The New York Knickerbockers also know, as the Knicks are a professional National Basketball Association team. They are based in New York City. They are one of the two original NBA teams that are still located in their original city.

The Knicks first game was played on Nov. 1, 1946. They played against the Toronto Huskies, at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. The Knicks won the game 68-66. Neil Cohalan was the first head coach of the Knicks, he lead them during the first decade to the NBA Finals three years straight.

In 1947 the Knicks were also the first team to have a non-Caucasian player, Japanese player Wataru Misaka. They were also the first team to sign an African-American player to a contract in 1950, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton.

The Knicks hired Red Holzman as their head coach in 1968, and became a playoff team once again. In the 1969-70 season reeled off 18 straight wins during one stretch. The Knicks beat the L.A. Lakers in the NBA Finals in 1970. The series was tied 2-2 after four games. Center Willis Reed, the captain of the team, tore a muscle in his right leg and was no longer able to play in Game 5, but the team still managed to win by 16 points. Game 6 would have been lost without Reed, who painfully limped onto the court and played. Reed’s heroics inspired the rest of the team to move forward and lead them to a championship victory. Reed’s walking onto the court was voted as the greatest moment in Madison Square Garden history.

As of 2011 the Knicks are the most valuable team in the NBA. They are worth $655 million.