1970 New York Knicks NBA Championship Ring - Executive
The New York Knicks have won exactly two NBA Championships in their history 1970 and 1973. This is a genuine 1970 Knicks NBA Championship ring with display box, originally belonging to Knicks executive Enos Curtain. Crafted by Balfour in 14k yellow gold with a centrally mounted diamond, this ring was made to the exact same specifications as those presented to the players and coaches who made history that spring. Executive rings from championship teams of this era are particularly scarce as the organization issued a tightly limited number, and fewer still have survived in private hands over the past five decades.
What these rings sell for at auction
The market has spoken clearly on 1970 Knicks championship rings. The ring issued to legendary head coach Red Holzman sold at SCP Auctions for $107,482 — a testament to how seriously the collector community values pieces from this championship. Rings from this era were issued to a very limited number of recipients, far fewer than modern championship rings, which makes them exceptionally rare on the open market.
The 1969–70 Knicks were one of the great teams in NBA history. They set a then record 18-game winning streak during the regular season on their way to a 60–22 record. In the NBA Finals they faced the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers featuring Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor — in a seven-game series that produced one of the most iconic moments in sports history.
The moment that defined the championship
Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. Willis Reed, the Knicks' captain and center, had torn a muscle in his thigh in Game 5 and was not expected to play. As the teams warmed up for the deciding game at Madison Square Garden, Reed limped out of the tunnel. The crowd erupted. The Lakers froze. Reed scored the first two baskets of the game, Walt Frazier poured in 36 points, and the Knicks won 113–99 to claim their first-ever NBA title. It is considered one of the most dramatic moments in the history of professional basketball. This ring commemorates that night.
The Knicks have not won an NBA Championship since 1973. This ring and the one that came three years later, represent the entirety of championship jewelry this storied franchise has ever produced making it a crown jewel for any New York sports collection.
| Year | 1970 |
| Team | New York Knicks |
| Material | 14k Yellow Gold with diamond |
| Manufacturer | Balfour |
| Type | Executive-issued |
| Original owner | Enos Curtain, Knicks executive |
| Finals result | Knicks def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4–3 |
1970 New York Knicks — Quick Facts
- Set a then-NBA record 18-game winning streak during the 1969–70 regular season — commemorated by the number 18 engraved on the ring itself
- Defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games — Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor — in what remains one of the greatest Finals series in NBA history
- Willis Reed's Game 7 entry through the Madison Square Garden tunnel — despite a torn thigh muscle — is widely regarded as one of the most electrifying moments in sports history; he was named Finals MVP
- Walt "Clyde" Frazier delivered one of the great individual Finals performances in NBA history in Game 7: 36 points and 19 assists
- Head coach Red Holzman was named NBA Coach of the Year; the roster included Hall of Famers Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Dick Barnett — as well as a young Phil Jackson
- The New York Knicks have won exactly two NBA Championships — 1970 and 1973 — making every piece of ring-era memorabilia from this franchise extraordinarily scarce
- Championship rings from this era were issued to a significantly smaller pool of recipients than modern titles — fewer rings were made, and fewer have survived, making each example that surfaces a genuine event in the collector market