Where Do The 2025-26 Knicks Rank Among The Best Teams In Franchise History?

A playoff win streak of 13 games and a handful of miraculous moments played a part in the Knicks securing their third championship in franchise history and the first NBA title in 53 years. After the near two-month jaunt of playoff basketball, it’s fair to ask where this Knicks team ranks among the greatest squads in the franchise’s history. 

The Knicks had a really strong regular season, winning 53 games, and took home the NBA Cup championship.

Let’s look at where the 2025-26 team stacks up against the best Knicks squads past and present. Honorable mentions go to the 1998-99 team, which was the first No. 8 seed to advance to an NBA Finals, and the 60-win 1992-93 team.

Regular season record, playoff record, opponent strength, and memorable moments were all factors in these rankings.

Here are the top five Knicks teams ever…

No. 5: 1952-53

Going 47-23 during the regular season, the Knicks had the best record in the Eastern Division and the second-best mark out of 10 teams. New York was led by All-Stars and future Hall-of-Famers Carl Braun and Harry Gallatin. 

The Knicks swept the Baltimore Bullets in two games and beat the Boston Celtics 3-1 before dropping the final four games to the Minneapolis Lakers in a 4-1 NBA Finals loss. But the combined success in both the regular season and the playoffs gives this group a spot in the top five.

No. 4: 1993-94

After multiple years in the shadow of the Bulls, New York was an instant title favorite for 1994 when Michael Jordan announced his sudden retirement.

Bolstered by strong play from three All-Stars in Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and Charles Oakley, and a midseason trade for point guard Derek Harper, the Knicks finished tied for the third-best record in the NBA at 57-25.

After two seven-game series in the first three rounds, New York got to the NBA Finals for the first time in 21 years. Facing the Houston Rockets, the Knicks held a 3-2 series advantage after five games. But a game-saving block from Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon on Starks — who was taking a potential title-clinching three-pointer — gave the Rockets Game 6 before Houston closed it out in Game 7.

No. 3: 2025-26

One of the most unique paths to an NBA championship belongs to the current Knicks roster. After a very good, but not great regular season that saw New York finish tied for the sixth-best record at 53-29, the club’s postseason run was remarkable.

New York went 16-3 on the way to the third championship in NBA Finals history. The club won 13 consecutive playoff games, the second-best playoff win streak in NBA history, and had the best point differential (plus-283) in a postseason of any team ever. New York’s three losses were by one, one and four points. New York won the NBA Finals 4-1 against a 62-20 San Antonio Spurs team. Though every game was close, NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson powered the Knicks to a title with 45 points in the clincher.

New York’s championship will be remembered for Brunson, the all-around play of All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and two-way wing OG Anunoby. A deep roster of role players including Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson and more contributed to the achievement.

You can also add an NBA Cup championship as extra credit to this season’s report card.

No. 2: 1969-70

New York’s first truly dominant team came in 1969. Led by Willis Reed and Walt Frazier, the Knicks won 23 of their first 24 games in the regular season on their way to setting a franchise record with an NBA-high 60 wins.

The playoffs saw the Knicks beat the Bullets 4-3 and the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 before advancing to the NBA Finals. The Knicks needed seven games to defeat the 46-36 Los Angeles Lakers. 

Part of the reason for the long series was a torn thigh muscle Reed suffered in Game 5. He famously returned briefly for Game 7, and Frazier led the Knicks to a championship with a remarkable 36 points and 19 assists in the clincher.

No. 1: 1972-73

This Knicks team ranked third in offensive efficiency and fourth in defensive efficiency during the regular season. With a 57-25 record, the Knicks had the fourth-best record in the NBA.

The playoff run was of supreme quality. The Knicks had the top net rating (plus-4.9) in the playoffs, per Basketball Reference. After defeating the 52-win Bullets in five games, the highlight of this Knicks team’s run came in the Eastern Conference Finals against the 68-14 Celtics, when the Knicks won 94-78 at the Boston Garden in Game 7. New York then vanquished another 60-win juggernaut with a 4-1 NBA Finals win over the Lakers.

The Knicks' starting lineup was stacked. Its starting five of Frazier, Earl Monroe, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Reed is the last championship team to have all five starters make the Hall of Fame.

Final say

The title win has helped place this current Knicks squad in the top three of all-time teams, just a notch below the two championship teams in the 1970s. A factor in the decision was New York’s 53-29 record during the regular season. Also, the ‘70s teams were littered with Hall of Fame contributors.

Still, this current Knicks group had a great run and earned a place as one of the top teams in the franchise’s history.