New York Knicks

The New York Knicks were founded in 1946, even before the NBA. They were a member of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) from the beginning, which became the NBA when the BAA and National Basketball League (NBL) merged in 1949.

They were actually founded as the New York Knickerbockers. This is still their name, but is rarely, if ever, used. A "knickerbocker" was a name used to describe the Dutch settlers who settled in what is now New York, and became a name used for all New Yorkers in General.

Throughout their existance, the Knicks have been a part of some historical moments in the NBA, and may provide some more...

Current Situation (2010-2011)
Last Updated: January 2011
The Knicks are currently second in the Atlantic Division at 21-15 as I write this. You can see up-to-date information on the ESPN.com widget provided on the right, however.

The Knicks have completely turned their organization around from last year. Amare Stoudemire seems to be the real deal, still thriving without Steve Nash. I'll admit that I was one that said he wasn't worth it, doesn't rebound, doesn't play defense, etc. It looks like I was wrong along with everyone else. Raymond Felton and Danilo Gallinari have been playing pretty well this year, to, as do the rest of the supporting cast.

Now I'm not saying they can knock off some of the "beasts from the east," but the New York Knicks are definitely no longer considered somewhat of a joke. They've had some decent winning streaks, but still shows some signs of inconsistency and inability to knock off some of the top teams. But, things are moving in the right direction as the Knicks have nearly won as many games as last year in half the time.

Team Logo and Name Origins
The Knick's logo is pretty simple. "Knicks" is in big orange block letters with a blue border. Below it is an orange basketball with blue lines. "New York" is written in small blue letters above the prominant "Knicks." As mentioned earlier, "Knicks" is short for Knickerbockers, the name given to the Dutch settlers who settled in the New York area.

Knicks NBA Records/New York Knicks Trivia

The following are both some well known facts about the Knicks, and some little known facts about the New York Knicks.

• The New York Knickerbockers played (and won) the first BAA (later the NBA) game ever against Toronto Huskies, in Toronto in 1946.
• Japanese player Wataru Musaka was the first non-caucasion player in the NBA(BAA), joining the New York Knicks in 1947.
• The Knicks were also the first team to sign an African-American player, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, in 1950.
• Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game was against the New York Knicks.
• Willis Reed played with a torn muscle in his leg in game 7 of the 1969-70 season, to inspire the Knicks to their first NBA Championship.
• Phil Jackson, who coached both the Bulls and Lakers to multiple NBA Championships, played for the Knicks during the '70's.
• The New York Knicks won the first ever NBA Draft Lottery in 1985. They used the #1 pick to draft Patrick Ewing.
• Reggie Miller scored 8 points in 8 seconds in the '94-95 playoffs to defeat the Knicks.
• The Knicks became the first 8-seed to make it to the NBA Finals in the shortened '98-'99 season.