Major honours
Founded in 1946 as a charter BAA member, the Knicks were one of two teams that played in the league's very first game. Madison Square Garden and the New York market have kept the franchise among the league's most iconic regardless of results, and it consistently ranks near the top of franchise valuations. It has won only two titles, but both carried real weight. The 1970 and 1973 teams under coach Red Holzman won through ball movement and team defense rather than star dependence, built around Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley and Earl Monroe. From the late 1980s through the 1990s, a Patrick Ewing-led team played the league's most physical defense and reached the Finals in 1994 and 1999, losing both times; the 1999 run made New York the first team to reach the Finals as an 8-seed. The 2020s have seen the Knicks return to the top of the East around Jalen Brunson.
Record comparison
Bars are scaled to the strongest team in this list.
Club legends
Rivalry
Five playoff series against the Indiana Pacers in the 1990s and four straight postseason meetings with the Miami Heat define this franchise's modern history. Both rivalries were known for low scoring and extreme physicality.