1973 New York Knicks

The core from 1970 was still in place, with one big addition: Earl Monroe, acquired from Baltimore, had blended his scoring into Holzman's share-the-ball system. Reed was older and more limited, but the starting group of Walt Frazier, Monroe, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, and Reed had no weak link.

Reed won Finals MVP, his second, anchoring a defense that smothered the Lakers. Frazier set the tempo, and the bench ran deep. Jerry Lucas backed up at center and Dick Barnett still had minutes left in him.

New York dropped Game 1 of the Finals, then won four straight to take the series 4-1. The defense held Los Angeles under 100 points repeatedly.

The roster again included Phil Jackson, now healthy and a useful reserve forward. New York's title drought after this season would stretch all the way to 2026.

The league was smaller than it is today, but the 1973 playoffs still required beating the best teams in the division and then the other side of the bracket. Title paths from this era are shorter on paper than a modern run, yet the Finals still decided the champion.

The starting five was Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, and Willis Reed. Red Holzman coached the group with Dean Meminger as the primary bench scorer.

The full roster ran deeper than the headline names. Role players who mattered included Jerry Lucas (Hall of Fame reserve big man); Dick Barnett (veteran guard from the 1970 team); Phil Jackson (reserve forward, later an 11-time champion coach).

By 1973 the NBA had expanded nationwide and the Finals were a national television event. The New York Knicks title run still required winning the East or West bracket, then taking the championship round.

The New York Knicks share a lineage with other banners from 1970, 2026. Compare those seasons on the franchise hub to see how the roster and style changed between title runs.

Looking back, the 1972-73 Knicks went 57-25 and beat the Lakers in five, flipping the exact result Los Angeles had handed them a year earlier. It was the franchise's second title and its last for more than half a century. Every one of New York's five starters is in the Hall of Fame, the most recent champion that can say so.

For the full roster beyond the featured starters, see the table on this page. For other New York Knicks titles, use the franchise hub linked below.