The great state of New York has millions of diehard sports fans. But how many NBA teams are in New York?Just in case you’re not from town or you’re just getting started into the NBA world, we’re going to address that doubt right away.
As some of you may already know by now, New York currently has two active NBA teams but, contrary to popular belief, those two franchises aren’t the only teams to have played on The Empire State.
That’s why today, we’re going to put together the ultimate list of the NBA teams located inNew York State. Thosewho still play, and even those who relocated and rebranded quite some time ago.
Current NBA teams in New York:
New York Knicks
R.J. Barrett. (Getty)
Founded:1946
Former Names:New York Knicks
Arena:Madison Square Garden
Location:New York City, New York
Hall of Famers:29 (22 players, 7 coaches)
Championships:2(1970,1973)
Fans: 5.7million
The New York Knicks are New York’s most popular team,and one of the most popular teams in all major sports. They have almost 6 million fans despite not making it to the NBA Finals since 1999 and missing the playoffs over the past seasons.
Madison Square Garden is considered the mecca of basketball, the venue all superstars want to bring their A-Game to, and that’s why the Knicks will always be a prime destination for the best players in the world.
Brooklyn Nets
Ben Simmons. (Getty)
Founded:1967
Former Names:New Jersey Americans (1967-68), New York Nets (1968-1977), New Jersey Nets (1977-2012), Brooklyn Nets (2012-Present)
Arena:Barclays Center
Location:Brooklyn, New York
Hall of Famers:16 (10 players, 6 coaches)
Championships:2 ABA(1974,1976), 0 NBA
Fans: 2.7million
Spending most of their history in New Jersey, the Nets have often been overlooked by those in Manhattan. Still, the team has a strong and growing fanbase and there’s plenty of space in the city for both of them.
Former / relocated NBA teams in New York:
Rochester Royals (1945-57)
Red Holzman of the Rochester Royals. (Getty)
The Rochester Royals were actually founded in 1923 but weren’t a truly professional team until the mid-’40s. They stood in Rochester, New York, for over a decade and were a somewhat popular franchise. They later moved to Cincinnati and went through countless rebrandings and relocations. They’re now the Sacramento Kings.
SyracuseNationals (1946-63)
Team photo of the 1959 Syracuse Nationals. (Getty)
Long before they became the Philadelphia 76ers, this team was actually called the Syracuse Nationals and played in upstate New York. They were a perennial contender and even won an NBA Championship in 1955 but the team eventually relocated to fill the void the Philadelphia Warriors left when they moved to San Francisco.
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Buffalo Braves (1970-78)
Bob McAdoo of the Buffalo Braves. (Getty)
The Buffalo Braves were founded in 1970 and competed in the league for 8 seasons before his owner swapped it with the Boston Celtics. His new owner took the team to San Diego and renamed it the San Diego Clippers. The franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1984 and has been known as the Los Angeles Clippers ever since.
