About this episode

The episode explores the history of the New York Knicks and the Dutch origins of Manhattan, connecting sports and city culture.

This week on the History Hyenas, the boys head to the Mecca of basketball and the birthplace of modern chaos: NEW YORK CITY. From the legendary history of the New York Knicks to the sneaky Dutch origins of Manhattan, Chrissy D and Yanni break down how a swamp trading post became the loudest city on Earth. The Hyenas dive into the rise and fall of the Knicks dynasty, Madison Square Garden madness, Patrick Ewing heartbreak, Spike Lee courtside hysteria, and why every New Yorker still believes “this is our year” even after decades of emotional damage. Then the boys travel back to New Amsterdam — when the Dutch were running the city with fur trades, canals, and absolute psycho energy. Learn how Dutch influence shaped NYC culture, finance, real estate, and even modern slang while the Hyenas speculate that Wall Street was basically invented by early scammers and guys named Van Der Something. From orange roots to orange-and-blue suffering, this episode connects the history of New York sports and New York City itself in the only way History Hyenas can. #HistoryHyenas #NewYorkKnicks #NYC #MadisonSquareGarden #NBAHistory #DutchHistory #NewAmsterdam #PatrickEwing #SpikeLee #ComedyPodcast…

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris Distefano, Yannis Pappas

Topics covered

• New York Knicks
• basketball history
• Dutch influence
• New York City culture
• sports
• comedy

Keywords

• New York Knicks
• basketball
• Dutch history
• New Amsterdam
• Patrick Ewing
• Spike Lee
• Madison Square Garden
• NYC culture

Sponsors

Ultra Pouches, Shopify, BlueChew

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Madison Square Garden, Wall Street

Places: New York City, New Amsterdam

More episodes of History Hyenas with Chris Distefano and Yannis Pappas

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• Machiavelli and the Art of Being a Piece of Sh*t | History Hyenas · May 14, 2026 · 1h 6m

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