New York Knicks Explained: Traditions, Logo & History

Facts verified July 2026.

How many championships have the Knicks won?

The Knicks have won **three NBA championships**: 1970, 1973, and 2026.

The first two came in a four-year golden era built around Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, and coach Red Holzman. The third took 53 more years — a drought that ended June 13, 2026, when Jalen Brunson scored 45 points in Game 5 at San Antonio to close out the Spurs 4-1.

Why was the Knicks' 2026 championship so remarkable?

Beyond ending a 53-year drought, the 2026 Knicks won in historically improbable fashion: they trailed by double digits in every game of the Finals and came back to win four of them, including an NBA Finals-record 29-point comeback in Game 4.

Jalen Brunson's 45 points in the Game 5 clincher matched Michael Jordan for the most ever scored on the road to win a title, and he was the unanimous Finals MVP — joining Willis Reed as Knicks second-round picks to win the award.

What was Willis Reed's famous Game 7 moment?

Before Game 7 of the 1970 Finals against the Lakers, Reed — the captain, playing on a torn thigh muscle — limped out of the Madison Square Garden tunnel to a deafening roar, hit the game's first two baskets, and never scored again.

He didn't need to: the emotional lift carried the Knicks, and Walt Frazier delivered one of the greatest Game 7s ever (36 points, 19 assists) to win the franchise's first title. It remains one of the most iconic moments in American sports.

Why do the Knicks have the number 613 retired?

No.

613 honors Red Holzman, the head coach of both the 1970 and 1973 championship teams — one digit for each of his 613 wins as Knicks coach. Holzman's 'hit the open man' and 'see the ball' principles defined the franchise's championship identity, and hanging his win total in the rafters made him the rare coach honored alongside his players.

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