The 18 Best New York Knicks Seasons of All Time

From championship glory to heartbreaking near-misses to the current Finals run, the Garden has seen some unforgettable basketball seasons. Which Knicks campaign stands above the rest?

1. 1
   1969-70 Season

   The first NBA championship season for the Knicks, led by Willis Reed's legendary injured return in Game 7 against the Lakers — one of sports' most iconic moments.
   1000pts
2. 2
   1972-73 Season

   The second Knicks championship season, with Walt Frazier, Willis Reed and Bill Bradley beating the Lakers in a five-game Finals rematch.
   800pts
3. 3
   2022-23 Season

   Jalen Brunson's first Knicks season brought 47 wins and a five-game upset of Cleveland before a six-game second-round loss to the Heat.
   400pts
4. 4
   1998-99 Season

   The eighth-seeded Knicks became the first No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals, beating Miami, Atlanta and Indiana before falling to the Spurs.
   400pts
5. 5
   2012-13 Season

   Carmelo Anthony's peak season saw the Knicks win 54 games and reach the second round, with Melo leading the league in scoring at 28.7 points per game.
   400pts
6. 6
   2025-26 Season

   Under Mike Brown the Knicks won the NBA Cup and their first championship since 1973, beating the San Antonio Spurs 4–1 in the 2026 Finals.
   240pts
7. 7
   1993-94 Season

   Patrick Ewing's Knicks reached the NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years, taking the Houston Rockets to Game 7 in one of the most dramatic Finals of the decade.
   0pts
8. 8
   2020-21 Season

   Tom Thibodeau's first Knicks team went 41–31 and ended a seven-year playoff drought, fuelled by Julius Randle's All-Star, Most Improved Player season.
   0pts
9. 9
   2023-24 Season

   The Knicks won 50 games and reached the second round again behind Brunson, OG Anunoby and Donte DiVincenzo, losing to Indiana in seven games.
   0pts
10. 10
    1950-51 Season

    Joe Lapchick's Knicks reached their first NBA Finals, rallying from 0–3 down to force a Game 7 before falling to the Rochester Royals.
11. 11
    1951-52 Season

    The Knicks returned to the NBA Finals and took George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers to seven games behind Harry Gallatin and Sweetwater Clifton.
12. 12
    1952-53 Season

    A 47–23 season and a third straight Finals trip, with Carl Braun back from the Army, ending in a five-game loss to the Lakers.
13. 13
    1971-72 Season

    With Jerry Lucas filling in for an injured Willis Reed and Earl Monroe arriving, the Knicks beat Boston to reach the Finals before falling to the Lakers.
14. 14
    1973-74 Season

    The farewell season of Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere brought a seven-game first-round win over Washington and an Eastern Finals loss to Boston.
15. 15
    1988-89 Season

    Rick Pitino's full-court pressing Knicks won 52 games and their first division title since 1971 behind Patrick Ewing and Mark Jackson.
16. 16
    1992-93 Season

    Pat Riley's bruising Knicks won a franchise-record-tying 60 games and led Chicago 2–0 in the Eastern Finals, highlighted by John Starks' iconic baseline dunk.
17. 17
    1999-2000 Season

    A year after their Finals run, Jeff Van Gundy's Knicks swept Toronto and edged Miami in seven to reach the Eastern Finals before losing to Indiana.
18. 18
    2024-25 Season

    Tom Thibodeau's final season brought 51 wins, a stunning series upset of defending champion Boston and the club's first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.

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