This Week in Knicks History: The Pearl Arrives, Ewing Hits 20,000, and Remembering Red Holzman
This Week in Knicks History
The Knicks visit Indiana tonight as defending NBA champions. Last June they beat San Antonio in five games and won their first title since 1973. This week on the calendar connects all three of the franchise's championships.
Nov. 13, 1998: Remembering Red Holzman
Twenty-eight years ago today, William "Red" Holzman died at 78.
Holzman coached the Knicks to their first two championships, in 1970 and 1973. His teams were built on defense, passing and unselfishness: Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, and later Earl Monroe and Jerry Lucas.
- He won 613 games with the Knicks, still the franchise record.
- He's in the Hall of Fame, and the Knicks honored him with the number 613 in the Garden rafters.
Nov. 10, 1971: The Pearl Comes to New York
Fifty-five years ago this week, the Baltimore Bullets traded Earl "The Pearl" Monroe to the Knicks.
People wondered whether Monroe's showtime style would fit next to Walt Frazier. It did. Eighteen months later, Monroe was a key piece of the 1973 championship team. His No. 15 is retired.
Nov. 11, 1996: Ewing Joins the 20,000 Club
Thirty years ago this week, Patrick Ewing scored 24 points in a 92-88 win at Orlando and became the 23rd player in NBA history to reach 20,000 points.
Two years earlier, on Nov. 16, 1994, Ewing had five blocks in a 110-89 win at the Lakers and became the ninth player ever with 2,000 career blocks. He's the franchise's all-time leader in points, rebounds and blocks.
This Week Against the Knicks
Two of the greatest scoring nights in NBA history came against New York in this same week:
- Nov. 15, 1960: The Lakers' Elgin Baylor scored 71 points at Madison Square Garden, the first 70-point game in NBA history.
- Nov. 16, 1962: Wilt Chamberlain scored 73 against New York.
How the Knicks Were Built
- 1946: The Knicks were a charter member of the BAA, which became the NBA in 1949. They're one of only two original franchises still in their first city.
- 1970 and 1973: Holzman's two championship teams
- 1985: New York won the first draft lottery and took Patrick Ewing.
- 1994 and 1999: Two trips to the NBA Finals in the Ewing era
- 2020s: Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges
- June 2026: The Knicks beat the Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the Finals and won their third championship, ending a 53-year wait.
The Knicks Today
- Owner: James Dolan and Madison Square Garden Sports, owners since 1997
- Head coach: Mike Brown, hired July 7, 2025, who won a title in his first season
- Record: 6-5
- Stars:
- Jalen Brunson: 26.0 points a game. He just hit his 1,000th career three and won his 10th career Player of the Week award.
- Karl-Anthony Towns: 20.9 points and 13.5 rebounds. His 11 straight double-doubles to open the season tie Willis Reed's franchise record.
- OG Anunoby: 16.5 points
- Josh Hart: 8.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists
Retired numbers
| No. | Honoree |
|---|---|
| 10 | Walt Frazier |
| 12 | Dick Barnett |
| 15 | Earl Monroe and Dick McGuire |
| 19 | Willis Reed |
| 22 | Dave DeBusschere |
| 24 | Bill Bradley |
| 33 | Patrick Ewing |
| 613 | Red Holzman |
Tonight
The champs visit the Pacers at 7 PM ET, the latest chapter in one of the NBA's most bitter rivalries.
Follow every Knicks game: add the Knicks schedule to your calendar with TeamCalendar. It updates itself when game times change.
Sources: NBA.com: Key dates in NBA history, November, Statitudes: On This Day, Nov. 15, Statitudes: On This Day, Nov. 16, Knicks game notes, Nov. 13, 2026, Hoops Rumors: Knicks win first championship since 1973