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Season of National Basketball Association team the New York Knicks
NBA professional basketball team season
The 1979β80 New York Knicks season was the 34th
season for the team in the
National Basketball Association (NBA). In the
regular season , the
Knicks finished in a tie for third place in the
Atlantic Division with a 39β43 winβloss record, and did not qualify for the
1980 NBA Playoffs .
Bill Cartwright led the team in scoring (21.7 points per game) and rebounding, while
Micheal Ray Richardson led the NBA in assists (10.2 per game) and steals (3.23 per game).
[3]
New York had three first-round picks in the
1979 NBA draft , and selected Cartwright,
Larry Demic , and
Sly Williams .
[4] At the end of the season, the Knicks lost five of their last six games; they followed a three-game losing streak with a win against the
Cleveland Cavaliers ,
[5] but then lost to the
Boston Celtics and
Philadelphia 76ers .
[6]
[7] In the game against the 76ers,
Julius Erving made the winning basket with one second remaining, after the Knicks had committed a turnover on an inbounds pass five seconds earlier with the score tied at 101β101.
[7] The
Washington Bullets gained the last playoff berth in the
Eastern Conference over the Knicks because of a better record against other teams in the conference; the teams' overall winβloss records were identical.
[8] The 1979β80 Knicks were the first team in NBA history to feature a roster made up entirely of black players,
[9] which led to racially charged nicknames for the team.
[10]
Draft picks
Round
Pick
Player
Position
Nationality
College
Roster
1979β80 New York Knicks roster
Players
Coaches
Pos.
No.
Name
Height
Weight
DOB
From
C
25
Cartwright, Bill
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
245 lb (111 kg)
1957-07-30
San Francisco
F
45
Copeland, Hollis
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
180 lb (82 kg)
1955-12-20
Rutgers
F
42
Demic, Larry
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1957-06-27
Arizona
G
34
Glenn, Mike
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1955-09-10
Southern Illinois
G
23
Huston, Geoff
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
175 lb (79 kg)
1957-11-08
Texas Tech
F
43
Knight, Toby
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
210 lb (95 kg)
1955-05-03
Notre Dame
C
50
Meriweather, Joe C.
6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
1953-10-26
Southern Illinois
G
15
Monroe, Earl
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
185 lb (84 kg)
1944-11-21
Winston-Salem State
G
20
Richardson, Michael Ray
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
189 lb (86 kg)
1955-04-11
Montana
C
40
Webster, Marvin
7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
225 lb (102 kg)
1952-04-13
Morgan State
G
13
Williams, Ray
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
188 lb (85 kg)
1954-10-14
Minnesota
Head coach
Legend
(DP) Unsigned draft pick(FA) Free agent(S) Suspended Injured
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
z β clinched division title
y β clinched division title
x β clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents
1979β80 NBA records
Team
ATL
BOS
CHI
CLE
DEN
DET
GSW
HOU
IND
KCK
LAL
MIL
NJN
NYK
PHI
PHO
POR
SAS
SDC
SEA
UTA
WAS
Atlanta
β
2β4
1β1
4β2
1β1
6β0
2β0
2β4
4β2
0β2
1β1
1β1
4β2
4β2
4β2
1β1
2β0
5β1
1β1
0β2
2β0
3β3
Boston
4β2
β
2β0
4β2
2β0
6β0
2β0
6β0
4β2
1β1
0β2
2β0
5β1
5β1
3β3
1β1
2β0
4β2
2β0
0β2
2β0
4β2
Chicago
1β1
0β2
β
2β0
2β4
1β1
4β2
1β1
0β2
3β3
1β5
1β5
1β1
0β2
1β1
1β5
3β3
0β2
4β2
2β4
2β4
0β2
Cleveland
2β4
2β4
0β2
β
1β1
6β0
2β0
2β4
2β4
2β0
1β1
0β2
3β3
3β3
1β5
1β1
0β2
4β2
1β1
0β2
1β1
3β3
Denver
1β1
0β2
4β2
1β1
β
1β1
3β3
1β1
1β1
0β6
1β5
3β3
1β1
1β1
0β2
1β5
2β4
1β1
3β3
1β5
3β3
1β1
Detroit
0β6
0β6
1β1
0β6
1β1
β
1β1
1β5
1β5
0β2
0β2
1β1
2β4
2β4
1β5
0β2
0β2
2β4
0β2
0β2
1β1
2β4
Golden State
0β2
0β2
2β4
0β2
3β3
1β1
β
1β1
1β1
3β3
1β5
0β6
2β0
0β2
0β2
2β4
2β4
0β2
3β3
0β6
3β3
0β2
Houston
4β2
0β6
1β1
4β2
1β1
5β1
1β1
β
4β2
0β2
0β2
1β1
3β3
3β3
2β4
1β1
1β1
3β3
2β0
1β1
2β0
2β4
Indiana
2β4
2β4
2β0
4β2
1β1
5β1
1β1
2β4
β
1β1
0β2
0β2
2β4
4β2
1β5
0β2
2β0
2β4
1β1
0β2
1β1
4β2
Kansas City
2β0
1β1
3β3
0β2
6β0
2β0
3β3
2β0
1β1
β
2β4
3β3
1β1
1β1
1β1
1β5
1β5
1β1
5β1
3β3
6β0
2β0
Los Angeles
1β1
2β0
5β1
1β1
5β1
2β0
5β1
2β0
2β0
4β2
β
3β3
2β0
2β0
1β1
3β3
2β4
2β0
5β1
4β2
6β0
1β1
Milwaukee
1β1
0β2
5β1
2β0
3β3
1β1
6β0
1β1
2β0
3β3
3β3
β
1β1
1β1
0β2
4β2
5β1
0β2
4β2
2β4
4β2
1β1
New Jersey
2β4
1β5
1β1
3β3
1β1
4β2
0β2
3β3
4β2
1β1
0β2
1β1
β
2β4
1β5
1β1
0β2
3β3
1β1
1β1
1β1
3β3
New York
2β4
1β5
2β0
3β3
1β1
4β2
2β0
3β3
2β4
1β1
0β2
1β1
4β2
β
0β6
2β0
2β0
4β2
1β1
0β2
1β1
3β3
Philadelphia
2β4
3β3
1β1
5β1
2β0
5β1
2β0
4β2
5β1
1β1
1β1
2β0
5β1
6β0
β
1β1
2β0
4β2
1β1
1β1
1β1
5β1
Phoenix
1β1
1β1
5β1
1β1
5β1
2β0
4β2
1β1
2β0
5β1
3β3
2β4
1β1
0β2
1β1
β
6β0
1β1
2β4
4β2
6β0
2β0
Portland
0β2
0β2
3β3
2β0
4β2
2β0
4β2
1β1
0β2
5β1
4β2
1β5
2β0
0β2
0β2
0β6
β
1β1
4β2
1β5
3β3
1β1
San Antonio
1β5
2β4
2β0
2β4
1β1
4β2
2β0
3β3
4β2
1β1
0β2
2β0
3β3
2β4
2β4
1β1
1β1
β
2β0
1β1
1β1
4β2
San Diego
1β1
0β2
2β4
1β1
3β3
2β0
3β3
0β2
1β1
1β5
1β5
2β4
1β1
1β1
1β1
4β2
2β4
0β2
β
3β3
5β1
1β1
Seattle
2β0
2β0
4β2
2β0
5β1
2β0
6β0
1β1
2β0
3β3
2β4
4β2
1β1
2β0
1β1
2β4
5β1
1β1
3β3
β
5β1
1β1
Utah
0β2
0β2
4β2
1β1
3β3
1β1
3β3
0β2
1β1
0β6
0β6
2β4
1β1
1β1
1β1
0β6
3β3
1β1
1β5
1β5
β
0β2
Washington
3β3
2β4
2β0
3β3
1β1
4β2
2β0
4β2
2β4
0β2
1β1
1β1
3β3
3β3
1β5
0β2
1β1
2β4
1β1
1β1
2β0
β
Game log
Regular season
1979β80 game log Total: 39β43 (Home: 25β16; Road: 14β27)
October: 5β5 (home: 4β1; road: 1β4)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
November: 6β8 (home: 4β3; road: 2β5)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
December: 8β8 (home: 5β3; road: 3β5)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
January: 8β7 (home: 4β3; road: 4β4)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
February: 5β5 (home: 4β2; road: 1β3)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
March: 7β10 (home: 4β4; road: 3β6)
Game
Date
Team
Score
High points
High rebounds
High assists
Location Attendance
Record
1979β80 schedule
Player statistics
Awards and records
Transactions
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(February 2013 )
References
^
The Fourth Estate (PDF) . New York Knicks. 2003. p. 331. Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^
The Fourth Estate (PDF) . New York Knicks. 2003. p. 330. Retrieved November 5, 2017 .
^ Carter, Craig; Hareas, John (2001). The Sporting News 2001β2002 Official NBA Guide . St. Louis, Missouri. pp. 517β526.
ISBN
0-89204-656-2 . CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link )
^
"Complete First Round Results β 1970β79" .
National Basketball Association . Archived from
the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2019 .
^
"Knicks Snap Cavs' Winning Streak" . The Press-Courier .
Associated Press . March 26, 1980. p. 22. Retrieved May 30, 2011 .
^
"Celtics Nick Knicks' Hopes" . The Pittsburgh Press .
United Press International . March 27, 1980. p. C-4. Retrieved May 30, 2011 .
^
a
b
"Blown throw-in could cost Knicks" . The Leader-Post .
Canadian Press . March 28, 1980. p. 18. Retrieved May 30, 2011 .
^
"Bullets win to gain final playoff spot" .
St. Petersburg Times . March 31, 1980. p. 5C. Retrieved May 30, 2011 .
^
"Black History Month: Red Holzman's Knicks were first NBA team to have all-black roster" . Newsday . February 15, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2023 .
^ Criblez, Adam J. (2024).
"5. "Black, White, Green, or Red": 1979β1980" . Kings of the Garden: The New York Knicks and Their City . Cornell University Press.
ISBN
978-1-5017-7446-1 .
^
"NBA & ABA All-Rookie Teams" . Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 14, 2013 .
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