The history behind the New York Knicks

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The National Basketball Association was founded on June 6, 1946, 55 years after basketball was invented. At the time, the league was composed of 30 teams, including the Knicks. But back then, they were still known as the Knickerbockers. According to long-time Knicks fan Peter Max, there is a rich history behind this beloved franchise.

Among those present during the founding of the NBA was Ned Irish, the president of Madison Square Garden and a retired sportswriter. Initially, Max Kase wanted to lease Madison Square Garden and own the New York franchise of the NBA. But with the same goal and far more resources, the franchise was awarded to Irish.

To get the ball rolling, the Irish held a staff meeting to find a name for the team. The term Knickerbockers came up, which was the pseudonym used by Washington Irving in his book, "A History of New York." They found this name fitting and began the team. Its first fixture was St. John’s University basketball coach Joe Lapchick. But according to Peter Max, Lapchick asked to stay at St. John’s for one more year before joining the team full-time.

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Because it was the first year of the NBA, there had been no subsequent college drafts of any kind. This is why the team management assembled 25 talents to attend a three-week-long boot camp. With twice a day practice, the chemistry between the players grew. Soon enough, they were ready for their first game.

According to Peter Max, the first game of the franchise, as well as the NBA, would be the Knickerbockers against the Toronto Huskies at the Maple Leaf Gardens on Nov. 1, 1946. With a score of 68-66, New York became the first team to win an NBA game.

Knick glory: The 1970 climax of the Cinderella run

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Peter Max. Almost 50 years ago, the New York Knicks won their last championship. It was a titanic battle between two of the biggest franchises in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers had put together quite a team (as it always has) and were surprised that the Knicks forced everyone to a seventh game.

In the fifth game, Knicks leader, Willis Reed tore his right thigh muscle. The Lakers, behind the strength of their superstars, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor, pounced and destroyed the Knicks in game six. Peter Max.

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It looked bleak for the Knicks, even with the seventh game being played in their own Madison Square Garden. Until, of course, the impossible happened.

Out from the Knicks dugout limped their wounded captain, Willis Reed, all dressed up to do battle one last time that season in a scene that would forever be one of the most inspiring in league history.

Peter Max. While he was nowhere near 100%, Reed did manage to score a few points and cause the dominant Chamberlain to miss more than just a few shots of his own.

Reed’s actions not only revitalized the fans, but it also fed into the collective energy of the Knicks. Another Knick legend and NBA Hall-of-Famer Walt Frazier took it from there, scoring 36 points and dishing out 19 assists, capturing the title for the fabled franchise. Peter Max.

The biggest weakness of the Golden State Warriors

I’m Peter Max, aspiring sports agent. I love sports. My dad and I would sit in the living room for hours cheering on the Knicks, Jets, Giants, and Yankees (and sometimes the Rangers). Today, we still do whenever I visit.

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 The last time I visited my dad was April. We saw a few NBA playoff games on TV, including the one where the Golden State Warriors blew a 31-point lead against the L.A. Clippers. What an embarrassing result for the defending champs. My dad and I got to talking about it, and we agreed, while the Warriors are still odds-on favorites to win it all this year (even after Boogie Cousins’ probable season-ending injury), they have one weakness that the Clippers exposed – their overconfidence.

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After the Warriors clobbered the Clippers in the first half, their defense faltered, their offensive sets became sloppy, and they committed turnover after turnover. Lou Williams did whatever he wanted and defensive specialists like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green seemed too slow. After all, they were still up.

If any team has a hope of beating the Warriors, it’s because the Warriors allow it. Kerr is a great coach when it comes to motivating his players, but with teams like the Rockets and Bucks proving themselves highly capable, Kerr would need to instill more discipline in his boys.
Like Peter Max, Sr. (my dad) always used to say, it ain’t over till it’s over.

Air Jordans: How Michael Jordan became a Nike endorser

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Throughout the mid-90s, Air Jodans were all the rave of basketball players and fans thanks to the spectacular performance of its main endorser, Michael Jordan. Perhaps it can even be considered as the beginning of high profile NBA players getting shoes designed exclusively for them. In reality, Jordan almost didn’t become a Nike endorser. In a way, the deal between Nike and Jordan changed sports apparel marketing forever. According to aspiring sports agent Peter Max, there’s a great story behind Michael Jordan, the Air Jordans, and Nike’s partnership with his royal airness.


Originally, Jordan wanted to make an endorsement deal with Adidas. Unfortunately, the company was experiencing internal difficulties at the time. The only deal Adidas could offer Jordan was the same endorsement deal they had with other superstars which only amounted to $100,000. It also irked Jordan that the company was not doing anything new in terms of branding.

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Fortunately, Nike, a rising star in sports apparel at the time, was able to setup a meeting with Jordan to present their concepts. They sat down with Nike’s designers, and executives handling the basketball division of the company. What caught Jordan’s attention was Nike’s offer to tailor their new shoes to Jordan.

Jordan was offered half a million dollars a year for five years, an amount unheard of at the time. There were certain stipulations though on Jordan’s part. He had to accomplish one of three things to keep his contract. He had to become Rookie of the Year, become an NBA All Star player, and score 20 points per game in his first three years. According to Peter Max, the stipulation became a form of motivation for Jordan to push himself and his game further.

Peter Max moved to California to pursue a sports management degree. He likes to write blogs on sports but with a different take on the subject. To know more about Peter, visit this website.

A quick look at the unbelievable popularity of basketball

If there was one point in basketball where it changed from being a beloved sport into a worldwide phenomenon, it was when the Dream Team won Olympic gold.

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 My name is Peter Max, and I love basketball and everything about New York sports. As I was reading about the history of basketball over the weekend, I came across a curious factoid. Before Michael Jordan’s rise to championship glory, the only thing that kept the popularity of the NBA intact was the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Had that rivalry not been covered much by the media, the NBA in the ‘80s would have been in all sorts of trouble.

However big a following the NBA had, it was mostly comprised of die-hard basketball fans.

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Nowadays, even people who don’t know how to play basketball love watching the sport and buying the merchandise. Basketball sneakers, especially Jordans, sell as hot as any other shoe in the market.

This brings me back to the Peter Max point – it was the Dream Team that opened the eyes of everyone to the game. People from all walks of life found a team filled with legends blow every other team away, and they were okay with that. And with Michael Jordan’s ascendancy into basketball supremacy in the decades to follow, even more people became enamored with the sport.

Hello, my name is Peter Max. I’m currently based in California, but I was born and raised in New York. I’m pursuing a sports management degree, hoping to become a renowned sports agent in the future. For more sports posts and updates, follow me on Twitter.

The greatest New York Knicks in NBA history

The city of New York has a proud history in American sports led by the greatest professional team in the history of modern sports, the Yankees. But also commanding a huge following is the city’s fabled basketball team, the New York Knicks.


As a tribute to the Knicks, we take a look at the three greatest Knicks players of all-time.

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Willis Reed
With almost 19 PPG, 13 RPG, and 2 APG, it’s easy to see while Captain Courageous would be one of our choices for the greatest Knicks. Reed played for a decade in the Big Apple and averaged a double-double for his first seven seasons, but then his game declined due to a number of serious injuries.





Walt Frazier

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The Knicks had no greater point guard than Walt Frazier. He had 21 PPG, 6RPG and 8 APG in the Knicks championship run in the 1969-1970 season. And when it mattered most, in game 7 of the Finals, he poured in 36 points, making 19 assists, and grabbing 7 rebounds.

Patrick Ewing
While he never won a championship, we will always consider Patrick Ewing the greatest player to ever wear a Knick uniform. The undisputed Knick leader in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Ewing came ever so close in 1994 but lost to Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets. His height and shooting touch made him one of the premier centers in NBA history.

Hello, Peter Max here, a sports management student aspiring to be a renowned sports agent one day. I’m a big fan and supporter of New York Knicks basketball. Click here for more of my musings on various sports.

Greatest NBA matches held in Madison Square Garden

New York’s Madison Square Garden has hosted some of the best shows in the world in the worlds of sports, as well as entertainment. This esteemed hall has witnessed Ali’s first fight as well as Rocky Marciano’s last, hosted sold-out crowds for Michael Jackson twice, and saw some of the most astonishing games in the NBA. Here are some of the greatest basketball games held in Madison Square garden.

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  Knicks VS Lakers, NBA Finals Game 7 (1970) In a grueling display of attrition, the series was dragged out to a game 7 by the Knicks. Led by Willis Reed and Walt Frazier, the Knicks were able to seal the championship over the Lakers after an upsetting game 6 loss where Reed was unable to play. The team won with a score of 113 – 99.

  Knicks VS Bulls, The Dunk (1993) During the NBA playoffs, the Knicks faced off against Michael Jordan and the Chicago bulls. The Knicks were up by 3 with 50 seconds remaining when John Starks dealt a decisive dunk over both Michael Jordan and Horace Grant. This sealed the win for the Knicks in spectacular fashion and was also to be John Stark’s greatest career moment.

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  Knicks VS Bulls, Return of MJ (1995) After a year in hiatus, Michael Jordan returned brandishing his classic number 45 jersey. It was his first game and was pretty much a statement telling everyone that he was back. Jordan scored 55 points during the game and eventually won the championship that year.




  Hi there, my name is Peter Max. I’m currently based in California, but I was born and raised in New York. Even if I’ve been in sunny Cali for the past two years, my allegiance still belongs to the sports teams of New York. For more sports updates, visit this onwebsite .

Reminiscing About The Yankees' Famed "Murderers' Row"

The New York Yankees arguably have the richest history in Major League Baseball history. Some even consider the franchise as one of the most valuable and successful sports clubs in the entire world.

The Yankees’ rise to prominence began in the 1920s, the decade when The Bronx Bombers won the first of their MLB-record 27 World Series championships. When Colonel Jacob Ruppert, who had just inherited a brewery fortune, and his partners bought the franchise for $1.25 million in 1915, the Yankees were given the go-signal to spend a lot to build a winning team. And that they did.

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In 1920, New York traded for The Bambino, Babe Ruth. The home-run king left both players and fans in awe with the way he hit the ball with ease, especially since he started his baseball career as a pitcher.

Three years later, the Yankees signed Lou Gehrig in the middle of the season. While he did not impress immediately, he improved season after season, eventually breaking out in 1926. He may not have been as powerful as Babe Ruth with the bat, Gehrig showed all-around hitting skills.

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These two sluggers were the foundation of what would then become known as the “Murderers’ Row.” Ruth batted third in the lineup, with Gehrig following him. They were flanked by four other formidable hitters, namely, Earle Combs, Mark Koenig, Bob Meusel, and Tony Lazzeri. The sextet were so intimidating and dominating that it prompted an opponent to say, “Those fellows not only beat you but they tear your heart out. I wish the season was over.”

The group won three World Series titles together, sweeping all of them, before Babe Ruth left the team for the Boston Braves in 1935. Hi! I’m Peter Max, a lifelong New York Yankees fan. Read more about the team by visiting this website.

Knicks commit to rebuilding for 2017-18 season

If there’s one sure thing the Carmelo Anthony trade has shown, it’s that the Knicks are ready to bank on a younger roster moving forward. It’s highly unlikely that the upcoming season will lead to more Knicks wins, with their star scorer gone. But the move is a great indicator that the team is keen on rebuilding. 

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For one, this trade will unfetter Porzingis, who has played second fiddle to Anthony since he got to New York. The talented 22-year-old power forward should now bear the brunt of the offensive load. And given his unselfish, pass-aware play, this should let other young players to gain confidence on the offensive end. 

The new-look team just got McDermott and Canter, who’d probably take some time to buy into the system. But with only four players in the current roster in their 30s (Noah, Sessions, Lee, and Jack), the Knicks is likely going for a faster, run-and-gun offense. The triangle system employed by former president Phil Jackson is outdated in current NBA play, and it’s about time the Knicks accepted the need for change. 

On paper, the New York Knicks is not much to look at. Rookie Frank Ntilikina is a work in progress; Hardaway Jr. is, well, overpaid and still to prove that he can be as good as his dad; and millions of the team’s fans will have to sit and wait a few more seasons. But, who knows, this rebuilding, probably tanking team might just get somebody like Luka Doncic next draft. And that will surely catapult the team to the next level. 

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Hello, my name’s Peter Max and I’m a New Yorker currently studying sports management in California. I’m also a sports blogger. For more on my sports writings, visit this website.