New York Yankees
Once the Baltimore Orioles, the team was purchased in 1903 and named the Highlanders. They would be renamed the Yankees in 1913. In 1920 they purchased Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox, starting what is 100 years of an iconic legacy filled with Hall of Famers and 27 World Series championships.
New York Mets
The New York Metropolitan Baseball Club, Inc. was formed in response to both the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants leaving for California in 1958. The Mets played their first game in 1962 and won their first World Series by the end of the decade, beating the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles in 1969. They won again in 1986 against the Red Sox, who were infamously one strike away from winning the series in Game 6.
New York Islanders
Formed in 1972, the Islanders was a potential name for the would-be Mets. And like the Mets, the Islanders found success early in their franchise, winning the Stanley Cup in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983. They struggled afterwards, however, and have not won their division since the 80s.
New York Rangers
Despite starting in 1926, the Rangers were not New York’s first hockey team; that title went to the 1925 Americans. The Rangers assembled a powerful team that won the Stanley Cup in 1928, beating the Montreal Maroons. They won three more titles in the years since, most recently in 1994.
Buffalo Sabres
Established in 1970 alongside the Vancouver Canucks, the Sabres were named after a contest that brought in 13,000 entries. It took three years for them to make the playoffs, and in the 1974-1975 season they made the Stanley Cup but lost in six games to the Philadelphia Flyers. They returned in 1999 but have yet to win.
New York Giants
The Giants were revived in 1925 after the NFL wanted a team in New York. Two years later they had the best record in the league. In the 30s and 40s they continued their success, appearing in nine championships. The 60s and 70s, however, were bleak. In 1976 they moved to New Jersey, but the team would right the ship and win four Super Bowls afterwards, including beating an undefeated New England Patriots team in the 2007 season.
New York Jets
Founded in 1960 as the “Titans of New York,” the team survived three seasons before nearly going bankrupt. The new owner changed the name to the Jets, and in 1969, quarterback Joe Namath won Super Bowl III over the Baltimore Colts. It would take nearly 30 years (until 1998) for them to go on another deep playoff run. In 2009 and 2010 they returned to the AFC Championship Game, but lost both times.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills started as a part of the American Football League in 1960. It wasn’t until the late 80s that Buffalo produced a consistently dominant team with the help of quarterback Jim Kelly. The Bills with Kelly went to four consecutive Super Bowls, although they have yet to win a championship. Buffalo fans are sure to note that they are the only football team who play their home games in the state of New York, as the Jets and Giants both play in New Jersey.
New York Knicks
Starting in 1946, the New York Knickerbockers were named after the wardrobe of the Dutch, who first colonized New York in the 1600s. In 1970, Walt Frazier and Willis Reed took down the Los Angeles Lakers for their first championship and did so again in 1973. Luck struck in 1985 when the Knicks won the NBA’s first draft lottery and took Patrick Ewing, who was a mainstay for over a decade. The team has since struggled to build a title-contending roster, however, largely due to poor management.
Brooklyn Nets
After decades of playing in New Jersey, the Nets moved to Brooklyn in 2012. These new-look Nets have not shied away from making blockbuster moves, getting Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in 2013. After a rebuild, Brooklyn signed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019 and instantly became favorites to win it all, though they have yet to seal the deal.
New York Liberty
A charter member of the WNBA, the Liberty were formed in late 1996. The next year they made the Finals, losing to the Houston Comets. The team was dominant through the rest of the 90s until 2002 when they lost in the Finals yet again – their fourth appearance without a championship. Unfortunately, the Liberty lost in the 2023 WNBA Finals, making the team 0-5 in the championship round.
New York Red Bulls
Established in 1994 before the start of the newly formed Major League Soccer, the team was originally called the MetroStars. After over a decade of mediocrity, the owners of Red Bull purchased the team and renamed it. The Red Bulls made the MLS Cup in 2008 but lost to the Columbus Crew.
New York City FC
In 2013, New York got its second MLS team when a group that included the New York Yankees funded the New York Football Club. It took eight years for the team to win the MLS Cup, beating the Portland Timbers on penalty kicks in 2021.
