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Here's what happened the season after Knicks won their last NBA championship

Following the New York Knicks' 2025-26 NBA championship, a franchise first in 53 years, Jalen Brunson emphasized the need for a fresh approach to defending the title, noting that the team must turn the page while maintaining the same disciplined mindset. As the 2026-27 season approaches, historical context from the 1973-74 season offers a blueprint for the challenge ahead, a period when the Knicks entered the playoffs as reigning champions.

In that previous era, the Knicks navigated an uneven regular season, starting 6-4 and finishing 49-33, which secured the second-best record in the East behind the Boston Celtics. Walt Frazier led the squad with 20.5 points and 6.9 assists per game, earning All-NBA and All-Defense honors, while Dave DeBusschere contributed 18.1 points and 10.7 rebounds.

The team's playoff run began with a grueling seven-game series against the Capital Bullets, a contest where Earl Monroe averaged 20.1 points to support Frazier's 21.0, ultimately allowing New York to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

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