The Chicago Stags were a National Basketball Association team based in Chicago from 1946 to 1950.
112-839: In the BAA's inaugural year, the Chicago Stags were originally meant to start out as the Chicago Atomics , to the point of even playing an exhibition game against the New York Knicks under that moniker before playing as the Chicago Basketball Club, Inc. for one more exhibition game before officially becoming the Chicago Stags for the rest of their existence. During this time, the Stags were placed in
224-552: A 169–147 Warriors victory. In 1964, the franchise's fortunes began to take a steady turn. The Knicks drafted center Willis Reed , who made an immediate impact on the court and was named NBA Rookie of the Year for his efforts. However, the leaders of the team still remained in flux. In an attempt to reorganize, the Knicks named former standout Harry Gallatin as head coach while reassigning Donovan to general manager position. After
336-431: A 24–58 record. The first of these losses occurred on March 23, 1985, where King injured his knee and spent the next 24 months in rehabilitation. In the summer of 1985, the Knicks were entered into the first-ever NBA draft lottery . The Knicks ended up winning the number one pick in that year's NBA draft . They used the pick to select star center Patrick Ewing of Georgetown University . In Ewing's first season with
448-740: A 29–53 record, a regression from their first season under D'Antoni. Denver Nuggets (original) The Denver Nuggets were a professional basketball team based in Denver . The Nuggets joined the National Basketball League (NBL) for the 1948–49 season, and then joined the National Basketball Association when the NBL was absorbed by the Basketball Association of America to create
560-555: A 39–43 record in the 1979–80 season , the Knicks posted a 50–32 record in the 1980–81 season . In the playoffs , the Chicago Bulls swept New York in two games. Holzman retired the following season as one of the winningest coaches in NBA history. The team's record that year was a dismal 33–49. However, Holzman's legacy would continue through the players he influenced. One of the Knicks' bench players and defensive specialists during
672-404: A benched player may not leave the bench during a fight (the rule was subsequently amended, making it illegal to leave the "bench area"). With Ewing and Houston suspended for Game 6, Johnson and Starks suspended for Game 7, and Charlie Ward suspended for both, the Knicks lost the series. The 1997–98 season was marred by a wrist injury to Ewing on December 22, which forced him to miss the rest of
784-597: A common occurrence during the Knicks' home games. On November 29, 2007, the Knicks were handed one of their worst defeats in their history by the Boston Celtics , with a final score of 104–59. This matched their third-largest margin of defeat. New York went on to post an eighth consecutive losing season and tied the franchise mark for their worst record ever, at 23–59. MSG chairman James Dolan hired former Indiana Pacers President Donnie Walsh on April 2, 2008, to take over Isiah Thomas's role as team president. At
896-575: A day and the chemistry between the New York natives was instant. With a roster assembled, the Knicks faced the Toronto Huskies at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens on November 1, 1946, in what would be the franchise's first game—as well as the first in league history. In a low-scoring affair presented in front of 7,090 spectators, the Knicks defeated the Huskies 68–66 with Leo Gottlieb leading
1008-667: A dispersal draft was held on October 5, to divide their players throughout the league, with Cousy going to the Boston Celtics . The Stags were one of seven teams that quickly left the NBA: the Anderson Packers , Sheboygan Red Skins and Waterloo Hawks jumped to the NPBL , while Chicago, Denver and St. Louis folded, shrinking the loop from 17 teams to 11 at the dawn of the 1950–51 season. (The situation got worse in January 1951 as
1120-543: A game against the Charlotte Bobcats . With a tie game and 0.1 seconds left on the game clock in double overtime , Jamal Crawford inbounded from the sideline, near half-court. The ball sailed towards the basket, and with that 0.1 seconds still remaining on the game clock, Lee tipped the ball off of the backboard and into the hoop. Because of the Trent Tucker Rule , a player is allowed solely to tip
1232-487: A head coach, Irish approached successful St. John's University coach Joe Lapchick in May 1946. Lapchick readily accepted after Irish promised to make him the highest-paid coach in the league; however, he requested he remain at St. John's one more season in hopes of winning one last championship. Irish obliged, hiring former Manhattan College coach Neil Cohalan as interim coach for the first year. With no college draft in
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#17327721541711344-520: A last-second attempt at a game-winning shot by Starks was tipped by Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon , giving the Rockets an 86–84 victory and forcing a Game 7. The Knicks lost Game 7 90–84, credited in large part to Starks's dismal 2-for-18 shooting performance and Riley's stubborn refusal to bench Starks, despite having bench players who were renowned for their shooting prowess, such as Rolando Blackman and Hubert Davis available. The loss denied New York
1456-760: A midseason trade with the Dallas Mavericks , once again won the Atlantic Division with a 57–25 record. In the playoffs , the team played a then NBA-record 25 games (the Boston Celtics played 26 games in the 2008 playoffs ); they started by defeating the New Jersey Nets in the first round before finally getting past the Bulls, defeating them in the second round in seven games. In the Eastern Conference Finals, they faced
1568-541: A playoff match-up against the Baltimore Bullets where they lost the series two games to one. In the 1948 NBA draft , the Knicks selected two future Hall of Fame players in center Dolph Schayes and Harry Gallatin . The Knicks were leery of Schayes' talent, prompting the center to leave to play for the Syracuse Nationals of the struggling National Basketball League . Despite losing Schayes,
1680-585: A program that had struggled prior to his arrival. Combined with the selection of point guard Mark Jackson , who won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and garnered MVP consideration, in the draft and with Ewing's consistently stellar play, the Knicks made the playoffs with a record of 38–44, where they were defeated by the Celtics in the first round. The resurgence continued the following season as
1792-436: A sense of hope to the franchise. Hoping to find the next Patrick Ewing, the Knicks drafted center Channing Frye and signed centers Jerome James and Eddy Curry , the former prior to the season and the latter during the season. Curry, who reportedly had a worrying heart condition, refused to take a controversial DNA test, and fell out of favor with John Paxson , Chicago 's general manager. The Bulls signed-and-traded him to
1904-479: A slow start in 1965, Dick McGuire , another former Knick, replaced his former teammate Gallatin midway through the season. Though he failed to guide the Knicks to the playoffs in 1965, he managed to do so the following season, however, the Knicks lost in the Eastern Division semi-finals. The Knicks started their 1967–68 season with a 124–122 win over the visiting Warriors. In that game, seven players on
2016-433: A successful coach before joining the Knicks, his offensive-oriented Nellie Ball philosophy failed to mesh with the team, and during the 1995–96 season , Nelson was fired after 59 games, and, instead of going after another well-known coach, the Knicks hired longtime assistant Jeff Van Gundy , who had no prior experience as a head coach. Van Gundy, who restored the team's defense-first style of his mentor Pat Riley, went 13–10
2128-664: A trade with the Memphis Grizzlies in which the Knicks acquired Darko Miličić in exchange for Quentin Richardson . The Knicks got off to their worst 10-game start in franchise history, producing nine losses, with just one win. The Knicks responded by winning nine games and losing six in December. On January 24, 2010, the Knicks suffered their worst home loss in Madison Square Garden history against
2240-576: The Atlanta Hawks in the second round four games to none, they faced the Pacers yet again in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite losing Ewing to injury for the rest of the playoffs prior to Game 3, the Knicks won the series (aided in part to a four-point play by Larry Johnson in the final seconds of Game 3) to become the first eighth-seeded playoff team to make it to the NBA Finals. However, in
2352-532: The Baltimore Bullets in four games, before falling to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division finals. In the 1969–70 season , the Knicks had a then-single-season NBA record 18 straight victories en route to a 60–22 record, which was the best regular season record in the franchise's history to that point. After defeating the Bullets in the Eastern Division semifinals and the Milwaukee Bucks in
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#17327721541712464-467: The Basketball Association of America (BAA), where charter franchises were granted to major cities throughout the country. Ned Irish , a college basketball promoter, retired sportswriter and then president of Madison Square Garden , was in attendance. Kase originally planned to own and operate the New York franchise himself and approached Irish with a proposal to lease the Garden. Irish explained that
2576-500: The Dallas Mavericks in front of a sellout crowd. The 50-point loss was also the second-worst in Knicks franchise history. On February 17, the Knicks shook up the roster, trading Miličić to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Brian Cardinal and cash considerations. A day later, the Knicks and Celtics swapped guard Nate Robinson for shooting guard Eddie House . The deal also included forward Marcus Landry going to
2688-602: The Indiana Pacers , who at one point held a three games-to-two lead. They had this advantage thanks to the exploits of Reggie Miller , who scored 25 fourth-quarter points in Game 5 to lead the Pacers to victory. However, the Knicks won the next two games to reach their first NBA Finals since 1973. In the finals , the Knicks would play seven low-scoring, defensive games against the Houston Rockets . After splitting
2800-857: The New York Knicks , are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan . The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference . The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden , an arena they share with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City;
2912-759: The Rochester Royals despite a valiant comeback after losing the first three games of the Finals. The next two years, in 1952 and 1953, New York fell to the Minneapolis Lakers in the Finals. It was during this early period, the Knicks developed their first standout players in Carl Braun who retired as the Knicks leading scorer with 10,449 points before later being surpassed by the likes of Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed. Harry Gallatin and Dick McGuire were also well-known standouts on
3024-614: The Toronto Raptors for Marcus Camby while also trading John Starks in a package to the Golden State Warriors for 1994's 1st team all-league shooting guard Latrell Sprewell (whose contract was voided by the Warriors after choking Warriors' head coach P. J. Carlesimo during the previous season). After barely getting into the playoffs with a 27–23 record, the Knicks started a Cinderella run. It started with
3136-730: The Washington Capitols folded as well, bringing the number of NBA teams down to ten.) The NBA would return to Chicago twice, first with the Packers/Zephyrs (now the Washington Wizards ) from 1961 to 1963 and since 1966 with the Bulls . The Stags played at Chicago Stadium , which was located at 1800 West Madison Street and was demolished in 1995 to make way for the United Center ; it later served as
3248-600: The 1948–49 season. The Nuggets finished last in the Western Division in the 1948–49 season. In the 1949–50 season, the team played in the newly-formed National Basketball Association (NBA). The Nuggets were led by player-coach Jimmy Darden , a star shooting guard who joined the Nuggets after leaving the Army as a World War II veteran in 1946. The Nuggets started the 1949–50 season with a record of 0–15, and finished
3360-421: The 1970s was Phil Jackson . Jackson went on to coach the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers to 11 NBA championships, surpassing Red Auerbach for the most in NBA history. Jackson cited Holzman as a significant influence on his career in the NBA. Hubie Brown replaced Holzman as head coach and in his first season, the team went 44–38 and made it to the second round of the playoffs, where they were swept by
3472-572: The 1980s had mixed success that included six playoff appearances; however, they failed to participate in the NBA Finals. The playoff-level Knicks of the 1990s were led by future Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing ; this era was marked by passionate rivalries with the Chicago Bulls , Indiana Pacers , and Miami Heat . During this time, they were known for playing tough defense under head coaches Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy , making NBA Finals appearances in 1994 and 1999 . However, they were unable to win an NBA championship during this era. Since 2000,
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3584-556: The AAU has been credited by historians for helping put Denver on the national sports map. After the 1947–48 season, the Nuggets decided to step out of their amateur status. Rather than join the National Industrial Basketball League (NIBL), which was founded in 1947 and remained amateur, the Nuggets' general manager, Hal Davis , secured a franchise in the nine-team National Basketball League to play in
3696-464: The All-Star MVP and the league's MVP that season, was named MVP of the Finals, becoming the first player to attain all three awards in a single season. The Knicks' success continued for the next few years. After losing to the Bullets in the 1971 Eastern Conference finals, the team, aided by the acquisitions of Jerry Lucas and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe , returned to the Finals in 1972. This time
3808-481: The BAA. Under Lapchick, the Knicks made nine straight playoff appearances beginning in 1947. Braun, who averaged 14.3 points, emerged as the team's star and paired with Dick Holub and Bud Palmer to account for half of the team's offense. Despite this, the Knicks struggled throughout the year, compiling a 26–22 record. Their finish was good enough to place them second in the Eastern Division and secure
3920-503: The Bulls, losing the series 4–3 in seven games. The 1992–93 season proved to be even more successful, as the Knicks won the Atlantic Division with a 60–22 record. Before the season, the Knicks traded Mark Jackson to the Los Angeles Clippers for Charles Smith , Doc Rivers , and Bo Kimble while also acquiring Rolando Blackman from the Dallas Mavericks . After defeating the Indiana Pacers and Charlotte Hornets in
4032-491: The Celtics and the Knicks acquiring bench players J. R. Giddens and Bill Walker . The Knicks also acquired All-Star forward Tracy McGrady from the Houston Rockets and point guard Sergio Rodríguez from the Sacramento Kings in a three-way trade. The deal sent Knicks shooting guard Larry Hughes to Sacramento and forward Jordan Hill and power forward Jared Jeffries to Houston. The trades, orchestrated to give
4144-608: The Charlotte Bobcats 94–93 on the last day of the season. During the 2007 off-season, the organization became embroiled in further controversy away from the basketball court. Anucha Browne Sanders , a former Knicks executive, had filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Isiah Thomas and Madison Square Garden. Faced with a trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Thomas and Madison Square Garden liable for sexual harassment. The jury also levied $ 11.6 million in punitive damages against Madison Square Garden, though this
4256-495: The Eastern Division finals, the Knicks faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. With the series tied at 2–2, the Knicks would be tested in Game 5. Willis Reed tore a muscle in his right leg in the second quarter, and was lost for the rest of the game. Despite his absence, New York went on to win the game, rallying from a 16-point deficit. Without their injured captain the Knicks lost Game 6, setting up one of
4368-525: The Finals, the San Antonio Spurs , with superstars David Robinson and Tim Duncan , proved too much for the injury-laden Knicks, who lost in five games. The remarkable fifth game of this Finals is remembered for its 2nd half scoring duel between the Spurs' Tim Duncan and the Knicks' Latrell Sprewell , and was decided by a long jumper by Avery Johnson with 47 seconds left to clinch the title for
4480-623: The First Round. The Stags won, moving into the Semifinals for the second consecutive year. However, they were defeated by the eventual champions, the Baltimore Bullets . The next year, the Stags finished third, 38–22, seven games behind division-winning Rochester Royals . The playoffs were expanded from six to eight teams, and the Stags played the Minneapolis Lakers in the Division semifinals where they lost 2–0. In their final season,
4592-411: The Knicks along with Antonio Davis for Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney , the Knicks' 2006 first-round pick, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Knicks in 2007, as well as 2007 and 2009 second-round picks. Isiah Thomas did not lottery-protect the picks, and the Knicks forfeited the second pick in the 2006 draft , and the ninth in the 2007 draft . With a bloated payroll, the Knicks stumbled to
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4704-492: The Knicks eliminating the #1 seeded Heat in the first round after Allan Houston bounced in a running one-hander off the front of the rim, high off the backboard, and in with 0.8 seconds left in the deciding 5th game. This remarkable upset marked only the second time in NBA history that an 8-seed had defeated the 1-seed in the NBA playoffs, and also the first time it happened in the Eastern Conference. After defeating
4816-454: The Knicks fell to the Lakers in five games. The next year, the results were reversed, as the Knicks defeated the Lakers in five games to win their second NBA title in four years. The team had one more impressive season in 1973–74 , as they reached the Eastern Conference finals, where they fell in five games to the Celtics. It was after this season that Willis Reed announced his retirement, and
4928-463: The Knicks had brief successes but went on to lose seventeen of their twenty-one final games of the season to finish 20–46 under Hill and 24–58 on the season. Hill was dismissed at season's end. The team immediately turned around in the 1987–88 season with the hiring of Rick Pitino as head coach, who, only months prior to his hiring, led Providence College to the Final Four , turning around
5040-431: The Knicks have struggled to regain their former successes, but won their first division title in 19 years in 2012–13 , led by a core of forwards Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire . They were eventually eliminated in the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Indiana Pacers , and had failed to make the playoffs for eight years until 2020–21 when they were led by forward Julius Randle and sophomore RJ Barrett , who
5152-487: The Knicks in scoring with 14 points. With Madison Square Garden's crowded schedule, the Knicks were forced to play many of their home games at the 69th Regiment Armory during the team's early years. The Knicks went on to finish their inaugural campaign with a 33–27 record and achieved a playoff berth under Cohalan despite a dismal shooting percentage of 28 percent. The Knicks faced the Cleveland Rebels in
5264-481: The Knicks made history signing Sweetwater Clifton to a contract, thus becoming the first professional basketball team to sign an African American player. During this same season, the Knicks finished with a 36–30 record. Though they placed third in their division, they secured a playoff spot and began the first of three consecutive trips to the NBA Finals . In spite of their success, the Knicks could not overcome
5376-471: The Knicks more cap space for the summer of 2010, netted the Knicks $ 30 million of cap space. About three weeks after these team-changing trades, the Knicks played the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center and blew them out by a score of 128–94 for their largest win of the season. However, the Knicks were eliminated from playoff contention in late March 2010 and completed their season with
5488-592: The Knicks remained successful in the regular season, as they posted a 48–34 record under the direction of Houston and Sprewell. In the first round of playoff contention, however, New York fell to the Toronto Raptors in five games, failing to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in a decade. After a poor start to the season , the Knicks managed to get above .500 with a 10–9 record. In spite of their recent success, Van Gundy unexpectedly resigned as head coach on December 8, 2001, explaining he had "lost focus" and would no longer be able to properly coach
5600-546: The Knicks swept the Charlotte Hornets in the first round before facing the Miami Heat (coached by Riley) in the second round. The Knicks took a 3–1 lead in the series before a brawl near the end of Game 5 resulted in suspensions of key players. Many of the suspended Knicks players, Ewing in particular, were disciplined not for participating in the altercation itself, but for violating an NBA rule stipulating that
5712-631: The Knicks' roster scored in double figures. However, the Knicks lost their next six games, falling to a 1–6 record. They managed to stop their losing streak on November 1, 1967, when the Knicks won the road game against the Lakers, 129–113. During the game, Willis Reed scored a career-high 53 points on 21-of-29 shooting from the field. On November 3, the Knicks defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 134–100 in Seattle. In that game, nine Knicks' player scored at least 10 points. Head coach Dick McGuire
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#17327721541715824-461: The Knicks, he led all rookies in scoring (20 points per game) and rebounds (9 rebounds per game), and he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award . The team would not fare as well, though, as they struggled to a 23–59 record in his first season. During Ewing's second season, the team started with a 4–12 record and head coach Hubie Brown was dismissed in favor of assistant Bob Hill . Under Hill,
5936-457: The Lakers to four NBA titles during the 1980s, implemented a rough and physical style emphasizing defense. Under Riley, the team, led by Ewing and guard John Starks , who scored 24 points per game and 13.9 points per game respectively, improved to a 51–31 record, tying them for first place in the Atlantic Division. After defeating the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs , the team faced
6048-576: The NBA for the 1949–50 season . The Nuggets were the first major professional sports franchise in Colorado , but disbanded after going 11–50 in their inaugural season. This franchise is not directly connected to the current Denver Nuggets franchise of the NBA. The team's roots can be traced back to 1932 when the original amateur Nuggets were formed as a member of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Led by player-coach Jack McCracken ,
6160-438: The NBA, a contest was held in 1974 to give the team a new nickname since the NBA already had the Houston Rockets . The Nuggets' name was selected as the moniker of the new team. In 1985, Vince Boryla joined the franchise as its president and general manager, and was awarded NBA Executive of the Year that same year. He was president and general manager of the Nuggets from 1985 to 1988. The current Denver Nuggets also started out in
6272-424: The NBA. That team moved to become the Evansville Agogans the last six games of the season. After the demise of the Nuggets and the Refiners, Colorado was without any major league sports teams until the American Football League 's Denver Broncos began play in 1960 . The Nuggets played on the stage of the Denver Auditorium Arena . When the Denver Rockets of the American Basketball Association (ABA) joined
6384-404: The Nuggets were one of the most powerful amateur athletic basketball teams in the country, winning the 1939 AAU championship and losing the 1940 championship to the Phillips 66ers . Not playing professionally, its players were given extra jobs by team sponsors. Featuring players such as McCracken, Ace Gruenig and Vince Boryla , the Nuggets continued as an AAU power throughout their existence, and
6496-412: The Spurs. The 1999–2000 season , would prove to be the last one in New York for Ewing, as the Knicks, who had a 50–32 record that season swept the Toronto Raptors a team led by Vince Carter , Antonio Davis and a young Tracy McGrady in three games in the first round, defeated the Miami Heat in another dramatic seven-game series in which Ewing's dunk with over a minute remaining in game 7, provided
6608-437: The Stags finished tied for third with the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons with a 40–28 record, and again lost to the Lakers in the Division semifinals. Abe Saperstein , owner of the famed Harlem Globetrotters , bought the Stags in June 1950. In August, Saperstein announced that the team would be known as the Chicago Bruins and would play double-headers with his Globetrotters on most of its home dates in Chicago Stadium, something
6720-406: The Western Division, and after 60 games were tied with the St. Louis Bombers at 38–22 each. A tiebreaker game between the two teams on March 31, 1947, resulted in the Stags defeating the Bombers in overtime, 73–66, to clinch the division and a first round bye. Under the initial playoff format, the two division champions faced each other in the Semifinals. The Stags defeated the Washington Capitols ,
6832-402: The ball to score when the ball is put back into play with three-tenths of a second or less remaining. Because of this rule, the rarity of Lee's play increases. The Knicks won, 111–109 in double overtime. The Knicks improved by ten games in the 2006–2007 campaign in spite of injuries that ravaged the team at the end of the year; they ended with a 33–49 record, avoiding a 50-loss season by defeating
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#17327721541716944-407: The beginning of the 1949–50 season , the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association which comprised 17 teams. Despite division realignments, the Knicks remained in the Eastern Division. The team continued its dominance under Lapchick, winning 40 games; however they lost the Eastern Division finals to the Syracuse Nationals . The following season ,
7056-415: The court. As a testament to their struggles, on December 16, 2006, the Knicks and the Denver Nuggets broke into a brawl during their game in Madison Square Garden . With multiple players still serving a suspension as a result of the brawl, on December 20, 2006, David Lee created one of the most memorable plays in recent Knicks history, and served as a bright spot as the team's struggles persisted, during
7168-408: The distinction of having both NBA and NHL championships in the same year. Nevertheless, the Knicks had gotten some inspiration from Mark Messier and the Rangers during the finals. The next year, the Knicks were second place in the Atlantic Division with a 55–27 record. The team defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers before facing the Pacers again in the second round. The tone for the Knicks–Pacers series
7280-443: The eventual champion Philadelphia 76ers . The next season, the team, aided by new acquisition Bernard King , improved to 47–35 and returned to the playoffs. The team defeated the Detroit Pistons in the first round with an overtime win in the fifth and deciding game, before losing in the second round in seven games to the Celtics. The team's struggles continued into the 1984–85 season , as they lost their last 12 games to finish with
7392-410: The firing of Scott Layden . Thomas continued to restructure the team, firing Chaney after an unproductive tenure and hiring Hall of Famer Lenny Wilkens to coach the team. Additionally, Thomas orchestrated multiple trades, including one that brought point guard Stephon Marbury to the team. The team qualified for the playoffs that year with a 39–43 record, but were swept by the New Jersey Nets in
7504-407: The first place.) It marked the end of the NBA in Chicago until the Chicago Packers were joined in 1961 . On April 25, 1950, Bob Cousy was drafted by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks but did not sign with the team. Cousy wanted $ 10,000 and Blackhawks owner Ben Kerner countered with $ 6,000 in negotiations. Cousy was then sold to the Stags in a trade. When the Stags/Bruins folded on September 25, 1950,
7616-448: The first round by the eventual NBA champion, Chicago Bulls. After the conclusion of the season, MacLeod left the team to become the head coach at the University of Notre Dame . President David Checketts reached out to Pat Riley , who was working as a commentator for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), to see if he was interested in returning to coaching. Riley accepted the Knicks proposition on May 31, 1991. Riley, who coached
7728-402: The first round. The series included a highly publicized spat between the Knicks' Tim Thomas and Nets' Kenyon Martin , in which Thomas all but challenged Martin to a fight and called him "Fugazy". The following season, the Knicks struggled to a 17–22 record before Wilkens resigned as head coach. Herb Williams , who had previously coached the team in a game against the Orlando Magic prior to
7840-423: The first two games in Houston, the Knicks would win two out of three games at Madison Square Garden , which also hosted the New York Rangers first Stanley Cup celebration in 54 years following their win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of their finals during the series. (A Knicks win would have made the Garden the first building to host a Cup winner and an NBA champ in the same season.) In Game 6, however,
7952-447: The first two rounds of the playoffs , the Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference finals, where once again they met the Bulls. After taking a 2–0 series lead, the Knicks lost the next four games. After the Bulls' Michael Jordan made what would be his first retirement from basketball prior to the 1993–94 season , many saw this as an opportunity for the Knicks to finally make it to the NBA Finals. The team, who acquired Derek Harper in
8064-470: The franchise's first head coach, Joe Lapchick . Beginning in 1950, the Knicks made three consecutive appearances in the NBA Finals , all of which were losing efforts. Lapchick resigned in 1956 and the team subsequently began to falter. It was not until the late 1960s when Red Holzman became the head coach that the Knicks began to regain their former dominance. Holzman successfully guided the Knicks to two NBA championships, in 1970 and 1973 . The Knicks of
8176-402: The home court of the Bulls from 1966 to 1994. The Chicago Bulls, the city's current NBA team, wore replicas of the 1946 Stags uniforms during the 2005–06 NBA season as part of the NBA's "Hardwood Classics" program (they wore them on December 5, 2005, February 22, 2006, and April 16, 2006). New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers , shortened and more commonly referred to as
8288-490: The idea of an organized professional league to showcase college players upon their graduation and felt it could become profitable if properly assembled. Brown, intrigued by the opportunity to attain additional income when the hockey teams were not playing or on the road, contacted several arena owners. On June 6, 1946, Kase and Brown and a group of seventeen others assembled at the Commodore Hotel in New York City, as
8400-442: The injured knee necessitated he undergo bone-graft surgery. The Knicks managed only seven wins in their first twenty games, setting the tone for the rest of the season, which they completed with a 37–45 record; it was their second consecutive season without a playoff appearance. After a 10–18 start to the 2003–04 season, the Knicks underwent a massive overhaul. Isiah Thomas was named the Knicks' president on December 22, 2003, upon
8512-547: The intention of freeing cap space for the 2010 off-season, when top-flight players such as LeBron James , Dwyane Wade , Chris Bosh , and Amar'e Stoudemire would be available. In February 2009, the Knicks traded Tim Thomas, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson to the Chicago Bulls for Larry Hughes , in addition to sending Malik Rose to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Chris Wilcox . Additionally,
8624-425: The introductory press conference, Walsh, while not proclaiming to be a savior, did set goals, which included getting the team under the salary cap and bringing back a competitive environment. Upon the conclusion of the 2007–2008 regular season, Walsh fired Thomas, and on May 13, 2008, officially named former Phoenix Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni as head coach. D'Antoni signed a four-year, $ 24 million deal to coach
8736-448: The league with 65 double-doubles , and the continued development of guard Nate Robinson and swingman Wilson Chandler . In the 2009 NBA draft , the Knicks selected forward Jordan Hill eighth after targets such as Stephen Curry , Jonny Flynn , and Ricky Rubio were off the board. Guard Toney Douglas was then selected with a 29th overall pick, which was acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers . Shortly afterwards, New York executed
8848-562: The league's initial year, there was no guarantee that the Knicks or the league itself would thrive. Consequently, teams focused on signing college players from their respective cities as a way to promote the professional league. The Knicks held their first training camp in the Catskill Mountains at the Nevele Country Club. Twenty-five players were invited to attend the three-week session. Players worked out twice
8960-415: The long-standing controversy with Stephon Marbury ended when the two sides agreed to a buy-out of Marbury's contract, which allowed him to sign with the Celtics when he cleared waivers on February 27, 2009. In spite of a volatile roster, the Knicks improved by nine wins from the previous season in D'Antoni's first season, to finish 32–50, coinciding with the emergence of forward-center David Lee , who led
9072-458: The most famous moments in NBA history. Reed limped onto the court before the seventh game, determined to play through the pain of his injury. He scored New York's first two baskets before going scoreless for the remainder of the contest. Although he was not at full strength, Reed's heroics inspired the Knicks, and they won the game by a score of 113–99, allowing New York to capture the title that had eluded them for so long. Reed, who had been named
9184-647: The now-former Stags had already done several times (in fact, the Stags final playoff game was part of a triple-header that also involved the Trotters). The Bruins also planned on playing "home games" in such cities as Detroit , Milwaukee , Peoria, Illinois , St. Louis , Kansas City and Cincinnati , making the Bruins a regional franchise. However, by September, Saperstein's deal to buy the club fell apart when he withdrew his offer and requested NBA president Maurice Podoloff return his $ 20,000 deposit, reportedly half of
9296-667: The only team to finish with a better record than the Stags, 4–2, and went on to lose to the Philadelphia Warriors in the BAA Finals , 4–1. The next season, the Stags finished second in their division with a 28–20 record, one game behind the St. Louis Bombers, and second overall in the league. In the playoffs, they won a tiebreaker game against the Washington Capitols, advancing to play the Boston Celtics in
9408-534: The other team is the Brooklyn Nets . Alongside the Boston Celtics , the Knicks are one of two original NBA teams still located in its original city. The team, established by Ned Irish in 1946, was one of the founding members of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which became the NBA after merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949. The Knicks were successful during their early years and were constant playoff contenders under
9520-457: The playoffs , winning the final three games after losing the first two. They went on to lose to the eventual NBA champion Detroit Pistons in the next round. Jackson and the Knicks struggled to a 7–8 record to begin the 1990–91 season and Jackson was replaced by John MacLeod who led the Knicks to a 32–35 record, ending the season with a 39–43 record overall that was good enough to earn the team another playoff appearance. The Knicks were swept in
9632-460: The preceding years. Furthermore, the Knicks were criticized by many analysts as multiple players on the roster were overpaid in light of their poor performances, causing salary cap problems that would persist until Donnie Walsh took over as team president. McDyess injured his knee during the team's third preseason game and was subjected to further operations in April 2003 after a CT scan revealed
9744-511: The purchase price. Saperstein claimed he had received "exactly nothing" from the NBA for his money: neither the club nor the contract of four ex-Stags players who jumped to the National Professional Basketball League . (Supposedly, Podoloff, acting on behest of a group of other NBA owners, "foreclosed" on the Stags due to their inability to repay a $ 40,000 loan that enabled them to finish the 1949–50 season in
9856-419: The quarterfinals, winning the series 2–1. However, the Knicks were swept by the Philadelphia Warriors in two games in the semifinals. As promised, Lapchick took over in 1947, bringing with him his up-tempo coaching style, which emphasized fast ball movement. Six new players were signed, including guard Carl Braun and Japanese-American guard Wataru Misaka , the first non- Caucasian basketball player in
9968-459: The rest of the way. The Knicks ended up with a 47–35 record that year, and swept the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual champion Bulls (who had an NBA record 72 wins in the regular season) in five games. In the 1996–97 season , the Knicks, with the additions of such players as Larry Johnson and Allan Houston , registered a 57–25 record. In the playoffs,
10080-493: The rules of the Arena Managers Association of America stated that Madison Square Garden was required to own any professional teams that played in the arena. On the day of the meeting, Kase made his proposal to the panel of owners; however, they were much more impressed by Irish and his vast resources; Kase relented and the franchise was awarded to Irish. Irish wanted a distinct name for his franchise that
10192-493: The season 11–51. In 1950, the Nuggets were one of seven teams, including Anderson Packers , Chicago Stags , Sheboygan Red Skins , St. Louis Bombers , Washington Capitols , Waterloo Hawks , that dropped out of the National Basketball Association altogether. Briefly, in the 1950–51 season, the Denver Refiners played in the National Professional Basketball League (NPBL), which was made up of franchises that left
10304-462: The season and much of the playoffs. The team, which had a 43–39 record that season, still managed to defeat the Heat in the first round (a series, which saw another violent bench-clearing brawl at the end of Game 4, this time between Johnson and former Hornets teammate Alonzo Mourning ) of the playoffs before having another meeting with the Pacers in the second round. Ewing returned in time for game two of
10416-411: The second worst record in the NBA that season, at 23–59. The season concluded with the firing and $ 18.5 million buy-out of head coach Larry Brown after one season. With the departure of Brown, team president Isiah Thomas took over the head coaching responsibilities. Thomas continued his practice of signing players to high-priced contracts while the franchise struggled to capitalize on their talent on
10528-425: The series. This time, the Pacers easily won the series in five games, as Reggie Miller once again broke the hearts of Knicks fans by hitting a tying three-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining in Game 4, en route to a Pacers overtime victory. For the fourth straight year, the Knicks were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Prior to the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season , the Knicks traded Charles Oakley to
10640-466: The start of the 1989–90 season , Pitino departed from New York to coach for the University of Kentucky leaving many stunned by his departure. Assistant Stu Jackson was named as Pitino's replacement becoming the team's 14th head coach and the youngest head coach in the NBA, at the time, at the age of 32. Under Jackson's direction, the Knicks went 45–37 and defeated the Celtics in the first round of
10752-703: The team and were later enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . Following these back-to-back losses, the Knicks made the playoffs in the subsequent two years with no success. Lapchick resigned as the team's head coach in January 1956 citing health-related issues. Vince Boryla made his debut in February 1956 as the Knicks' new coach in a win over the St. Louis Hawks . However, after two seasons of poor performances and no playoff appearances, Boryla tendered his resignation from
10864-438: The team hiring Wilkens, took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season and did not fare much better as the Knicks ended their season with a 33–49 record and out of playoff contention. Hoping to find a leader that could put the team back on track, New York hired Larry Brown to coach the team. Brown, who idolized the team during his childhood, was well regarded for his coaching abilities and his arrival brought
10976-436: The team in April 1958. Looking to regain their former dominance, Andrew Levane was named the head coach and in his first year, the results were significantly better as the team finished with a 40–32 record, securing their playoff spot. However, the Knicks could not manage to get past the Eastern Division semi-finals. The Levane-led squad fared poorly to begin the 1959–60 season and under mounting pressure Levane resigned and
11088-399: The team started the year well going 17–8 before they fell into a slump. They ended the year with a seven-game win streak to finish with a 32–28 record and a third-straight playoff appearance. The Knicks defeated the Bullets in a rematch of their previous encounter in 1947, winning the series 2–1. The team however struggled against the Washington Capitols and lost the series 1–2. Prior to
11200-430: The team traded backup center Bill Cartwright to the Bulls for power forward Charles Oakley before the season started and then posted a 52–30 record, which was good enough for their first division title in 18 years and their fifth division title in franchise history. In the playoffs , they defeated the 76ers in the first round before losing to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Prior to
11312-422: The team's fortunes began to shift once more. In the 1974–75 season , the Knicks posted a 40–42 record, their first losing record in eight seasons. The team still qualified for a playoff spot, however, but they lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round. After two more seasons with losing records, Holzman was replaced by Willis Reed, who signed a three-year contract. In Reed's first year, New York finished
11424-400: The team. The Knicks, holding the sixth pick in the 2008 NBA draft , selected Danilo Gallinari on May 20, 2008. On November 21, 2008, the Knicks dealt one of their top scorers, Jamal Crawford , to the Golden State Warriors for Al Harrington . Hours later, New York traded Zach Randolph , along with Mardy Collins , to the Los Angeles Clippers for Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas, with
11536-441: The team. The team, which named longtime assistant Don Chaney as their new head coach, ended the season with a 30–52 record, and for the first time since the 1986–87 season they did not qualify for the playoffs. In October 2002, the team elected to extend Chaney's contract for another year. Rather than rebuilding, the Knicks opted to add veterans to the roster including Antonio McDyess who had been dealing with knee problems in
11648-583: The winning margin in a 1-point road victory. They would, however, lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Reggie Miller -led Indiana Pacers in six games. After the season, Ewing was traded on September 20, 2000, to the Seattle SuperSonics , and the Ewing era, which produced many successful playoff appearances but no NBA championship titles, came to an end. Despite the loss of Ewing,
11760-507: The year with a 43–39 record and returned to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers. The next season, after the team began with a 6–8 record, Holzman was rehired as the team's coach after Reed had angered Madison Square Garden president Sonny Werblin . The team did not fare any better under Holzman's direction, finishing with a 31–51 record, their worst in thirteen years. After improving to
11872-643: Was immediately replaced by Carl Braun, who became the team's first player-coach . The team did not fare much better under Braun and the Knicks hired Eddie Donovan , who helped build up St. Bonaventure's basketball team , in 1961. During Donovan's tenure, New York failed to achieve a playoff berth. As a testament to their struggles, on March 2, 1962, the Knicks faced the Philadelphia Warriors in Hershey, Pennsylvania , where they infamously allowed Wilt Chamberlain to score an NBA-record 100 points in
11984-442: Was later reduced to $ 11.5 million in a settlement between both parties. The ordeal proved embarrassing for the franchise, revealing sordid details about Knicks management and the environment at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks struggled as they opened their 2007 campaign with a 2–9 record leaving many Knicks fans, frustrated with the franchise's lack of progress under Thomas, called for the coach's firing—the chant "Fire Isiah" became
12096-499: Was replaced midway through the 1967–68 season after the team began the season with a 15–22 record. With the Knicks under .500, the team decided to hire coach Red Holzman , whose impact was immediate. Under his direction, the Knicks went 28–17 and finished with a 43–39 record thus salvaging a playoff berth, however, the Knicks were again vanquished in the Eastern Division semi-finals by the Philadelphia 76ers . However their roster
12208-556: Was representative of the city of New York. He called together members of his staff for a meeting to cast their votes in a hat. After tallying the votes, the franchise was named the Knickerbockers. The "Knickerbocker" name comes from the pseudonym used by Washington Irving in his book A History of New York , a name that became applied to the descendants of the original Dutch settlers of what later became New York, and later, by extension, to New Yorkers in general. In search of
12320-537: Was selected third overall in the 2019 NBA draft . In 1946, basketball, particularly college basketball , was a growing and increasingly profitable sport in New York City. Hockey was another popular sport at the time and generated considerable profits; however, the arenas were not used often. Max Kase , a New York sportswriter, became the sports editor at the Boston American in the 1930s, when he met Boston Garden owner Walter A. Brown . Kase developed
12432-437: Was set in Game 1, as Miller once again became a clutch nuisance to the Knicks by scoring eight points in the final 8 seconds of the game to give the Pacers a 107–105 victory. The series went to a Game 7, and when Patrick Ewing 's last-second finger roll attempt to tie the game missed, the Pacers clinched the 97–95 win. Riley resigned the next day, and the Knicks hired Don Nelson as their new head coach. While Nelson had been
12544-564: Was slowly coming together piece by piece. Rookies Phil Jackson and Walt Frazier were named to the NBA All-Rookie Team while Dick Barnett and Willis Reed performed in the 1968 NBA All-Star Game . The following season, the team acquired Dave DeBusschere from the Detroit Pistons , and the team went 54–28. In the playoffs, New York made it past the first round of contention for the first time since 1953, sweeping
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