The 1996–97 NBA season was the 51st season for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association. In the regular season, the Knicks finished in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 57–25 record, and made the NBA Playoffs for the 10th consecutive year.

During the offseason, the Knicks acquired All-Star forward Larry Johnson from the Charlotte Hornets, while signing free agents Allan Houston, Chris Childs and Buck Williams. The Knicks enjoyed a successful season, with their 57 wins tied for the third-most in franchise history; they finished second in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference. John Starks was named the Sixth Man of the Year, and Patrick Ewing was selected to the 1997 NBA All-Star Game (he did not play due to an injury), earned All-NBA Second Team honors, and was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In the last game of the season, at the United Center, the Knicks defeated the then-69–12 Chicago Bulls, preventing them from posting two consecutive 70-win seasons in a row and tying the best home record (40–1 set by the 1985–86 Boston Celtics).