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1980–81 New York Knicks season

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Season of National Basketball Association team the New York Knicks

NBA professional basketball team season
1980–81 New York Knicks season
Head coachRed Holzman
General managerEddie Donovan
OwnersGulf+Western / Paramount Communications
ArenaMadison Square Garden
Results
Record50–32 (.610)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Atlantic)
Conference: 4th (Eastern)
Playoff finishFirst round
(lost to Bulls 0–2)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWOR-TV
MSG Network
RadioWNEW
< 1979–80 1981–82 >

The 1980–81 New York Knicks season was the 35th season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the regular season, the Knicks finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 50–32 win–loss record, qualifying for the 1981 NBA Playoffs. New York lost in the best-of-three first round to the Chicago Bulls in a two-game sweep.

NBA draft

Main article: 1980 NBA draft

Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first and second rounds, and any other players picked by the franchise that played at least one game in the league.

Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club Team
1 12 Mike Woodson G/F  United States Indiana
2 36 DeWayne Scales F  United States LSU
3 58 Kurt Rambis F  United States Santa Clara

Roster

1980–81 New York Knicks roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
SG 35 Carter, Reggie 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1957-10-10 St. John's
C 25 Cartwright, Bill 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1957-07-30 San Francisco
PF 42 Demic, Larry 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1957-06-27 Arizona
PG 34 Glenn, Mike 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1955-09-10 Southern Illinois
SF 43 Knight, Toby (IN) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1955-05-03 Notre Dame
SG 20 Richardson, Micheal Ray 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 1955-04-11 Montana
SF 21 Russell, Campy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1952-01-12 Michigan
PF 31 Scales, DeWayne 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 208 lb (94 kg) 1958-12-28 LSU
C 40 Webster, Marvin 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1952-04-13 Morgan State
PG 13 Williams, Ray 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 188 lb (85 kg) 1954-10-14 Minnesota
PF 33 Williams, Sly 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1958-01-26 Rhode Island
SG 44 Woodson, Mike 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1958-03-24 Indiana
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: January 30, 1981

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Boston Celtics 62 20 .756 – 35–6 27–14 19–5
x-Philadelphia 76ers 62 20 .756 – 37–4 25–16 15–9
x-New York Knicks 50 32 .610 12.0 28–13 22–19 14–10
Washington Bullets 39 43 .476 23.0 26–15 13–28 8–16
New Jersey Nets 24 58 .293 38.0 16–25 8–33 8–16
# Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 z-Boston Celtics 62 20 .756  –
2 y-Milwaukee Bucks 60 22 .732 2
3 x-Philadelphia 76ers 62 20 .756 –
4 x-New York Knicks 50 32 .610 12
5 x-Chicago Bulls 45 37 .549 17
6 x-Indiana Pacers 44 38 .537 18
7 Washington Bullets 39 43 .476 23
8 Atlanta Hawks 31 51 .378 31
9 Cleveland Cavaliers 28 54 .341 34
10 New Jersey Nets 24 58 .293 38
11 Detroit Pistons 21 61 .256 41

Notes

  • z, y – division champions
  • x – clinched playoff spot

Record vs. opponents

1980–81 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND KCK LAL MIL NJN NYK PHI PHO POR SAS SDC SEA UTA WAS
Atlanta — 2–4 2–4 1–5 2–0 1–1 4–2 2–0 1–1 1–5 1–1 0–2 1–5 3–2 2–4 1–5 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 1–4
Boston 4–2 — 5–1 4–1 2–0 2–0 4–1 1–1 2–0 3–3 1–1 2–0 3–3 6–0 5–1 3–3 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 5–1
Chicago 4–2 1–5 — 5–1 1–1 1–1 5–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–0 1–1 3–3 3–2 3–3 2–4 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 2–0 5–1
Cleveland 5–1 1–4 1–5 — 2–0 1–1 3–3 1–1 0–2 2–4 0–2 0–2 0–6 3–3 0–5 0–6 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 4–2
Dallas 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 — 3–3 0–2 2–3 0–6 0–2 0–6 0–5 0–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–4 1–4 1–5 2–3 1–4 1–5 0–2
Denver 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3 — 2–0 3–2 2–4 1–1 4–2 3–2 1–1 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–4 2–3 2–4 3–2 3–2 2–4 0–2
Detroit 2–4 1–4 1–5 3–3 2–0 0–2 — 0–2 1–1 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–5 3–3 1–5 1–4 0–2 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–5
Golden State 0–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–3 2–0 — 3–2 1–1 5–0 1–5 1–1 1–1 2–0 0–2 2–4 2–4 1–4 2–4 3–3 4–1 1–1
Houston 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 6–0 4–2 1–1 2–3 — 1–1 2–4 2–3 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 1–4 3–2 3–3 1–4 4–1 4–2 0–2
Indiana 5–1 3–3 2–3 4–2 2–0 1–1 4–2 1–1 1–1 — 2–0 0–2 2–4 5–1 3–2 0–6 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 0–2 1–1 4–2
Kansas City 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 6–0 2–4 1–1 0–5 4–2 0–2 — 0–5 1–1 2–0 1–1 0–2 3–2 3–2 2–4 3–2 2–3 5–1 1–1
Los Angeles 2–0 0–2 1–1 2–0 5–0 2–3 2–0 5–1 3–2 2–0 5–0 — 0–2 2–0 2–0 1–1 2–4 3–3 2–3 3–3 6–0 3–2 1–1
Milwaukee 5–1 3–3 3–3 6–0 2–0 1–1 5–1 1–1 2–0 4–2 1–1 2–0 — 5–1 3–3 3–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–1
New Jersey 2–3 0–6 2–3 3–3 1–1 1–1 3–3 1–1 0–2 1–5 0–2 0–2 1–5 — 0–6 1–5 1–1 2–0 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3
New York 4–2 1–5 3–3 5–0 1–1 2–0 5–1 0–2 2–0 2–3 1–1 0–2 3–3 6–0 — 3–3 1–1 1–1 0–2 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–2
Philadelphia 5–1 3–3 4–2 6–0 2–0 1–1 4–1 2–0 2–0 6–0 2–0 1–1 2–3 5–1 3–3 — 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–0 2–0 2–0 4–2
Phoenix 2–0 0–2 2–0 1–1 4–1 4–1 2–0 4–2 4–1 1–1 2–3 4–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 — 3–3 3–2 6–0 5–1 5–0 1–1
Portland 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 4–1 3–2 2–0 4–2 2–3 2–0 2–3 3–3 0–2 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–3 — 2–3 4–2 4–2 2–3 2–0
San Antonio 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–1 5–1 4–2 2–0 4–1 3–3 0–2 4–2 3–2 1–1 2–0 2–0 0–2 2–3 3–2 — 4–1 3–2 5–1 1–1
San Diego 1–1 0–2 1–1 1–1 3–2 2–3 1–1 4–2 4–1 1–1 2–3 3–3 0–2 2–0 0–2 0–2 0–6 2–4 1–4 — 5–1 3–2 0–2
Seattle 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 4–1 2–3 2–0 3–3 1–4 2–0 3–2 0–6 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 1–5 2–4 2–3 1–5 — 4–1 1–1
Utah 0–2 1–1 0–2 1–1 5–1 4–2 2–0 1–4 2–4 1–1 1–5 2–3 0–2 1–1 0–2 0–2 0–5 3–2 1–5 2–3 1–4 — 0–2
Washington 4–1 1–5 1–5 2–4 2–0 2–0 5–1 1–1 2–0 2–4 1–1 1–1 1–4 3–3 2–4 2–4 1–1 0–2 1–1 2–0 1–1 2–0 —

Game log

Playoffs

1981 playoff game log
First Round: 0–2 (home: 0–1; road: 0–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 March 31 Chicago L 80–90 Ray Williams (19) Micheal Ray Richardson (13) Micheal Ray Richardson (6) Madison Square Garden
14,822 		0–1
2 April 3 @ Chicago W 114–115 (OT) Campy Russell (29) three players tied (6) three players tied (5) Chicago Stadium
19,901 		0–2
1981 schedule

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards and records

Transactions

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2013)

References

  1. ^ The Fourth Estate (PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 331. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  2. The Fourth Estate (PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 330. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  3. "1980–81 New York Knickerbockers Roster and Statistics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  4. "1980 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  5. "NBA & ABA All-Defensive Teams". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
1980–81 NBA season
Eastern
Atlantic
Central
Western
Midwest
Pacific
New York Knicks
Franchise
Arenas
Personnel
Owner(s)
Madison Square Garden Sports (James Dolan, chairman)
President
Leon Rose
General manager
Vacant
Head coach
Tom Thibodeau
G League affiliate
Retired numbers
NBA championships
Rivalries
Culture and lore
New York Knicks seasons
1940s
1946–47 1947–48 1948–49
1950s
1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954-55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59
1960s
1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69
1970s
1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79
1980s
1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89
1990s
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2000s
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2020s
2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Bold indicates NBA Finals victory
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