How the Knicks' terrible leadership turned a contender into 20 years of misery

Secret Base
Secret Base
2,804,111
0
Published 2019-08-01
Two important things happened to the mighty New York Knicks in 1999: First, after years of contending and one very strange regular season, the 8th-seeded Knicks made an incredible run to the NBA Finals. Second, noted rich person James Dolan inherited control of the team.

What seemed like the dawn of another prosperous era was very much not that. After failing to match their '99 run the following season, the Knicks made a foolish, desperate trade to rid themselves of superstar Patrick Ewing. Thus began a pattern of horrid leadership on Dolan's dime: 20 years of patching holes, refusing to rebuild, falling short of expectations, courting scandal, and losing. So much losing.

This is the tale of how THE KNICKS became ... the Knicks. This is a collapse.

Written and produced by Seth Rosenthal
Shot and edited by Jiazhen Zhang
Motion graphics by Michael Das and Phil Pasternak

Subscribe: goo.gl/Nbabae

Check out our full video catalog: goo.gl/9pMHRV
Visit our playlists: goo.gl/NvpZFF
Like SB Nation on Facebook: goo.gl/Pzcs7O
Follow on Twitter: goo.gl/5LI02D
Follow on Instagram: goo.gl/aY2FFK
Explore SB Nation: www.sbnation.com/
All Comments (21)
  • @Jshaw6614
    This video only needed to last five seconds. "In 1999 James Dolan inherieted the New York Knicks."
  • @comedychrises
    The Knicks only hope is someone catching Dolan saying the N word on tape
  • @meekmeads
    New York Knicks has replaced Seinfeld as the longest running sitcom set in New York.
  • @Dtown1996
    The Knicks are that kid that you know is getting abused at home but can’t do anything about it
  • @jjhill1305
    You just got banned from Madison square garden
  • @ShitaviousJenkins
    Isaiah Thomas: "I was a guard! Lets spend 100 million all on guards! Because that's what I was!"
  • @iAintSayDat
    All the bad contacts the Knicks have thrown around over the last 20 years and the one guy they decided to be cheap with was Patrick Ewing. What the heck is that.
  • @waitwhat2052
    The knicks has suffered for more years than i have been alive.
  • @atrac87
    If the clippers managed to turn it around post-Sterling, then there's always hope. C'mon Dolan, I know you've got a racist, mistress scandal somewhere in you. Do it for the future of the franchise.
  • @GCDissapointment
    Sad part is, if Seth went in depth about the Knicks from 2009 up through now to the same extent he did 1998-2008, this video would be 45 min long lol.
  • @jordanw5833
    Knicks fans always: “It can’t get worse, right?” gets worse
  • @williehardiman6766
    If the Knicks were in almost any other city they wouldn't a team anymore. Dolan is extremely lucky his team is based in NYC.
  • @CuriousPug12
    Stephen a. Smith watching this video with tears in his eyes
  • @august6281
    bro see you in 2029 "How the Knicks' terrible leadership turned a contender into 30 years and counting of misery"
  • @MetalGod999
    Seth Rosenthal deserves all the credit in the world for simultaneously telling the God's honest truth about the Knicks' never-ending ineptitude while also putting a humorous spin on things. Seth's my kind of guy.
  • @KTF0
    Knicks are that crack addict relative who can't get their life together, no matter how much you try to help and root for them.
  • @dmwalter9004
    “In 1999, James Dolan, son of a successful businessman, inherited control of the New York Knicks.” i’d like to submit this to the most infuriating single sentence hall of fame