By Adam Hart
Introduction
The New York Knicks are one of the oldest and most storied franchises in all sports. The team has played for over a century, with only two brief hiatuses during World War II and the 2011 NBA Lockout. They have won 2 championships (1970, 1973), 4 Conference titles (1972, 1973, 1994, 1999), and 8 Division titles (1953, 1954, 1970, 1971, 1989, 1993, 1994, 2013). Manhattan is the home borough of the New York Knicks.
16 Very Interesting facts about the New York Knicks
1. The Knicks are also called the Knickerbockers. That is because they were founded the same year the NBA was founded, in 1946.
2. Originally called the New York Knickerbockers, the New York Knicks played their first game versus the Toronto Huskies on November 1, 1946, at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. The Knickerbockers won by a score of 68-66.
3. The team is owned by James Dolan, under the management of Madison Square Garden Sports.
4. James Dolan has a net worth of about $2 billion, which is only a fraction of the team’s net worth, but he is still one of the wealthiest people in New York City.
5. The Knicks play their home games at Madison Square Garden, the most famous arena in the world. The Garden is located in Manhattan. Madison Square Garden has a maximum capacity of 20,789, but only around 19,812 seats are used for basketball games, making it one of the biggest arenas in the NBA.
6. The New York Knicks are worth an estimated 5 billion dollars. They are the most valuable franchise in the NBA.
7. The New York Knicks have won 2 championships: 1972 and 1973.
8. The New York Knicks’ average ticket price is 130 dollars for a one-way ticket at MSG, making the Knicks the most expensive NBA team to see in person.
9. The New York Knicks have sold out the most games in the history of the NBA.
10. Patrick Ewing is one of the team’s best-ever players. He spent 17 seasons playing for the Knicks. Among many of his accomplishments, he won Rookie of the Year in 1986 and made the All-Star team 11 times.
11. The best player in franchise history is Walt Frazier. Walt led the Knickerbockers to two NBA championships. He was drafted by the team in 1967, with the 5th overall.
12. Before the 2020 – 2021 season, when the team was struggling… 70% of the time, a Knick lost his composure at some point during a game; it’s more often than not over an unrelated event outside of basketball (e.g.) arguing with a referee, arguing with another player, arguing with a fan, etc.).
13. Team colors are Blue, orange, silver, black, and white.
14. The knicks have retired nine numbers: 10, 12, 15, 15, 19, 22, 24, 33, 613.
15. Legendary coach Phil Jackson won 2 NBA Championships as a player with the team in 1972 and 1973.
16. The team plays in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, along with their city rivals, the Brooklyn Nets, the Boston Celtics, the Raptors and the Philadephia 76ers.