The last time Knicks made the NBA Finals
In the years leading up to the 1998- 99 season, the New York Knicks had been a consistent playoff team but were constantly falling short against Michael Jordan‘s Bulls, Alonzo Mourning‘s Heat, and Reggie Miller‘s Pacers.
1998-99 was not your average NBA season for any team between the lockout and the retirement of all-time great, Michael Jordan.
For the Knicks, the season was especially a rollercoaster with:
- Patrick Ewing being past his prime but still able to do work.
- Marcus Camby and Latrell Sprewell being added to the roster by then General Manager Ernie Grunfeld.
- Ewing suffering an Achilles injury
- Grunfeld being demoted late in the season due to friction with then-coach Jeff Van Gundy. And this after Dolan reportedly undermined his own mandate of mediation between the two and forced the issue.
- The possibility that Van Gundy might be fired.
- Coming into the playoffs as the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference and somehow making it to the NBA Finals
- Eventually losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
All in all, not too shabby.
In a season with so many changes, ups and downs, front office instability and general craziness, still managing to get to the NBA Finals, should have been an indication that the Knicks were poised to take the next step forward right? …Right!?
No, not so much.