New York Knicks: In celebration of the first Championship
By Teresa Powe
On May 8, 1970, the New York Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games, to win their first Finals Championship!
We have all heard the stories about that historic 1969-70 New York Knicks Championship season. Even now when I think about it, I can still hear the chants of “DEFENSE, DEFENSE” from that MSG crowd. I was sitting on my living room floor, realizing that this was something big, something great! This had to be their year!
I had experienced Joe Namath and the Jets Super Bowl win and Tom Seaver as well as the Mets World Series win and wondered could it happen with Willis Reed and my New York Knicks. I would not be disappointed. Win or lose in the finals, it turned out to be the Knicks greatest season ever! My love affair with New York sports started in that best year and I would become irrevocably hooked for a lifetime.
The New York Knicks blew through the 1969-70 season because of their approach to the game. They played unselfishly with a focus on defense. It was a great experience watching the 1969-70 season unfold. I didn’t have to be sitting in the Garden to feel the excitement. It was time for the Knicks to show the world that they too were an iconic basketball team, and New York was the place to be.
Who were the men that made up the championship team? What was it that finally turned the Knicks into champions?