The Revival of New York Basketball

Over the last decade, the New York Knicks went from being one of the NBA’s signature franchises to being one of its most moribund organizations. The days of Willis Reed, Bernard King and Patrick Ewing were gone, and in its place was a dysfunctional team of overrated and overpriced veterans. It was a long fall from grace for the Knicks. They were the iconic NBA franchise. Fans lined up outside Madison Square Garden just to see their beloved boys play ball, but during those lean years the fans really turned on the team. New York fans have always been one of the smarter fan bases in basketball and they understood that the team playing for them was not one headed for greatness. After years of losing seasons, the Knicks were finally able to clear up enough cap space and along with it they also made a few moves in an attempt to restore glory to the once revered team.

The road to redemption began in earnest for New York when they were able to sign marquis free agent Amare Stoudemire. The Knicks had lacked a signature player for a long time and Amare was the first player in a long time that possessed the skill set to claim that role. The Knicks were not done however, and before the trade deadline of 2011 came to pass they snagged all-star swingman Carmelo Anthony to truly revive interest in New York basketball. For the first time in years there was actual excitement back in the garden. The Knicks now had a franchise player to call their own and they were ready to face the challenges that were on the horizon.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, the beginning of the Carmelo Anthony era was far from perfect. The team struggled with chemistry right from the start as the roster was seemingly in flux throughout the entire season. The Knicks would reach the postseason in 2011 for the first time since 2004 but there was not all that much reason to celebrate as they would bow out quickly in the first round to the Boston Celtics. The following season was supposed to be better for the Knicks but a rough start dampened the hopes of the New York faithful. It was not until the emergence of Jeremy Lin that the team was able to truly string together meaningful wins. Even then however, New York still lacked the formula for truly meaningful success as they would lose in the first round to the eventual NBA Champions.

The 2012-2013 season has been more promising for the Knicks. The team has played at a high level this season and they are on pace to clinch a high seed heading into the playoffs. Carmelo Anthony is playing his best all-around basketball and the team has also been utilizing the three point shot all year to win games. Whether or not the Knicks go far in the postseason this year still remains to be seen but if nothing else the Garden is swaying again and that means that for the first time in a long time, the New York Knicks are back to playing good basketball.

Catch the New York Knicks as they battle it out with the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow at the Madisone Square Garden, Get your New York Tickets from Ticket Broker in order to catch them in action.