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When Was the Last Time the Knicks Won a Championship?

New York Basketball Fans Might want to look away

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Published Feb 12, 2024

If you feel like you've been hearing "Go New York, Go New York, Go!" a little more than usual lately, (or our exclusive Knicks anthem with rapper LilDee) you're not wrong. Following a few notable trades that parlayed into a nine-game winning streak, and a duo of players being named to the NBA All-Star Team (plus a little dose of good ol' New York-sports-fan-delusion™) you may find yourself asking: are the Knicks... back?! Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's take a realistic look back through New York Knicks history, starting with an important question: When was the last time the Knicks won a championship?

Warning to Knicks fans: you might not like what you see, so read on with caution. You guys are not on our list of franchises with the most NBA championships. But don't worry... 2024 is totally the Knicks year. Totally.

How many championships have the Knicks won?

Two -- count 'em -- two. The Knicks have won the NBA Championships only two times, and they happened to be within the span of three years: 1970 and 1973. Those two wins came in the midst of a NY Knicks dynasty in the early 1970s, one that was only semi-replicated in the 1990s with Patrick Ewing and company, though none of those teams won a championship.

When was the last time the Knicks won a championship?

1972-1973 NBA Championship

Nathaniel S. Butler / Getty Images

Opponent: Los Angeles Lakers
Series Record: NY 4 - LA 1
Hall-of-Famers on Knicks: Walt Frazier, Jerry Lucas, Willis Reed, Bill Bradley, Earl Monroe Dave DeBusschere,
MVP: Willis Reed

The last Knicks championship season was in 1973. It was a glorious year for anyone who considers themselves a fan of the New York basketball team. And a championship is always sweet, but what made this one even sweeter is that it was an exact rematch of the year before, when the Knicks lost to the Lakers in four games to one. How 'bout that for some cold, hard revenge?

To get to the 1973 Finals, the Knicks had to beat the Baltimore Bullets and Boston Celtics before facing the Lakers in the Finals. Center and eventual Hall-of-Famer Willis Reed was awarded the Finals MVP after putting up 82 points in the series.

When was the last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals?

While the Knicks can only boast two NBA Championships, the have seen themselves all the way to the Finals eight times.

Times the Knicks were in The Finals and Won:

1973: (vs. Lakers 4-1)
1971: (vs. Lakers 4-3)

Times the Knicks were in the Finals and Lost:

1999: (lost to Spurs, 4-1)
1994: (lost to Rockets 4-3)
1972: (lost to Lakers, 4-1)
1953: (lost to Lakers 4-1)
1952: (lost to Malers, 4-3
1951: (lost ro Royals 4-3)

At the end of the day, the New York Knicks have various eras and seasons to be proud of and look back on fondly. Sure, they have not won a championship since 1973, which is particularly not great in New York where fans are known to be quite ruthless when their team is not delivering. Despite it all, the New York Knickerbockers are a fun franchise to root for, and there is a lot to be excited about for the teams' future.

Who knows, maybe this time next year the answer to, "When was the last time the Knicks won a championship?" might just be 2024!