How Many Championships Do the Knicks Have? 3, Year by Year
1970, 1973 and 2026 are the New York Knicks’ three NBA championship years. The latest ended a 53 year wait, with a 4-1 Finals win over the San Antonio Spurs. Jalen Brunson was named Finals MVP.
- Finals
- 9
- Titles
- 3
- Finals lost
- 6
- Finals MVPs
- Willis Reed (2), Jalen Brunson
- Title coaches
- Red Holzman, Mike Brown
- Title years
- 1970, 1973, 2026
Every Knicks NBA Finals
- 1951RoyalsLost 3-4
- 1952LakersLost 3-4
- 1953LakersLost 1-4
- 1970LakersWon 4-3
- 1972LakersLost 1-4
- 1973LakersWon 4-1
- 1994RocketsLost 3-4
- 1999SpursLost 1-4
- 2026SpursWon 4-1
Three title runs, newest first
| Season | Beat | Series | Finals MVP | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-1 | Jalen Brunson | Mike Brown |
| 1972-73 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Willis Reed | Red Holzman |
| 1969-70 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Willis Reed | Red Holzman |
The three NBA Finals the Knicks won, with each Finals MVP and coach.
Brunson and Willis Reed are the only Knicks to win Finals MVP. Red Holzman coached both of the early title teams.
2026: Brunson scores 45 in the clincher
Brunson scored 45 points in the 94-90 clincher in San Antonio. It was the most points by a Knick in a Finals game. In Game 4, New York came back from 29 points down to win by 1.
| Game | Date | Result | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 3 | Knicks 105, Spurs 95 | San Antonio |
| 2 | June 5 | Knicks 105, Spurs 104 | San Antonio |
| 3 | June 8 | Spurs 115, Knicks 111 | New York |
| 4 | June 10 | Knicks 107, Spurs 106 | New York |
| 5 | June 13 | Knicks 94, Spurs 90 | San Antonio |
The 2026 NBA Finals against San Antonio, game by game.
The Knicks went 16-3 in the playoffs. They beat the Atlanta Hawks 4-2, then swept the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers before the Finals.
October 20, 2026: rings, a banner and a loss
The Knicks got their rings before the season opener at Madison Square Garden. Walt Frazier was among the team greats who handed them out, and the 2026 title banner went up. The Philadelphia 76ers then won the game 106-100.
1973: A Finals rematch with the Lakers
The Lakers had beaten New York in the 1972 Finals. A year later, Los Angeles won Game 1, and then the Knicks won the next 4 games. Reed was Finals MVP again.
1970: Willis Reed walks out for Game 7
Reed tore a thigh muscle in Game 5 and missed Game 6. He still played in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden and made the Knicks’ first 2 baskets.
Walt Frazier did the rest, with 36 points and 19 assists. The Knicks beat the Lakers 113-99 on May 8, 1970.
Six Finals that got away
| Season | Lost to | Series |
|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | San Antonio Spurs | 4-1 |
| 1993-94 | Houston Rockets | 4-3 |
| 1971-72 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 |
| 1952-53 | Minneapolis Lakers | 4-1 |
| 1951-52 | Minneapolis Lakers | 4-3 |
| 1950-51 | Rochester Royals | 4-3 |
The 6 Finals the Knicks lost, newest first, with team names from those seasons.
Three losses in a row, 1951 to 1953
The Knicks lost 3 straight Finals from 1951 to 1953, and two of them went to a Game 7.
1994 and 1999: Houston in 7, San Antonio in 5
Houston won the 1994 Finals in a Game 7. Five years later, the Spurs beat New York 4-1.
Where 3 titles rank in the NBA
The Knicks are now 1 of 9 franchises with at least 3 NBA titles.
| Team | Titles |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 18 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 17 |
| Golden State Warriors | 7 |
| Chicago Bulls | 6 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 5 |
| Detroit Pistons | 3 |
| Miami Heat | 3 |
| New York Knicks | 3 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 3 |
NBA titles for every franchise with 3 or more, counting every city each team has played in.
All 9 Finals, one tap each
Tap a year for the opponent and the result.
Every Knicks trip to the Finals
Tap a year to see how the Finals went. Gold years ended with a title.
The 2026 title run
NBA Finals from 1951 to 2026. Team names as they were. As of October 2026.
Every team’s count is on the NBA championships by team page. More basketball pages are on the NBA hub. The Seattle Seahawks won a title in 2026 too. Their page shows how many Super Bowls the Seahawks have won.
More NBA ring lists
Quick answers about Knicks titles
When did the Knicks last win a championship?
On June 13, 2026. They beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to win the series 4-1. It was their first title since 1973.
How many times have the Knicks been to the NBA Finals?
Nine times. They won in 1970, 1973 and 2026. They lost in 1951, 1952, 1953, 1972, 1994 and 1999.
Who was the Knicks’ Finals MVP in 2026?
Jalen Brunson. He scored 45 points in the Game 5 clincher, a Knicks record for a Finals game. Willis Reed is the only other Knick to win Finals MVP.
Have the Knicks ever won back to back titles?
No. Their first 2 titles came in 1970 and 1973. In between, they lost the 1972 Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers.
When did the Knicks get their 2026 championship rings?
On October 20, 2026, before the season opener at Madison Square Garden. The 2026 title banner went up the same night, and the Philadelphia 76ers won the game 106-100.
Sources
- Basketball-Reference: New York Knicks franchise history, titles and Finals
- NBA.com: 2026 NBA Finals Game 5
- Other reports used: CBS Sports, Al Jazeera, the Associated Press via KSL, Fox 7 Austin and KTVU for the 2026 Finals, Al Jazeera and the Associated Press via NY1 for ring night, The Saturday Evening Post and History.com for the 1970 Finals, NBA.com for the 1970 and 1973 titles, and Jewish Currents for Red Holzman
Last verified: October 27, 2026.
