The 1996–97 New York Knicks season was the 51st season for the team in the National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 (NBA). In the regular season, the Knicks

New York Knicks

The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...

 finished in second place in the Atlantic Division

Atlantic Division (NBA)

The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the New Jersey Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors...

 with a 57–25 record, and made the NBA Playoffs

NBA Playoffs

The National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament among sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in...

 for the 10th consecutive year.

The Knicks entered the summer of 1996 looking to revamp their line-up. Larry Johnson, a two-time NBA All-Star and the 1991 NBA Rookie of the Year, came from the Hornets in exchange for Anthony Mason

Anthony Mason (basketball)

Anthony George Douglas Mason is a retired American National Basketball Association player with the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. He averaged 10.8 points and 8.3 rebounds in his 13-year NBA career...

 and Brad Lohaus

Brad Lohaus

Bradley Allen "Brad" Lohaus is an American retired professional basketball player who was selected by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft...

. Allan Houston

Allan Houston

Allan Wade Houston is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire...

 and Chris Childs

Chris Childs (basketball)

Chris Childs is a retired American professional basketball player, who played primarily at the guard position....

 were signed to start in the backcourt.

The Knicks enjoyed a successful season, with their 57 wins tied for the third-most in franchise history; they finished second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference (NBA)

The Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...

. John Starks

John Starks (basketball)

John Levell Starks is a former American professional basketball shooting guard. Starks was listed at 6'5" and 190 pounds during his NBA playing career...

 was named the Sixth Man of the Year

NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award

The National Basketball Association's Sixth Man of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the league's most valuable player for his team coming off the bench as a substitute . A panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from throughout...

 and Patrick Ewing was selected to the 1997 NBA All-Star Game

1997 NBA All-Star Game

The 1997 NBA All-Star Game was the 47th edition of the All-Star Game and commemorated the 50th anniversary of NBA. The game was played on February 9, 1997, at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, United States...

, earned All-NBA Second Team

All-NBA Team

The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The team has been selected in every season of the...

 honors, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In the last game of the season, at the United Center

United Center

The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...

, the Knicks defeated the then-69–12 Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...

, preventing them from posting two consecutive 70-win seasons in a row and tying the best home record (40–1 set by the 1985–86 Boston Celtics).

During the playoffs

1997 NBA Playoffs

The 1997 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1996–97 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Chicago Bulls winning the NBA championship by defeating the Western Conference champion Utah Jazzfour games to two...

, New York defeated the Charlotte Hornets in a three-game sweep in the first round and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they faced the Miami Heat

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...

 in what would eventually become the first chapter of one of the fiercest NBA rivalries of the period. After jumping to a 3-1 lead in the series, the Knicks were eliminated by the Heat in seven games, after a brawl erupted at the end of Game 5 that led to the suspensions of five key Knicks players: Ewing, Houston, Johnson, Starks and Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward, Jr. is a retired American professional NBA basketball player, college football Heisman Trophy winner, Davey O'Brien Award winner and a Major League Baseball draftee. Ward is considered one of the best all-around athletes in the last quarter century...

.

NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
1	18	John Wallace John Wallace (basketball) John Gilbert Wallace is a retired American professional basketball player, in the forward position.He was picked 18th by the NY Knicks in the 1996 draft....	F		Syracuse Syracuse University Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
1	19	Walter McCarty Walter McCarty Walter Lee McCarty is an American former basketball player who played for the NBA's New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers....	F		Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
1	21	Dontae Jones	F		Mississippi State Mississippi State University The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...