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It has been a long, long, LOOOOOOONG 27 years for New York Knicks fans between NBA Finals appearances. I know, because I'm one of them, a born-and-raised New Yorker who got to watch the tough 1990s teams cement their legacy in the city despite the lack of a ring to show for it.
I'm aware that nearly three decades is long in terms of time, but if you're not a New Yorker, you should know that it's not like other 27-year of championship droughts. The stuff fans have had to suffer through to get here -- to a Finals that the Knicks actually have a shot at winning -- has been torturous, an NBA purgatory that has felt relentless. The hope around the city is that this Finals trip sets up the franchise's first title in 53 years, but before we look forward, we have to look back.
If you want a peek into what it's been like for Knicks fans these past 27 years, I'm giving you 27 things we've all been through to get to the Finals:
It's never good for a Knicks team to lose to the Pacers. Also, a neat little bookend to the end of this list.
Ewing was far past his prime, but it just stunk to see the franchise superstar dealt away in a wild four-team deal that netted the Knicks Travis Knight, Glen Rice and Luc Longley.
Marcus Camby, Nene and Mark Jackson got the Knicks the one-time All-Star... who played 18 games in New York. An absolute disaster.
Where to begin? The off-the-court accusations, the moves that didn't work (we'll get into that), the big-name coaches (Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown, Thomas himself coaching) who whiffed. Yikes.
Paying James $30 million over five years on the strength of one playoff run was horrifying.
SMH. One of the first-round picks dealt to the Chicago Bulls became Joakim Noah. Another one became LaMarcus Aldridge.
It was a head-scratcher at the time and it still is. Rajon Rondo went one pick later and Kyle Lowry went No. 24 overall.
The 2009 NBA Draft had Blake Griffin go first, James Harden go third... and Steph Curry get selected by the Golden State Warriors right before the Knicks selected Jordan Hill (sigh) with the No. 8 selection. Devastating.
Of course the Knicks were never getting LeBron James or Chris Bosh, but there was enough smoke there where Knicks fans had hope that the Amare Stoudemire signing would come with another superstar. Of course, they'd end up trading for Carmelo Anthony in 2011, but this was still a bit of a gut punch.
Lin wasn't the All-Star-caliber talent he was in those magical 35 games with the Knicks. But it still stunk to see a solid point guard leave after igniting the Garden.
They lost two of their final postseason games to the Raptors in 2001, got swept by the Nets and Celtics in 2004 and 2011 respectively, and lost three to the Heat in 2012 before breaking that with one win in that series.
Shoutout to my buddy who reminded me of this one recently. After a playoff loss to the Miami Heat, the star forward punched the glass in front of a fire extinguisher. He missed Game 3 of the series but came back as the team ended up losing the series.
This stings. The trade that brought the future Hall of Famer was supposed to also deliver a title, or at least some postseason success. It didn't.
One of the NBA's greatest coaches was hired to run the front office... and his legacy was tainted by some awful hires (Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, Jeff Hornacek) and moves that didn't work.
A 17-win abomination with Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Langston Galloway. Melo played 40 games and Stoudemire played just 36.
Anthony had a no-trade clause that made the return for the All-Star pretty bad -- Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a second-round pick. A sad end to the era.
They dealt a first-rounder that eventually became Jakob Poltl, and Marcus Camby was part of that deal.
This was one the fans revolted against after the former Knicks legend got into an altercation and was eventually banned from MSG for a year.
Donovan Mitchell was RIGHT THERE in 2017! So was Bam Adebayo! SIGH.
A swing and a miss in 2018 with the next three picks as follows: Mikal Bridges, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Miles Bridges. Woof.
Regardless of how this ultimately worked out, it was so rough how it went down -- a homegrown first-round pick who was actually talented, sent away for what amounted to cap room.
An absolute disaster of a roster that went 17-65.
What if the Knicks had ended up with Zion Williamson instead of RJ Barrett, who was later dealt for OG Anunoby? At the time, this felt devastating with the Knicks getting No. 3 overall. In hindsight? Not so bad!
More hindsight after the heartbreak: It feels like it worked out better for the Knicks. Back then? Gutting. Now? "Tell me something KD, don't you regret not coming to the Kniiiiiicks?"
Toppin is a fine bench player, but the Knicks could have had Deni Avdija, Devin Vassell or... Tyrese Haliburton, who will appear later on this list.
The team was finally on the rise, with Julius Randle playing well and Tom Thibodeau at the helm. But then? The history with Trae Young begins here.
The Knicks were up by 14 with under three minutes to go and up nine with under a minute left. Then, they lost in overtime thanks in part to that Tyrese Haliburton shot above. The Knicks went on to lose the series. But maybe this was a blessing in disguise, the necessary evil that got Mike Brown hired and the current team to know what heartbreak really was.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Worst Knicks history since last NBA Finals appearance
Continue reading...
I'm aware that nearly three decades is long in terms of time, but if you're not a New Yorker, you should know that it's not like other 27-year of championship droughts. The stuff fans have had to suffer through to get here -- to a Finals that the Knicks actually have a shot at winning -- has been torturous, an NBA purgatory that has felt relentless. The hope around the city is that this Finals trip sets up the franchise's first title in 53 years, but before we look forward, we have to look back.
If you want a peek into what it's been like for Knicks fans these past 27 years, I'm giving you 27 things we've all been through to get to the Finals:
Losing to Reggie Miller and the Pacers in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals
It's never good for a Knicks team to lose to the Pacers. Also, a neat little bookend to the end of this list.
The Patrick Ewing trade
Ewing was far past his prime, but it just stunk to see the franchise superstar dealt away in a wild four-team deal that netted the Knicks Travis Knight, Glen Rice and Luc Longley.
The Antonio McDyess trade
Marcus Camby, Nene and Mark Jackson got the Knicks the one-time All-Star... who played 18 games in New York. An absolute disaster.
The entire Isiah Thomas era
Where to begin? The off-the-court accusations, the moves that didn't work (we'll get into that), the big-name coaches (Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown, Thomas himself coaching) who whiffed. Yikes.
The Jerome James signing
Paying James $30 million over five years on the strength of one playoff run was horrifying.
The Eddy Curry trade
SMH. One of the first-round picks dealt to the Chicago Bulls became Joakim Noah. Another one became LaMarcus Aldridge.
The Renaldo Balkman pick in 2006
It was a head-scratcher at the time and it still is. Rajon Rondo went one pick later and Kyle Lowry went No. 24 overall.
Missing out on Steph Curry by one pick in 2009
The 2009 NBA Draft had Blake Griffin go first, James Harden go third... and Steph Curry get selected by the Golden State Warriors right before the Knicks selected Jordan Hill (sigh) with the No. 8 selection. Devastating.
The 2010 free agency misses
Of course the Knicks were never getting LeBron James or Chris Bosh, but there was enough smoke there where Knicks fans had hope that the Amare Stoudemire signing would come with another superstar. Of course, they'd end up trading for Carmelo Anthony in 2011, but this was still a bit of a gut punch.
Jeremy Lin signs with the Rockets after Linsanity in 2012
Lin wasn't the All-Star-caliber talent he was in those magical 35 games with the Knicks. But it still stunk to see a solid point guard leave after igniting the Garden.
The 13-game playoff losing streak
They lost two of their final postseason games to the Raptors in 2001, got swept by the Nets and Celtics in 2004 and 2011 respectively, and lost three to the Heat in 2012 before breaking that with one win in that series.
Amare Stoudemire punches the glass in 2012
Shoutout to my buddy who reminded me of this one recently. After a playoff loss to the Miami Heat, the star forward punched the glass in front of a fire extinguisher. He missed Game 3 of the series but came back as the team ended up losing the series.
Carmelo Anthony only wins one playoff series as a Knick
This stings. The trade that brought the future Hall of Famer was supposed to also deliver a title, or at least some postseason success. It didn't.
The entire Phil Jackson era
One of the NBA's greatest coaches was hired to run the front office... and his legacy was tainted by some awful hires (Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, Jeff Hornacek) and moves that didn't work.
The 2014-15 season
A 17-win abomination with Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Langston Galloway. Melo played 40 games and Stoudemire played just 36.
Carmelo Anthony gets traded to the Thunder
Anthony had a no-trade clause that made the return for the All-Star pretty bad -- Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a second-round pick. A sad end to the era.
The Andrea Bargnani trade
They dealt a first-rounder that eventually became Jakob Poltl, and Marcus Camby was part of that deal.
The Charles Oakley ban from MSG
This was one the fans revolted against after the former Knicks legend got into an altercation and was eventually banned from MSG for a year.
The Frank Ntilikina pick
Donovan Mitchell was RIGHT THERE in 2017! So was Bam Adebayo! SIGH.
The Kevin Knox pick
A swing and a miss in 2018 with the next three picks as follows: Mikal Bridges, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Miles Bridges. Woof.
The Kristaps Porzingis trade
Regardless of how this ultimately worked out, it was so rough how it went down -- a homegrown first-round pick who was actually talented, sent away for what amounted to cap room.
The 2018-19 season
An absolute disaster of a roster that went 17-65.
Losing out on the top spot of the 2019 NBA Draft lottery
What if the Knicks had ended up with Zion Williamson instead of RJ Barrett, who was later dealt for OG Anunoby? At the time, this felt devastating with the Knicks getting No. 3 overall. In hindsight? Not so bad!
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving choose the Brooklyn Nets over the Knicks in free agency
More hindsight after the heartbreak: It feels like it worked out better for the Knicks. Back then? Gutting. Now? "Tell me something KD, don't you regret not coming to the Kniiiiiicks?"
The Obi Toppin pick in 2020
Toppin is a fine bench player, but the Knicks could have had Deni Avdija, Devin Vassell or... Tyrese Haliburton, who will appear later on this list.
Losing to the Atlanta Hawks in five in 2021
The team was finally on the rise, with Julius Randle playing well and Tom Thibodeau at the helm. But then? The history with Trae Young begins here.
The Game 1 Pacers comeback in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals
The Knicks were up by 14 with under three minutes to go and up nine with under a minute left. Then, they lost in overtime thanks in part to that Tyrese Haliburton shot above. The Knicks went on to lose the series. But maybe this was a blessing in disguise, the necessary evil that got Mike Brown hired and the current team to know what heartbreak really was.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Worst Knicks history since last NBA Finals appearance
Continue reading...
