Dave Portnoy Calls Knicks Out as Loser Franchise

The New York Knicks have a lot of fans, but they also have a lot of haters, and there might not be one bigger than Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.

Portnoy, a Massachusetts native, was asked about his top five "loser" franchises, and the Knicks were up there with the best of the worst in his eyes.

.@stoolpresidente gives his top five loser franchises 👀 pic.twitter.com/q36FJrBKZt
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 13, 2026

Dave Portnoy Doesn't Mince Words on Knicks

Portnoy has a point, because the Knicks have not won a championship in over 50 years, and many of those seasons have seen the team do rather poorly. However, the Knicks have made a run towards the championship in the last couple of years, and they have the chance to shed this loser title.

Last season, the Knicks were just six wins away from hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time since 1973. Unfortunately for them, they lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. This year, the Knicks are poised to make a run back to where they were and hopefully beyond.

Like last season, the Knicks find themselves in third place in the Eastern Conference standings at the All-Star break. The team has a 35-20 record through 55 games and sit just a half game back of the Boston Celtics, who hold the number two seed. The team is six games back of the Detroit Pistons, who are the first team in the East to reach 40 wins this season.

The Knicks' championship window is wide open with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way. They also have Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson among the supporting cast, which is proving to be one of the best in the league. While they have been strong, they are going to need to turn it up a notch in the second half of the season in order to beat the loser allegations.

Regardless of whether they win the championship or not, however, there's a good chance Boston sports fans like Portnoy will always view the Knicks as a loser franchise. New York fans might be able to get the last laugh if they can beat the Celtics again in the playoffs and go all the way to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

The last a couple of months into the NBA season should certainly provide some intrigue when it comes to the Knicks.

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