Man, the Garden was different back then. If you walked into Penn Station in April 2013, you could feel the vibrations coming through the floorboards before you even hit the street level. It wasn't just noise. It was a specific kind of collective hope that usually doesn't exist in Manhattan. The 2013 New York Knicks weren't just a basketball team; they were a three-point shooting, trash-talking, aging-veteran experiment that somehow defied every law of NBA physics for six glorious months.
They won 54 games. Fifty-four!
For anyone who has suffered through the various "rebuilding" eras of the last two decades, that number feels like a typo. But it happened. Mike Woodson, with his goatee groomed to absolute perfection, stood on the sidelines while Carmelo Anthony put on a scoring clinic that we might not see again in a Knicks jersey for a long time.
The Three-Point Revolution That Nobody Saw Coming
Before Steph Curry and the Warriors completely broke the NBA's math, the 2013 New York Knicks were the ones dragging the league into the future. It’s kinda wild to think about now. At the time, critics said you couldn't win by shooting that many threes. They called it "live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot."
Woodson didn't care.
He leaned into "small ball" because he basically had to. With Amar'e Stoudemire dealing with constant knee issues, the Knicks moved Melo to the power forward spot. It was a mismatch nightmare. Bigger defenders were too slow to stay with him on the perimeter, and smaller guys just got bullied in the post. To make it work, the Knicks surrounded him with a rotating cast of shooters: J.R. Smith, Steve Novak, Chris Copeland, and Jason Kidd.
They set a then-NBA record for three-pointers made in a season with 891. They were launching nearly 29 triples a night. In 2013, that was considered radical. Today? That’s a Tuesday night for the Houston Rockets. But back then, watching Steve Novak do the "discount double check" celebration after hitting his fourth straight corner three was the peak of New York sports entertainment.
💡 You might also like: Por qué los partidos de Primera B de Chile son más entretenidos que la división de honor
Carmelo Anthony’s Scoring Title and the MVP Race
Let’s be honest: 2012-13 was the absolute apex of Carmelo Anthony.
He was unstoppable. He averaged 28.7 points per game, edging out Kevin Durant for the scoring title. It wasn't just the volume; it was the way he did it. Melo had this incredible stretch in April where he scored at least 35 points in six straight games. He dropped 50 on the Heat without scoring a single point in the paint. Think about that. Fifty points on purely jumpers and free throws.
Melo finished third in MVP voting that year, trailing only LeBron James and Kevin Durant. While LeBron was busy being a locomotive in Miami, Melo was the king of the "triple threat" position at the elbow.
Critics always talk about his ball-stopping tendencies. Sure, the ball stuck sometimes. But when you’re shooting 38% from deep and you’re the most dangerous isolation scorer on the planet, you get a pass. The chemistry between him and Tyson Chandler—who was the reigning Defensive Player of the Year coming into that season—gave the team a backbone that they’ve lacked for most of the 21st century.
The Retirement Home Narrative
Everyone joked about the age of this roster. Honestly, it was a fair point. The 2013 New York Knicks were essentially an NBA history museum.
- Jason Kidd was 39.
- Kurt Thomas was 40.
- Rasheed Wallace was 38.
- Marcus Camby was 38.
It was the oldest roster in NBA history at the time. You’d see these guys icing every joint on their bodies after a 12-minute stint. But that veteran presence was exactly why they won games. Jason Kidd didn't need to score to control a game. He’d just stand in the right spot, deflect a pass, or throw a 50-foot outlet to Iman Shumpert, and the momentum would shift.
📖 Related: South Carolina women's basketball schedule: What Most People Get Wrong
And Rasheed Wallace? He was only healthy for 21 games, but his impact was legendary. "Ball don't lie" echoed through the Garden rafters. He brought a certain level of "don't mess with us" energy that the younger guys fed off of. When Sheed hit a three and did his signature celebration, the building would literally shake.
The 6th Man of the Year: The J.R. Smith Experience
You can’t talk about this team without talking about J.R. Smith.
The 2012-13 season was the J.R. Smith Experience in its purest form. He was the Sixth Man of the Year, averaging 18.1 points off the bench. He was hitting step-back jumpers that made no sense. He was dunking on people. He was also, occasionally, making decisions that made Mike Woodson want to tear his hair out.
There was a specific energy J.R. brought. When he was on, he was better than almost any starter in the league. When he was off, or when he got suspended in the playoffs for that elbow on Jason Terry, it hurt. But for that regular season run? He was the spark plug that made the engine go. The Knicks don't win 54 games without J.R. playing the best basketball of his career.
Why It Ended So Abruptly
The playoffs were... complicated.
The Knicks beat the Celtics in the first round, which felt like an exorcism of sorts. They finally got past their rivals. But then came the Indiana Pacers in the second round.
👉 See also: Scores of the NBA games tonight: Why the London Game changed everything
The Pacers were the antithesis of the Knicks. They were young, huge, and physical. Roy Hibbert turned into a brick wall at the rim. Frank Vogel’s defense dared the Knicks to keep hitting those threes, and eventually, the legs gave out. The age of the roster finally caught up to them. Jason Kidd went through a brutal shooting slump where he didn't score a point for the final 10 games of the postseason.
It was a grueling six-game series. The image of Roy Hibbert blocking Carmelo Anthony’s dunk attempt in Game 6 basically signaled the end of the era. The Knicks lost, and the window slammed shut faster than a New York City taxi door.
The Long-Term Impact on New York Basketball
People often overlook the 2013 New York Knicks because they didn't win a ring. That's a mistake. They proved that the Garden could still be the mecca. They showed that a star-driven, high-octane offense could work in the toughest market in the world.
The following year, everything fell apart. Jason Kidd retired to become a coach. The veteran role players moved on or retired. The front office made some questionable moves—like the Andrea Bargnani trade—that effectively nuked the team’s future. But for that one year, the Knicks were the coolest thing in basketball.
Practical Lessons from the 2013 Run
Looking back at this specific era provides some real insights into team building and sports psychology.
- Role Definition: Every player on that roster knew their job. Steve Novak wasn't there to rebound; he was there to stand in the corner. Tyson Chandler wasn't there to post up; he was there to scream on defense and catch lobs.
- Embracing Modernity Early: The Knicks were early adopters of the volume three-point strategy. If they had been five years younger as a group, they might have pioneered the era the Warriors eventually owned.
- The Power of Veteran Leadership: Even though they were "old," the lack of locker room drama during the winning streaks was notable. Guys like Kurt Thomas and Jason Kidd kept the egos in check.
If you want to understand the modern Knicks, you have to look at 2013. It was the last time the franchise felt truly elite before the Leon Rose era began. It was a season of "What Ifs," but mostly, it was a season of "Finally." Finally, Knicks fans had a team that reflected the grit and the flash of the city itself.
To really appreciate what that team did, go back and watch the tape of the 13-game winning streak they had toward the end of the season. The ball movement was beautiful. The crowd was electric. It was a reminder that when the Knicks are good, the NBA is just better.
What to Do Next
- Watch the "Melo 50" Highlights: Specifically the game against Miami where he didn't enter the paint. It’s a masterclass in mid-range and perimeter scoring.
- Analyze the "Small Ball" Lineups: Look at how Mike Woodson used Chris Copeland and Carmelo Anthony together to stretch defenses. It’s a blueprint for the modern "stretch four" position.
- Check the Stat Sheets: Compare the Knicks' 2013 three-point attempts to the rest of the league that year. It highlights just how far ahead of the curve they were.
The 2013 New York Knicks weren't perfect, but they were ours. They were loud, they were old, and for a few months, they were the kings of New York.