For many years, sports commentators have drawn comparisons between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the New York Knicks, typically in an unflattering light, due to the many similarities shared by these two storied franchises. Both boast massive, long-suffering fanbases. No other NHL team comes close to rivalling the legion of Leafs supporters, while only the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are in the same ballpark as the rabid 'Knicks Nation.'
Even decades of heartbreak or outright ineptness have not tamed the passion of Leafs and Knicks backers. Most Canadians—and everybody in Boston and Buffalo—know that the Leafs have not hoisted the Stanley Cup since 1967, while the Knicks most recently won an NBA title way back in 1973. Not only have they failed to win it all, the Leafs have not even made the championship round since 1967, while the Knicks have only reached that far twice: losing in 1994 when Michael Jordan was playing baseball, and in 1999 during a shortened season.
Decades of Mismanagement and Heartbreak
Both franchises have endured lost, almost comical periods. Toronto’s was the Harold Ballard-led 1980s, when the Leafs won 30 or more games only twice and rarely even won a playoff round. New York stumbled through much of that decade as well, making the playoffs only once between 2002 and 2010, then going seven straight years out of the post-season from 2013-14 through the pandemic.
When the Leafs or Knicks have qualified over the years, they have often crushed their fanbases with absurd collapses. For the Leafs, there was that 3-1 game against the Bruins in 2013, among many others. For the Knicks, there was the Charles Smith game, Reggie Miller’s epic choke sign game, and last year’s shocking loss of a late 14-point lead in an eventual seven-game defeat against Indiana in the conference final.
Fan Loyalty Despite the Pain
Despite all the losing and mismanagement, fan interest has never wavered. In fact, both franchises have only become more popular, profitable, and valuable. The Leafs are worth $4.4 billion, according to Forbes, leading all NHL franchises, with the New York Rangers next at $4 billion. The Knicks are estimated at $9.85 billion, trailing only the Golden State Warriors and Lakers, and well ahead of the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers at $6.72 billion. They both print money, no matter how they fare on the ice and court.
They each also have a corporate cousin that has consistently outshone them. The Raptors won the 2019 NBA title despite only joining the league in 2005, and only Golden State had more wins between 2013 and 2022. The Rangers broke their own long drought by winning the Stanley Cup in 1994 and got another crack in 2014, losing to the Los Angeles Kings. New York was also the President’s Trophy winner in 2014-15, ranks fifth in wins since 2006-07, and made the conference finals five times since 2011.
A New Hope for Knicks Fans
By advancing to the NBA Finals this week and playing the best basketball of any team in these playoffs—with 11 straight wins since going down 2-1 against Atlanta in Round 1—the Knicks may give Leafs fans a precious commodity: hope. If the Knicks can make it this far and perhaps beyond, after all these years, maybe the Leafs can too one day.
Maybe lucking into a draft lottery win in a year where Gavin McKenna is up for grabs was the start of something. The Knicks achieved this by making one of the great free-agent signings in sports history (MVP candidate Jalen Brunson) and by winning, often decisively, just about every trade they have made over the past five seasons. Ownership has mostly gotten out of the way, made smart hires, and paid up to keep the roster intact. Brunson taking a sweetheart deal, something the Leafs stars of the past decade never did, has certainly helped a lot.
Maybe the Knicks cancel the comparison for good by winning the title. Or maybe, in classic Leafs and Knicks fashion, something goes spectacularly wrong at just the wrong time. We will have to wait and see.
