1969-70 New York Knicks Trivia Quiz

Answer: Red Holzman

William "Red" Holzman, a native New Yorker, took over the Knicks from Dick McGuire during the 1968 season and brought discipline and passion to the team. Holzman stressed teamwork and defense: his advice of "see the ball, see the ball" helped the players to become a cohesive unit. Overall, Holzman won 613 games with the Knicks, and the number "613" was retired by the club. Al McGuire, a legendary college basketball coach, never coached in the NBA. Red Auerbach was a Hall of Fame coach of the Boston Celtics during the 1950s and 1960s.

Answer: Willis Reed

Willis Reed was the captain and the spiritual leader of the 1969-70 Knicks. He scored 426 points in 18 playoff games and was named as the MVP of the 1970 playoffs. Dick Barnett scored 321 playoff points, Walt Frazier had 304 points, and Cazzie Russell, a valuable reserve player, scored 178 points. Reed's uniform number 19 was retired by the Knicks.

Answer: Clyde

Walt "Clyde" Frazier was the biggest celebrity on the 1969-70 Knicks. He was a fancy dresser who never shied away from the limelight. Frazier picked up the nickname "Clyde" because of his penchant for wearing wide-brimmed hats similar to the one worn by Warren Beatty in the popular movie "Bonnie and Clyde." Frazier's number 10 jersey was retired by the Knicks.

Answer: Dick Barnett

Dick Barnett was a talented southpaw guard who had a unique shooting style: he would kick both his legs back as he shot the ball. Barnett scored over 15,000 regular season points during his career, and his number 12 uniform was retired by the Knicks. Bradley, DeBusschere and Dave "The Rave" Stallworth were right-handed shooters.

Answer: Princeton

Bill Bradley was an articulate, good-shooting small forward for the Knicks. He graduated as an All-American from Princeton University and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for his academic excellence. After Bradley's playing days in the NBA were over, he would become a U.S. senator from New Jersey. "Dollar Bill" was truly a man of many talents.

His number 24 jersey was retired by the Knicks

Answer: Chicago White Sox

Dave DeBusschere was a two-sport professional athlete who provided rebounding and defensive toughness for the Knicks. He was a Major League pitcher for the White Sox in 1962 and 1963 with an overall record of three wins and four defeats. DeBusschere was traded to the Knicks from the Detroit Pistons for center Walt Bellamy during the 1968-69 season, a move which allowed Willis Reed to switch from power forward to center. DeBusschere's number 22 was eventually retired by the Knicks

Answer: Mike Riordan

Mike Riordan was a guard/forward who wore uniform number six for the Knicks. Riordan, a native New Yorker, was a valuable "sixth man" coming off the bench. He was known for playing tough defense; he also scored 131 playoff points in 1970. Don May wore uniform number five, Bill Hosket was number 20, and Nate Bowman wore the number 17 for the Knicks.

Answer: Nate Bowman

Nate "The Snake" Bowman was the backup center to Willis Reed. The 6'10 Texan was not a very good scorer, but he was a tough defender and rebounder. Bowman would later play for the Buffalo Braves of the NBA and the Pittsburgh Condors of the ABA. John Warren was a reserve guard/forward, Don May played forward, and Cazzie Russell played both guard and forward for the 1969-70 Knicks.

Answer: They traded forward Phil Jackson in mid-season.

Phil Jackson graduated from the University of North Dakota and then joined the New York Knicks in 1967. He was a non-playing member of the 1969-70 Knicks; he had to sit out the entire season due to a spinal injury. Jackson played in the NBA until 1978 and eventually became a world-class coach with such teams as the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Knicks had a fabulous 1969-70 season, finishing in first place in the Eastern Division with a record of 60 wins and only 22 defeats. The team won a record 18 consecutive games early in the 1969-70 season.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Knicks defeated the Baltimore Bullets in a grueling seven-game series.

Answer: Los Angeles Lakers

The New York Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in an emotion-filled seven- game series to win the 1970 NBA title. The Lakers, led by Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, had finished in second place in the regular season to the Atlanta Hawks, but L.A. swept Atlanta in the playoffs.

The Knicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks four games to one in the Eastern Division finals to advance to the NBA finals. A gimpy Willis Reed gave the New Yorkers an emotional lift in the seventh game against L.A. by limping onto the Madison Square Garden court and then hitting his first two jump shots. Walt Frazier was the star of that seventh game, scoring 36 points for the Knicks en route to a 113-99 victory.