‍New York Knicks‍ Finals Appearances

Playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the NBA, the New York Knicks were established in 1946 as a member of the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Under their first head coach Joe Lapchick, the team found success early and were always playoff contenders.

The Knicks played in three consecutive Finals from 1950 to 1953, and have won eight division titles and four conference titles as of April 2024. Coached by Tom Thibodeau and led by star players Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, the Knicks will be hoping to make deep playoff runs in the coming seasons.

How many championships have the New York Knicks won?

The New York Knicks have won two NBA championships. Their first title came in 1970 and the second three years later, in 1973. Willis Reed was named NBA Finals MVP in both their championship runs.

The Knicks defeated the LA Lakers both times in the Finals. The Knicks won 4-3 in the 1970-71 NBA season to clinch their first NBA championship and 4-1 in the 1972-73 NBA season. The most memorable moment came in the seventh game of the 1970 NBA Finals where Reed played with a muscle tear in his right thigh.

New York Knicks Finals Appearance History

The New York Knicks have been able to make it to the Finals eight times since being part of the NBA. They made three consecutive Finals from 1950-51 to 1952-53, losing to the Rochester Royals in the 1950-51 NBA Finals, and the Minneapolis Lakers in the 1951-52 and 1952-53 NBA Finals.

What team did the New York Knicks lose the Championship Finals against?

The New York Knicks lost their first Finals against the Rochester Royals in 1950-51. They then lost three Finals against the Lakers in 1952, 1953 and 1972. They were also defeated by the Houston Rockets in the 1994 Finals and by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1998-99 Finals.

New York Knicks Last Finals Appearance

The Knicks’ last Finals appearance was in the 1998-99 NBA season, where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games. The Knicks barely made the playoffs that season (27-23) and were the eighth seed in the east. However, they pulled off a remarkable upset by defeating the Miami Heat and became only the second team in NBA history that an eighth seed team defeated the top seed. They also became the first eighth seeded team to make it to Finals.