It's been eight years since the Knicks have had a winning record. Mike D'Antoni, their new coach, had a winning record in each of his four full seasons with the Phoenix Suns. Knicks fans are hoping that his winning ways will rub off on one of the most disappointing and underachieving franchises in the NBA this decade.
With the Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas eras behind them, the Knicks kick off the 2008-2009 season with fresh new faces that could have them competing for a playoff spot come spring. The talent is there, but whether or not the team will build enough chemistry and adapt to D'Antoni’s up-tempo offense is yet to be seen. Early critics have noted that the Knicks are slow in the front court with Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph, while the role Stephon Marbury, who many thought would be shipped out of town, isn't clear.
Despite their recent woes, the Knicks are one of the league's most historic franchises. We thought we'd take you for a trip down memory lane as we look back at the glory days of basketball in the Big Apple.
The New York Knicks: The Early Years
The New York Knicks, short for Knickerbockers, are one of two teams from the original NBA that still play in their original city (the other being the Boston Celtics). The Knicks played their first game on November 1, 1946 and five years later made their first trip to the NBA Finals. In fact, in the 1950s, they made the playoffs a total of seven times with three appearances in the Finals. From 1960-1966, however, the Knicks finished last in their division every year. In 1962, Philadelphia's Wilt Chamberlain played a historic game against the team in which he scored an NBA-record 100 points.The New York Knicks: The Championship Years
In 1967, the Knicks hired Red Holzman as their coach and things began to turn around. With young stars like Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and Bill Bradley, the team put together a string of playoffs runs leading up to their first NBA championship in 1970.But it didn't come easy. With the series tied at 2–2, Reed tore a muscle in his right leg in the first quarter of Game 5 and was forced to leave. Despite his absence, New York would go on to win. After a Game 6 loss, Reed limped onto the court before the 7th game, determined to play through his pain. He scored New York's first two baskets and his inspiration led the Knicks to a 113-99 victory. His heroics were voted the greatest moment in Madison Square Garden history.
Throughout the rest of the 1970s, the Knicks were only able to put together a winning record once. After mixed results in the early 1980s, their embarrassing 24–58 record in the 1984-1985 season turned into a blessing in disguise. They won the number one pick in the first-ever NBA Draft Lottery and selected center Patrick Ewing from Georgetown University, who would turn into the face of the franchise for the next decade.
In Ewing's first season he was named NBA Rookie Of The Year, leading all rookies in points and rebounds. The Knicks surrounded Ewing with talent by drafting Mark Jackson and trading for Charles Oakley. The moves paid off as the Knicks posted a 52–30 record in the 1988-1989 season and won their first division title in nearly 20 years. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals where they lost to the Chicago Bulls.
This would not be the last time the Knicks were defeated by the Bulls in the playoffs. After making it deep into the playoffs numerous times in the 1990s, Michael Jordan and his supporting cast frequently dominated the Knicks on their way to six NBA Championships. The Knicks did take advantage of Jordan's first retirement from basketball prior to the 1993–94 season by posting a 57–25 record and finally getting past the Bulls in the playoffs to reach their first NBA Finals since 1973. A hard-fought series with the Houston Rockets, however, left them one game shy of a championship. The Knicks lost Game 7 by a score of 90–84, credited in large part to guard John Starks' dismal shooting performance.
During the next four years, the Knicks lost in the second round of the playoffs, before finally making it back to the Finals in the 1998-1999 season. This time, the San Antonio Spurs, led by David Robinson and Tim Duncan, proved too much for the Knicks, who lost the series in five games. The Patrick Ewing era ended the following season and so did the glory years of New York basketball.
The New York Knicks: The Modern Era
During the 2001-2002 season, the Knicks failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, ending the season with a 30-52 record. Over the next few years, Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkens, Herb Williams, Larry Brown, and Isiah Thomas all took shots at coaching the team, but none succeeded in posting a winning record.Even with the highest payroll in the league in 2005 (over $130 million), the team was among the worst in the NBA, finishing the season with a 23–59 record. To add to their financial woes, they bought out the contract of Brown after one season for $18.5 million. Isiah Thomas, who at the time was the team’s president, took over coaching duties. The trades he oversaw were highly critiqued, as he brought in expensive players like Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis as the losses continued to pile up.
In April 2008, Indiana Pacers CEO and president Donnie Walsh took over Thomas's role as team president. Upon the conclusion of the 2007-2008 regular season, Walsh fired Thomas and named former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D'Antoni as head coach. He signed a four-year, $24 million deal, making him the third highest paid coach in the league. With a young nucleus of players, hopes are high for the upcoming season. After all, things can't get much worse.
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