Season of National Basketball Association team the New York Knicks
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1972β73 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
1993β94 , 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.
Roster
1972β73 New York Knicks roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
SG
12
Barnett, Dick
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
190 lb (86 kg)
1936β10β02
Tennessee State
PG
17
Bibby, Henry
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
1949β11β24
UCLA
SF
24
Bradley, Bill
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
205 lb (93 kg)
1943β07β28
Princeton
PF
22
DeBusschere, Dave
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1940β10β16
Detroit Mercy
PG
10
Frazier, Walt
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
200 lb (91 kg)
1945β03β29
Southern Illinois
C
40
Gianelli, John
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1950β06β10
Pacific
PF
18
Jackson, Phil
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1945β09β17
North Dakota
PF
32
Lucas, Jerry
6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
230 lb (104 kg)
1940β03β30
Ohio State
SG
7
Meminger, Dean
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1948β05β13
Marquette
SG
15
Monroe, Earl
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
1944β11β21
Winston-Salem State
C
23
Rackley, Luther
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
220 lb (100 kg)
1946β06β11
Xavier
C
19
Reed, Willis
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
235 lb (107 kg)
1942β06β25
Grambling State
C
6
Riker, Tom
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1950β02β28
South Carolina
PF
43
Wingo, Harthorne
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1947β09β09
Friendship College
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Roster Last transaction: 1973β05β10
Pre season
Game log
1972β73 Pre Season Game Log
Game
Date
Time
Opponent
Score
Location
Attendance
Record
All times are
EASTERN time
Regular season
Standings
z β clinched division title
y β clinched division title
x β clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1972β73 NBA Records
Team
ATL
BAL
BOS
BUF
CHI
CLE
DET
GSW
HOU
KCO
LAL
MIL
NYK
PHI
PHO
POR
SEA
Atlanta
β
3β4
1β5
5β1
2β2
3β4
2β2
1β3
4β4
2β2
3β1
1β3
3β3
6β0
3β1
4β0
3β1
Baltimore
4β3
β
1β5
5β1
0β4
8β0
2β2
3β1
5β2
3β1
1β3
2β2
3β3
5β1
2β2
4β0
4β0
Boston
5β1
5β1
β
7β0
3β1
5β1
3β1
3β1
5β1
3β1
4β0
2β2
4β4
7β0
4β0
4β0
4β0
Buffalo
1β5
1β5
0β7
β
2β2
1β5
1β3
0β4
1β5
1β3
0β4
0β4
1β6
7β1
1β3
2β2
2β2
Chicago
2β2
4β0
1β3
2β2
β
3β1
3β4
3β3
4β0
5β2
1β5
2β4
3β1
4β0
4β2
5β1
5β1
Cleveland
4β3
0β8
1β5
5β1
1β3
β
1β3
1β3
4β3
2β2
1β3
1β3
0β6
6β0
1β3
1β3
3β1
Detroit
2β2
2β2
1β3
3β1
4β3
3β1
β
2β4
1β3
3β3
1β5
2β5
1β3
3β1
4β2
6β0
2β4
Golden State
3β1
1β3
1β3
4β0
3β3
3β1
4β2
β
3β1
4β2
3β4
1β5
2β2
4β0
2β4
5β1
4β3
Houston
4β4
2β5
1β5
5β1
0β4
3β4
3β1
1β3
β
0β4
1β3
1β3
1β5
5β1
2β2
2β2
2β2
Kansas City-Omaha
2β2
1β3
1β3
3β1
2β5
2β2
3β3
2β4
4β0
β
1β5
1β6
0β4
3β1
3β3
4β2
4β2
Los Angeles
1β3
3β1
0β4
4β0
5β1
3β1
5β1
4β3
3β1
5β1
β
3β3
2β2
4β0
6β1
6β0
6β0
Milwaukee
3β1
2β2
2β2
4β0
4β2
3β1
5β2
5β1
3β1
6β1
3β3
β
2β2
3β1
5β1
5β1
5β1
New York
3β3
3β3
4β4
6β1
1β3
6β0
3β1
2β2
5β1
4β0
2β2
2β2
β
6β1
3β1
3β1
4β0
Philadelphia
0β6
1β5
0β7
1β7
0β4
0β6
1β3
0β4
1β5
1β3
0β4
1β3
1β6
β
0β4
1β3
1β3
Phoenix
1β3
2β2
0β4
3β1
2β4
3β1
2β4
4β2
2β2
3β3
1β6
1β5
1β3
4β0
β
5β2
4β2
Portland
0β4
0β4
0β4
2β2
1β5
3β1
0β6
1β5
2β2
2β4
0β6
1β5
1β3
3β1
2β5
β
3β4
Seattle
1β3
0β4
0β4
2β2
1β5
1β3
4β2
3β4
2β2
2β4
0β6
1β5
0β4
3β1
2β4
4β3
β
Game log
1972β73 Game log
#
Date
Opponent
Score
High points
Record
1
October 10
Seattle
89β113
Bill Bradley (26)
1β0
2
October 14
Los Angeles
100β125
Bill Bradley (29)
2β0
3
October 15
@
Atlanta
101β109
Bradley,
DeBusschere (21)
2β1
4
October 17
Houston
95β103
Jerry Lucas (22)
3β1
5
October 20
@
Cleveland
92β89
Walt Frazier (33)
4β1
6
October 21
Philadelphia
88β111
Walt Frazier (21)
5β1
7
October 24
Cleveland
90β123
Walt Frazier (22)
6β1
8
October 27
@
Baltimore
92β88
Walt Frazier (25)
7β1
9
October 28
Baltimore
90β94
Earl Monroe (21)
8β1
10
November 1
@
Kansas CityβOmaha
122β85
Walt Frazier (22)
9β1
11
November 3
@ Seattle
105β80
Bradley, Monroe (18)
10β1
12
November 4
@
Golden State
104β127
Bill Bradley (23)
10β2
13
November 6
@
Portland
111β95
Bill Bradley (24)
11β2
14
November 9
Atlanta
99β101
Walt Frazier (35)
12β2
15
November 10
@ Philadelphia
125β106
Dave DeBusschere (24)
13β2
16
November 11
Golden State
103β102 (OT)
Dave DeBusschere (27)
13β3
17
November 14
Phoenix
97β103
Walt Frazier (32)
14β3
18
November 16
Houston
100β119
Earl Monroe (24)
15β3
19
November 18
Milwaukee
86β87
Earl Monroe (22)
16β3
20
November 21
Portland
80β108
Dave DeBusschere (25)
17β3
21
November 24
@
Boston
97β114
Walt Frazier (25)
17β4
22
November 25
Boston
94β97
Walt Frazier (31)
18β4
23
November 28
Cleveland
84β107
Walt Frazier (19)
19β4
24
November 29
@ Philadelphia
139β91
Bill Bradley (26)
20β4
25
December 1
@ Milwaukee
74β100
Earl Monroe (17)
20β5
26
December 2
Buffalo
94β119
Earl Monroe (24)
21β5
27
December 5
Kansas CityβOmaha
103β125
Dave DeBusschere (28)
22β5
28
December 8
@ Buffalo
89β91
Walt Frazier (26)
22β6
29
December 9
Philadelphia
109β120
Bradley, Frazier (26)
23β6
30
December 12
Atlanta
93β114
Walt Frazier (29)
24β6
31
December 13
@ Atlanta
120β121
Dave DeBusschere (21)
24β7
32
December 15
@
Chicago
86β90
Walt Frazier (20)
24β8
33
December 16
Chicago
83β97
Dave DeBusschere (27)
25β8
34
December 19
@ Phoenix
84β117
Earl Monroe (17)
25β9
35
December 20
N Houston
124β102
DeBusschere,
Reed (26)
26β9
36
December 22
@ Cleveland
98β87
Dave DeBusschere (24)
27β9
37
December 25
Detroit
110β113
Bill Bradley (29)
28β9
38
December 26
@ Boston
106β115
Walt Frazier (29)
28β10
39
December 28
Buffalo
86β107
Walt Frazier (19)
29β10
40
December 29
@ Detroit
99β94
Walt Frazier (24)
30β10
41
December 30
Baltimore
98β100
Earl Monroe (26)
31β10
42
January 2
Milwaukee
92β102
Bill Bradley (22)
32β10
43
January 5
@ Buffalo
129β106
Bill Bradley (38)
33β10
44
January 6
Houston
106β116
Walt Frazier (33)
34β10
45
January 9
@ Kansas CityβOmaha
116β115 (OT)
DeBusschere, Monroe (24)
35β10
46
January 11
@ Atlanta
122β107
Walt Frazier (31)
36β10
47
January 12
@ Houston
104β103
Earl Monroe (25)
37β10
48
January 14
@ Seattle
86β84
Willis Reed (22)
38β10
49
January 16
@ Phoenix
102β101
Dave DeBusschere (30)
39β10
50
January 19
@ Los Angeles
88β95
Walt Frazier (24)
39β11
51
January 21
@ Houston
103β107
Walt Frazier (24)
39β12
52
January 25
Buffalo
92β99
Walt Frazier (23)
40β12
53
January 27
Boston
108β111
Walt Frazier (25)
41β12
54
January 28
@ Boston
96β93
Walt Frazier (23)
42β12
55
January 29
Golden State
84β97
DeBusschere, Frazier (27)
43β12
56
January 31
@ Detroit
91β94
Walt Frazier (20)
43β13
57
February 2
@ Baltimore
77β89
Dave DeBusschere (22)
43β14
58
February 3
Cleveland
90β95
Dave DeBusschere (21)
44β14
59
February 4
@ Cleveland
114β97
Walt Frazier (28)
45β14
60
February 6
Los Angeles
95β90
Phil Jackson (15)
45β15
61
February 10
Detroit
93β107
Earl Monroe (22)
46β15
62
February 14
Chicago
100β98
Walt Frazier (29)
46β16
63
February 16
@ Buffalo
102β98
Walt Frazier (34)
47β16
64
February 17
Philadelphia
89β107
Earl Monroe (25)
48β16
65
February 18
@ Philadelphia
98β114
Walt Frazier (25)
48β17
66
February 20
Portland
106β110
Jerry Lucas (27)
49β17
67
February 23
@ Chicago
83β84
Jerry Lucas (22)
49β18
68
February 24
Buffalo
97β125
Walt Frazier (25)
50β18
69
February 27
Boston
91β123
Frazier, Jackson (20)
51β18
70
March 1
@ Milwaukee
100β114
Phil Jackson (22)
51β19
71
March 3
Baltimore
97β75
Walt Frazier (22)
51β20
72
March 4
N Baltimore
97β106
Walt Frazier (26)
51β21
73
March 6
Seattle
94β106
Bill Bradley (29)
52β21
74
March 7
@ Philadelphia
120β94
Walt Frazier (28)
53β21
75
March 10
Kansas CityβOmaha
102β125
Bradley, Frazier (28)
54β21
76
March 11
@ Boston
107β122
Walt Frazier (22)
54β22
77
March 13
Phoenix
111β115
Frazier, Reed (28)
55β22
78
March 16
@ Los Angeles
109β98
Earl Monroe (23)
56β22
79
March 17
@ Golden State
117β108
Earl Monroe (21)
57β22
80
March 18
@ Portland
96β99
Earl Monroe (18)
57β23
81
March 21
Atlanta
98β93
Jackson, Monroe (18)
57β24
82
March 24
Boston
108β103
Earl Monroe (25)
57β25
Playoffs
1973 playoff game log
Conference Semifinals: 4β1 (home: 3β0; road: 1β1)
Conference Finals: 4β3 (home: 2β1; road: 2β2)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Series
1
April 15
@
Boston
L 108β134
Walt Frazier (24)
Walt Frazier (7)
Walt Frazier (10)
Boston Garden 15,320
0β1
2
April 18
Boston
W 129β96
Walt Frazier (24)
Dave DeBusschere (8)
Walt Frazier (10)
Madison Square Garden 19,694
1β1
3
April 20
@
Boston
W 98β91
Walt Frazier (23)
DeBusschere ,
Reed (11)
Walt Frazier (5)
Boston Garden 15,320
2β1
4
April 22
Boston
W 117β110 (2OT)
Walt Frazier (37)
Dave DeBusschere (10)
Dean Meminger (7)
Madison Square Garden 19,694
3β1
5
April 25
@
Boston
L 97β98
Walt Frazier (21)
Dave DeBusschere (12)
Frazier ,
DeBusschere (5)
Boston Garden 15,320
3β2
6
April 27
Boston
L 100β110
Walt Frazier (29)
Dave DeBusschere (17)
Bradley ,
DeBusschere (5)
Madison Square Garden 19,694
3β3
7
April 29
@
Boston
W 94β78
Walt Frazier (25)
Walt Frazier (10)
Dave DeBusschere (8)
Boston Garden 15,320
4β3
NBA Finals: 4β1 (home: 2β0; road: 2β1)
1973 schedule
Player statistics
Season
Opponents
Regular-season series
New York tied 3β3 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
6
288
275
101
651
Hawks
6
288
256
115
627
Regular-season series
New York tied 3β3 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
6
288
239
57
535
Bullets
6
288
242
84
568
Regular-season series
New York tied 4β4 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
8
384
340
160
840
Celtics
8
384
336
173
845
Regular-season series
New York won 6β1 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
7
336
322
126
770
Braves
7
336
282
100
664
Regular-season series
New York lost 1β3 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
4
192
153
58
364
Bulls
4
192
134
89
357
Regular-season series
New York won 6β0 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
6
288
250
98
598
Cavaliers
6
288
220
96
536
Regular-season series
New York won 3β1 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
4
192
178
54
410
Pistons
4
192
164
63
391
Regular-season series
New York tied 2β2 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
4
197
176
68
420
Warriors
4
197
165
92
422
Regular-season series
New York won 5β1 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
6
Rockets
6
Regular-season series
New York won 4β0 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
4
Kings
4
Regular-season series
New York tied 2β2 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
4
Lakers
4
Regular-season series
New York tied 2β2 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
4
Bucks
4
Regular-season series
New York won 6β1 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
7
336
348
124
820
76ers
7
336
285
121
691
Regular-season series
New York won 3β1 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
4
Suns
4
Regular-season series
New York won 3β1 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
4
Trail Blazers
4
Regular-season series
New York won 4β0 in the regular-season series
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
4
192
410
SuperSonics
4
192
347
Playoffs
Opponents
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
5
240
223
73
519
Bullets
5
240
204
70
478
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
7
346
308
127
743
Celtics
7
346
289
139
717
Team
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points
Knicks
5
240
215
73
232
117
503
Lakers
5
240
197
110
264
87
484
Opponent
Games Played
Minutes Played
Field Goals
Free Throws
Rebounds
Assists
Points Against
Baltimore
5
Boston
7
Los Angeles
5
Opponents
17
Media
Local TV
Some New York Knicks TV Games never aired on
WOR-TV because of broadcast conflict with the
New York Rangers (
NHL ).
Local cable TV
Local radio
Some New York Knicks radio games never aired on
WNBCβAM because of broadcast conflict with the
New York Rangers (
NHL ).
Awards and records
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.
Trades
References
1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s