks got off to another dreadful start winning just 3 of their first 9 games as fans at the Garden chanted, "Fire Layden", in reference to GM Scot Layden. Knicks fans would get their wish on December 2nnd when Layden was fired and replaced by Isaiah Thomas. Immediately Thomas began on working to make the 10-18 Knicks a better team right away as he acquired Brooklyn High School legend Stephon Marbury from the Phoenix trade in a deal that enabled the Knicks to get rid of some of the bad contracts that Layden had brought in like Antonio McDyess, and Howard Eisley. The Knicks still struggled with Marbury so Thomas made another move firing Coach Don Chaney and replacing him with the NBA's all-time winningest Coach Lenny Wilkens, who learned basketball in the New York Schoolyards himself. The move began to work out as the Knicks began to climb towards playoff contention. Not satisfied Isaiah made more moves at the trading deadline shipping off Keith Van Horn to the Milwaukee Bucks for Tim Thomas, while adding size with Nazr Mohammed from the Atlanta Hawks. The retooled Knicks would go on to make the playoffs with a record of 39-43. However the Knicks would make a quick exit in the playoffs as they would be swept in 4-straight by the New Jersey Nets.

2004/05: After their strong finish to make the playoffs the Knicks started the season by playing inconsistent basketball as they held a 16-13 record at the end of December. However, as the New Year began the bottom was about to fall out. The Knicks would win just 2 of 15 games in January as Coach Lenny Wilkens was fired and replaced by Assistant Herb Williams. Under Williams the Knicks would not fair much better as they ended up tied for last place in the Atlantic Division with a terrible 33-49 record. Following the season the Knicks would completely retool again as the Knicks hired Hall of Fame vagabond Coach Larry Brown, a Brooklyn Native known for building teams into playoff contender. Also the Knicks rolled the dice and took a chance on Eddy Curry a solid young player with a history heart ailments, landing him in a deal with the Chicago Bulls, while drafting Channing Frye and Nate Robinson in the draft to begin a young nucleus.

2005/06: When the season began there was a renewed buzz in New York as Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown a Brooklyn Native came home to coach the Knicks. However, those good feelings disappeared quickly as the Knicks lost their first five games as Brown feuded all season with Stephon Marburry and GM Isiah Thomas. After a 5-9 November the Knicks struggles deepened in December as they won just 2 of 14 games, putting themselves in a deep hole, as new acquisitions like Eddy Curry struggled, while Jerome James rotted on the bench for being out of shape without a position after the Knicks signed the Free Agent to a mega million multiyear deal. As the New Year began the Knicks suddenly found a groove beating the Phoenix Suns in overtime 140-133, as they won their first six games in 06. However, it was short-lived as the Knicks would lose 22 of their next 24 games as frustrations mounted in every direction with the fans booing the team regularly at Madison Square Garden, while the feud between Marburry and Brown mounted as Brown and Isiah clashed over the direction of the team. Isiah was also the target of fans ire as he continued to make questionable moves like acquiring more over bloated salaries in Jalen Rose and Steve Francis, instead of allowing bad contracts from Anfrene Hardaway and Antonio Davis expire. With the highest payroll in the league and stretched out beyond flexibility, without a first round draft pick after the Eddy Curry deal the Knicks became the laughingstock of the NBA, as they flirted with setting a franchise record in losses. When the season was finally mercifully over the Knicks were in last place with a horrendous 23-59 record. Seeing that the feud between Coach Larry Brown and GM Isiah Thomas was hurting the team, Owner Scott Layden made a stunning move to fire Brown, despite having 4 years left on his contract while being owed millions. The Knicks and Brown would later work out a settlement as Brown received $18.5 Million Dollars. Meanwhile Layden gave the coaching reigns and an ultimatum to Isiah demanding he turn the team around quickly or else he would be gone next.

2006/07: Things did not start out good for Isiah Thomas and the Knicks, as fans booed, and chanted "Fire Isiah" as the Knicks got off to a slow 9-17 start. On December 16th the Knicks in the midst of a poor performance at home in which they were blown out by the Denver Nuggets 123-100, the Knicks frustrations boiled over, as an ugly brawl erupted after Mardy Collins committed a flagrant foul on the Nuggets J.R. Smith. The foul touched off a brawl that ultimately led to the ejection of all ten players on the court and suspensions to seven players. However, the brawl had a positive effect on the Knicks, as they played considerably better winning their next three games, as they played a more competitive brand of basketball over the next two and half months posting a 20-17 record to get in the chase for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Though still sitting with an overall losing record the Knicks post-fight turnaround convinced Knicks Owner James Dolan that progress was being made, and President/GM/Coach Isiah Thomas was given undisclosed "multi year" contract extension. Many Knicks fans were not happy about the extension in that they were still far from a winning team. These fans would be further frustrated as the Knicks went into a tailspin following the deal being announced March 12th, as they won just 4 of their last 19 games, finishing in 4th Place with a record of 33-49. The move to retain Isiah Thomas would look even worse in the off-season, as the Knicks lost a $12 Million sexual harassment lawsuit to former employee Anucha Browne Sanders. During the trial Thomas was exposed as both a sexist and a racist, when Sanders testified that Thomas often made derogatory comments about white season ticket holders, and women employees.