NBA Champions ·
1973 New York Knicks
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.
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.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Walt Frazier | PG | 90 |
| Earl Monroe | SG | 88 |
| Bill Bradley | SF | 83 |
| Dave DeBusschere | PF | 85 |
| Willis Reed | C | 84 |
| Dean Meminger | 6th man | 74 |
| Red Holzman | Coach | 91 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jerry Lucas | F/C | Hall of Fame reserve big man |
| Dick Barnett | G | veteran guard from the 1970 team |
| Phil Jackson | F | reserve forward, later an 11-time champion coach |
| Henry Bibby | G | rookie guard |
| John Gianelli | C | |
| Harthorne Wingo | F |