1972–73 New York Knicks season

The 1972–73 New York Knicks season was the 27th season of NBA basketball in New York City. The Knicks captured their second NBA title as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, four games to one, which was exactly the same count the Knicks lost to the Lakers a year earlier. To date this is the last Knicks' championship. This is also the Knicks' last season with a Finals appearance until 1993–94, 21 years later.

Besides being the last Knicks team to win a championship, the team is also remembered for the deep roster of future Hall of Fame players, which included Dave DeBusschere, Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Jerry Lucas, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Willis Reed, Future U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, and future Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson. In fact, as of 2023, the 1972-73 Knicks are the last championship team to have their five starters all in the Hall.

Draft picks
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.

Game log
All times are EASTERN time

Standings

 * z – clinched division title
 * y – clinched division title
 * x – clinched playoff spot

Playoffs

 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 1
 * March 30
 * Baltimore
 * W 95–83
 * Walt Frazier (25)
 * Frazier, DeBusschere (7)
 * Walt Frazier (6)
 * Madison Square Garden 19,694
 * 1–0
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 2
 * April 1
 * Baltimore
 * W 123–103
 * Walt Frazier (29)
 * Dave DeBusschere (11)
 * Walt Frazier (13)
 * Madison Square Garden 19,694
 * 2–0
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 3
 * April 4
 * @ Baltimore
 * W 103–96
 * Bill Bradley (23)
 * Dave DeBusschere (11)
 * Walt Frazier (7)
 * Baltimore Civic Center 12,289
 * 3–0
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 4
 * April 6
 * @ Baltimore
 * L 89–97
 * Walt Frazier (17)
 * Willis Reed (8)
 * DeBusschere, Monroe (4)
 * Baltimore Civic Center 12,289
 * 3–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 5
 * April 8
 * Baltimore
 * W 109–99
 * Earl Monroe (26)
 * Dave DeBusschere (15)
 * Walt Frazier (7)
 * Madison Square Garden 19,694
 * 4–1


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 1
 * April 15
 * @ Boston
 * L 108–134
 * Walt Frazier (24)
 * Walt Frazier (7)
 * Walt Frazier (10)
 * Boston Garden 15,320
 * 0–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 2
 * April 18
 * Boston
 * W 129–96
 * Walt Frazier (24)
 * Dave DeBusschere (8)
 * Walt Frazier (10)
 * Madison Square Garden 19,694
 * 1–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 3
 * April 20
 * @ Boston
 * W 98–91
 * Walt Frazier (23)
 * DeBusschere, Reed (11)
 * Walt Frazier (5)
 * Boston Garden 15,320
 * 2–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 4
 * April 22
 * Boston
 * W 117–110 (2OT)
 * Walt Frazier (37)
 * Dave DeBusschere (10)
 * Dean Meminger (7)
 * Madison Square Garden 19,694
 * 3–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 5
 * April 25
 * @ Boston
 * L 97–98
 * Walt Frazier (21)
 * Dave DeBusschere (12)
 * Frazier, DeBusschere (5)
 * Boston Garden 15,320
 * 3–2
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 6
 * April 27
 * Boston
 * L 100–110
 * Walt Frazier (29)
 * Dave DeBusschere (17)
 * Bradley, DeBusschere (5)
 * Madison Square Garden 19,694
 * 3–3
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 7
 * April 29
 * @ Boston
 * W 94–78
 * Walt Frazier (25)
 * Walt Frazier (10)
 * Dave DeBusschere (8)
 * Boston Garden 15,320
 * 4–3


 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc"
 * 1
 * May 1
 * @ Los Angeles
 * L 112–115
 * Dave DeBusschere (25)
 * Dave DeBusschere (16)
 * Walt Frazier (8)
 * The Forum 17,505
 * 0–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 2
 * May 3
 * @ Los Angeles
 * W 99–95
 * Bill Bradley (26)
 * DeBusschere, Reed (9)
 * Bill Bradley (4)
 * The Forum 17,505
 * 1–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 3
 * May 6
 * Los Angeles
 * W 87–83
 * Willis Reed (22)
 * Dave DeBusschere (11)
 * Earl Monroe (6)
 * Madison Square Garden 19,694
 * 2–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 4
 * May 8
 * Los Angeles
 * W 103–98
 * Dave DeBusschere (33)
 * Dave DeBusschere (14)
 * Walt Frazier (8)
 * Madison Square Garden 19,694
 * 3–1
 * - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc"
 * 5
 * May 10
 * @ Los Angeles
 * W 102–93
 * Earl Monroe (23)
 * Willis Reed (12)
 * Frazier, Bradley (5)
 * The Forum 17,505
 * 4–1

Season

 * - align="center"
 * Dick Barnett || 51 || || 10.1 || 1.7 || || 0.3 || 0.8 || 1.0 || || || 3.8
 * - align="center"
 * Henry Bibby || 55 || || 8.6 || 1.4 || || 1.3 || 1.5 || 1.2 || || || 4.2
 * - align="center"
 * Bill Bradley || 82 || || 36.6 || 7.0 || || 2.1 || 3.7 || 4.5 || || || 16.1
 * - align="center"
 * Dave DeBusschere || 77 || || 36.7 || 6.9 || || 2.5 || 10.2 || 3.4 || || || 16.3
 * - align="center"
 * Walt Frazier || 78 || || 40.8 || 8.7 || || 3.7 || 7.3 || 5.9 || || || 21.1
 * - align="center"
 * John Gianelli || 52 || || 9.9 || 1.5 || || 0.4 || 2.9 || 0.5 || || || 3.5
 * - align="center"
 * Phil Jackson || 80 || || 17.4 || 3.1 || || 1.9 || 4.3 || 1.2 || || || 8.1
 * - align="center"
 * Jerry Lucas || 71 || || 28.2 || 4.4 || || 1.1 || 7.2 || 4.5 || || || 9.9
 * - align="center"
 * Dean Meminger || 80 || || 18.2 || 2.4 || || 1.0 || 2.9 || 1.7 || || || 5.7
 * - align="center"
 * Earl Monroe || 75 || || 31.6 || 6.6 || || 2.3 || 3.3 || 3.8 || || || 15.5
 * - align="center"
 * Luther Rackley || 1 || || 2.0 || 0.0 || || 0.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || || || 0.0
 * - align="center"
 * Willis Reed || 69 || || 27.2 || 4.8 || || 1.3 || 1.5 || 1.2 || || || 11.0
 * - align="center"
 * Tom Riker || 14 || || 4.6 || 0.7 || || 1.1 || 1.1 || 0.1 || || || 2.5
 * - align="center"
 * Harthorne Wingo || 13 || || 4.5 || 0.7 || || 0.2 || 1.2 || 0.1 || || || 1.5
 * - align="center"
 * New York Knicks || 82 || || 240.6 || 44.2 || || 16.5 || 47.3 || 26.7 || || || 105.0
 * }

Playoffs

 * - align="center"
 * Dick Barnett || 4 || || 4.3 || 0.8 || || 0.0 || 0.0 || 5.5 || || || 1.5
 * - align="center"
 * Henry Bibby || 6 || || 7.2 || 1.3 || || 0.7 || 0.3 || 0.5 || || || 3.3
 * - align="center"
 * Bill Bradley || 17 || || 34.5 || 5.8 || || 2.4 || 3.4 || 2.6 || || || 14.0
 * - align="center"
 * Dave DeBusschere || 17 || || 37.2 || 6.9 || || 2.3 || 10.5 || 3.4 || || || 15.6
 * - align="center"
 * Walt Frazier || 17 || || 45.0 || 8.8 || || 4.3 || 7.3 || 6.2 || || || 21.9
 * - align="center"
 * John Gianelli || 52 || || 7.9 || 1.6 || || 0.4 || 1.9 || 0.1 || || || 3.6
 * - align="center"
 * Phil Jackson || 17 || || 19.9 || 3.5 || || 1.6 || 4.2 || 1.4 || || || 8.7
 * - align="center"
 * Jerry Lucas || 17 || || 21.6 || 3.2 || || 1.2 || 5.0 || 2.3 || || || 7.5
 * - align="center"
 * Dean Meminger || 17 || || 19.0 || 1.8 || || 1.1 || 2.2 || 2.2 || || || 4.8
 * - align="center"
 * Earl Monroe || 16 || || 31.5 || 6.9 || || 2.3 || 3.2 || 3.2 || || || 16.1
 * - align="center"
 * Willis Reed || 17 || || 28.6 || 5.7 || || 1.1 || 7.6 || 1.8 || || || 12.5
 * - align="center"
 * Harthorne Wingo || 3 || || 4.0 || 1.7 || || 0.3 || 2.3 || 0.0 || || || 3.7
 * - align="center"
 * New York Knicks || 17 || || 48.4 || 48.0 || || 17.2 || 47.9 || 24.2 || || || 113.2
 * }

Local TV
Some New York Knicks TV Games never aired on WOR-TV because of broadcast conflict with the New York Rangers (NHL).

Local radio
Some New York Knicks radio games never aired on WNBC–AM because of broadcast conflict with the New York Rangers (NHL).

24th NBA All-Star Game
New York Knicks NBA All-Star representatives at the 1973 NBA All-Star Game in Chicago, Illinois at Chicago Stadium.

Transactions
Transactions listed are from July 1, 1972 to June 30, 1973.