The New York Knicks play at TD Garden on Friday, 23 October, in the Boston Celtics' home opener, and they arrive as NBA champions.1 They beat San Antonio 4–1 in June for their first title since 1973.2 Boston still holds the league record for banners, and that count is where most Knicks vs Celtics arguments start and stop. The 14 rankings below go through the arenas, the crowds, the rivals and the players, where the answer is less settled.
Boston has the banners, New York has the room and the moment, and each list decides which of those a rivalry is made of.
Greatest NBA franchise: Celtics, Lakers and the Knicks' three banners
The greatest NBA franchise ranking holds 20 teams. Both the Knicks and the Celtics are on it. The Los Angeles Lakers are the third name, and the one that frames the other two.
Boston's title in June 2024 was its 18th, the league record.3
The Knicks have three, from 1970, 1973 and 2026.2 Their case is recency: Boston's newest banner is from 2024, New York's from this June.
Knicks vs Celtics in the playoffs: Game 7 in 1973, a rematch in 2025
This ranking is the rivalry itself: eight playoff series between the Knicks and the Celtics, from 1952 to 2025.
The teams have met in the postseason 16 times. Boston led 8–7 through 2013,4 and the Knicks' 4–2 win in the 2025 East semifinals made it eight each.5
The 1973 Eastern Conference finals went seven games, with a double-overtime Game 4, and New York won the decider on its way to the championship.4 Boston took the 1974 rematch 4–1 and won the title that spring.5
The 2025 series opened with a 108–105 Knicks win in overtime after trailing by 20 and ended with a 119–81 Game 6 at Madison Square Garden.5
Celtics fans have 1984. The home team won every game of that series, and Boston took Game 7 at home.5
Knicks vs Pacers, Celtics vs 76ers: rivalries that are not each other
On the 13 greatest NBA rivalries ranking, neither team's best-known enemy is the other. The Knicks appear against the Bulls and the Pacers. The Celtics appear against the Lakers, the 76ers and the Heat.
The Knicks and Pacers met in the playoffs five times between 1993 and 1999, and New York won three of those series.6 In Game 5 of the 1994 East finals Reggie Miller scored 39 points while talking to Spike Lee at courtside, and the New York Daily News ran the headline "Thanks A Lot, Spike."
Neither list of enemies includes the other team. The ranking is useful here for that reason: it shows each franchise's history with somebody else.
Knicks vs Lakers, Celtics vs Lakers: one opponent, two Finals histories
The best NBA Finals rivalry ranking has 15 entries, and the Lakers appear opposite both of these teams.
Boston and Los Angeles have met in the Finals 12 times, a record, and Boston leads 9–3. The Celtics won all six meetings of the 1960s.7
The Knicks' share is smaller and older. The 1970 Finals went seven games, and New York closed it with a 113–99 win in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.8
1994 Rockets vs Knicks, 1976 Celtics vs Suns: Finals that went the distance
The greatest NBA Finals series ranking holds 13 entries, and each team's best-known Finals is among them: the Knicks against Houston in 1994, the Celtics against Phoenix in 1976.
Houston won the 1994 series 4–3, taking Game 7 on 22 June by 90–84, and Knicks guard John Starks shot 2 of 18 in that game.9 Their coach, Pat Riley, became the only coach to lose a Game 7 of the Finals with two different teams, and the first of those losses came against the Celtics in 1984.
Boston beat Phoenix 4–2 in 1976, and Game 5 went to triple overtime, 128–126 for the Celtics, on the way to their 13th title.10
2025-26 Knicks vs 1986 Celtics: this year's champions against Larry Bird's
The greatest NBA Finals teams ranking holds 15 teams, and four of them are from these franchises: the 1969-70 and 2025-26 Knicks, the 1986 and 2007-08 Celtics.
The 2025-26 Knicks went 53–29, their best win total since 2012-13, then beat the Spurs 4–1 in the Finals. Game 4 produced the largest comeback in Finals history, from 29 points down, passing the 24 that Boston erased in 2008.2
The 1986 Celtics went 67–15 and beat Houston 4–2 in the Finals.11
The Knicks' claim is a title and a comeback from this year. Boston's is a team that has been a reference point since 1986.
1969-70 Knicks vs 1985-86 Celtics: the seasons each fan base quotes
The greatest single season ranking has 16 teams, with Michael Jordan's 1995-96 Bulls on it as well. Both franchises have a season there: the Knicks' first champions and Boston's 1986 team.
The 1969-70 Knicks went 60–22 and won the franchise's first title in seven games over the Lakers. Walt Frazier had 36 points and 19 assists in Game 7.8
The 1985-86 Celtics lost once at home all season: 37–1 at Boston Garden.11
The Bulls are the entry both fan bases have to argue past.
Madison Square Garden vs TD Garden: two rooms with one name
The best NBA arena ranking holds 18 buildings, and both Gardens are among them.
Madison Square Garden's current building opened on 11 February 1968. It seats 20,012 for basketball, and a $1 billion renovation finished for the 2013-14 season.12
TD Garden opened on 30 September 1995 and seats 19,156. The Celtics are the only NBA team that plays on an oak floor, while the other 29 use maple.3
The younger building has the banners and the floor. The older one has 58 years of Knicks games at the same address.
Knicks fans vs Celtics fans: the ones who waited, the ones who watched
The most loyal NBA fanbase ranking holds 18 teams, and both of these crowds are on it.
New York fans waited 53 years between the 1973 and 2026 titles. Their case is how long the wait lasted.
Boston's case is the other kind. Its 13th banner dates from 197610 and its 18th from 2024,3 a fan base with something to watch in every era.
Most hated sports team in America: the Celtics are on it, the Knicks are not
The most hated sports team in America ranking holds 13 teams, from the Yankees to the Cowboys. The Celtics are one of them. The Knicks are not.
Boston earned part of that in the 1960s, when it beat the Lakers in all six of their Finals meetings.7
A team that waited more than five decades for a title is easy to pity and hard to resent.
Knicks vs Rangers: the best team in New York
The best New York sports team ranking holds 15 franchises, among them the Rangers, the Yankees and the Mets. The Knicks are the basketball entry, with three championships to their name.2
The Rangers are the closest comparison, since both teams play at Madison Square Garden.
Boston has no equivalent list in this set, which makes this the one section where only New York competes.
Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Jalen Brunson: the greatest Knicks
The greatest New York Knicks players ranking holds 34 names. It is a Knicks-only list, so no Celtics player appears on it.
Patrick Ewing led the Knicks to the 1994 Finals and scored 17 points in Game 7.9 Walt Frazier is the star of the 1970 title team, the one that opened the franchise's trophy case. Jalen Brunson was Finals MVP this June, with 45 points in the clincher.
Boston supplies the counterpoint: its own list is longer, at 36 names.
Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Jayson Tatum: the greatest Celtics
The greatest Boston Celtics players ranking holds 36 names. It is a Celtics-only list, so no Knicks player is on it.
Several of the names have a line in the Knicks series. Bill Russell averaged 20.8 rebounds against New York in 1969. Larry Bird averaged 30.4 points in 1984, and then 24.4 in 1990, when Patrick Ewing averaged 31.6 and the Knicks won.4
Jayson Tatum is the newest entry. He scored 42 points in Game 4 of the 2025 series against Jalen Brunson's 39, and tore his Achilles before it ended.5
Most overrated NBA franchise: the weight of banners and the weight of a wait
The most overrated NBA franchise ranking holds 17 teams, and each of these two appears on it. It is the only list in this article that asks who gets more credit than the record supports.
Seven of Boston's titles came against the Lakers between 1959 and 1969. That decade is where an argument that the Celtics' record is flattered would begin.
The case against the Knicks starts with the gap between 1973 and 2026, which includes a Game 7 Finals loss in 1994.
The Garden opener and what it will not settle
Friday's game will not change a banner count, a building or a crowd, and those are the three things the Knicks vs Celtics debate is made of. Boston's side of it is the record and the floor. New York's is the room and a title that is four months old. Each of these rankings asks again which of those a rivalry should be measured by, one pair of names at a time. Pick the list you care about, or create a ranking for the next pair of franchises that share a city.
More rankings, more angles
- Lakers vs Celtics Rivalry: 12 Finals, 35 Titles, 15 Lists — Boston's other, older enemy
- Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird Rivalry: 3 Finals, 15 Lists — the two players behind that rivalry
- Chicago Bulls Among the Greatest NBA Franchises: 16 Lists — the 1995-96 team both fan bases argue past
- Wilt Chamberlain vs Bill Russell: 100 Points, 11 Rings — centre against centre in the 1960s
Sources
- NBC Sports Boston — Celtics 2026-27 schedule: the Knicks visit TD Garden in the Celtics' home opener on 23 October 2026: nbcsportsboston.com (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — 2026 NBA Finals: Knicks beat the Spurs 4–1 (3–13 June), Brunson Finals MVP with 45 in Game 5, 29-point comeback in Game 4 passing Boston's 24 in 2008, first title since 1973 and third overall, 53–29 regular season: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — TD Garden: opened 30 September 1995, 19,156 capacity for basketball, the only oak floor in the NBA, the Celtics' record 18th title in June 2024: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)
- NBC Sports Boston — Celtics–Knicks playoff history: the 15 series through 2013 (Celtics 8, Knicks 7), the 1973 seven-game East finals, and the player stat lines of the 1969, 1984, 1990 and 2011 series: nbcsportsboston.com (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — Celtics–Knicks rivalry: the 2025 East semifinal (Knicks 4–2, Game 1 108–105 in overtime, Game 4 Tatum 42 and Brunson 39, Game 6 119–81), the 1974 East finals and the 1984 Game 7: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — Knicks–Pacers rivalry: five playoff series from 1993 to 1999 and the 1994 East finals Game 5 with Reggie Miller and Spike Lee: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — Celtics–Lakers rivalry: a record 12 Finals meetings, Boston 9–3, six straight Boston wins in the 1960s and the seven Finals titles won over the Lakers from 1959 to 1969: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — 1969–70 New York Knicks season: 60–22, the Finals win over the Lakers in seven games, Game 7 on 8 May (113–99) with Frazier's 36 points and 19 assists: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — 1994 NBA Finals: Rockets beat the Knicks 4–3, Game 7 on 22 June (90–84), Starks 2-of-18, Ewing 17 points, Pat Riley as the only coach to lose a Game 7 of the Finals with two teams: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — 1976 NBA Finals: Celtics beat the Suns 4–2, Game 5 on 4 June (128–126 in triple overtime), Jo Jo White series MVP, the Celtics' 13th title: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — 1985–86 Boston Celtics season: 67–15, 37–1 at Boston Garden, Finals win over Houston 4–2: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)
- Wikipedia — Madison Square Garden: current arena opened 11 February 1968, 20,012 for basketball, the $1 billion renovation completed for 2013–14, the Knicks as tenants since 1968: wikipedia.org (checked 2026-10-21)