Brand Focus: New York Knicks
How a City meant more than winning.
New York and Knicks, separating the words almost seems wrong. And that’s how they survived as a franchise for over 50 years without ever delivering the final piece to the championship puzzle.
Not all brands, and in this case sporting clubs, are created equal. The Knicks have New York City and a stadium that is the epicentre of culture. As an artist, MSG is the pinnacle. Once you are big enough to perform there and sell it out, you are eternalised forever.
There is a definite connection between the team and the city. The first one started over 400 years ago, when the city was actually part of the Dutch Republic. Yes, before America existed as a country. The orange and blue are the city colours, but they were originally the New Amsterdam flag colours. Anytime fans wear Knicks colours, they are inherently wearing the city’s colours.
The connection to the on-court started in 1985, with a potentially rigged lottery and a frozen envelope.
Landing the no.1 pick and drafting an immediate face of the franchise in 7-foot Patrick Ewing. This was such a big deal that Spike Lee lined up the next day to lock in season tickets. He became the club’s biggest fan for the next 40 years and a constant cultural connection.
The Ewing era connected with the attitude that makes up a New Yorker. Tough, gritty and unapologetic. Hard nosed. They didn't even fear Michael Jordan, nor did they beat him... This team made the city proud. Meanwhile David Stern, the league & the rest of the world, loved the shininess and spectacle of Air Jordan. The only thing shiny about the Knicks was Pat Riley's Armani suits. They were underdogs nobody wanted at the top. That resonated in the streets.
At the time, where you were from mattered (hello East Coast vs West Coast rap wars). New York was still the birthplace of hip hop. Rappers attached themselves to the Knicks and it all just made too much sense. What the Knicks represented and how they played, against the West Coast G-Funk era, the parallels were all there.
Even with a problematic owner that the biggest stars famously didn't want to play for, and fans wanted out, the fandom didn't waver. They always felt something, usually frustration born from passion. Strong enough that they were chanting SELL THE TEAM inside the stadium. The irony being they were doing exactly what he wanted, buying tickets to then chant it. Knicks fans are anything but indifferent.
During the bleakest on-court years, particularly the 2016-17 season with a record of 32-50, the Garden was still selling out. The Knicks posted a league-best profit of $141 million. The championship winning Warriors, led by Steph, Klay and Draymond, went 67-15 and earned a $100 million profit. The league average was $52 million. The Knicks' on-court record was far below average, but their off-court brand never faltered. They never changed their logo, which is often what losing teams do.
They kept leaning into attitude rather than the win-loss column. The Knicks were always New York first. A basketball team second. That’s what saved them.
Nike captured it perfectly in their championship film. Never Slept. Always Dreamed.
What I’m curious about, how do you maintain that grit and attitude, now you are the Champs? Or do they now lean into the greatness of NYC?
As always, thanks for reading.
Hayden