James Dolan’s Disturbing Treatment of Knicks Employees

James Dolan is undoubtedly among the least popular owners in sports, but the revelations that emerged Thursday night regarding his treatment of Knicks employees were shocking, even given his reputation.

Typically, when a team wins a championship, there’s a tradition of rewarding at least some employees with championship rings as a gesture of appreciation for their support. Teams like the Seahawks and the Carolina Hurricanes have been known to provide rings to their staff, but Dolan and the Knicks took a different approach—one that many are calling a scam.

An email was sent out in September to all employees at Madison Square Garden, as reported by The Athletic. The message seemed to promise a championship ring for everyone, even going as far as requesting customization preferences from the staff.

“(Employee name), this is on the house. MSG is issuing a complimentary employee championship ring, crafted by the same jeweler and personalized with your name. No cost to you. There are two designs to choose from: Championship Gold and Garden Classic. Reserve the one you want below.”

Understandably, employees were thrilled. However, the truth was that this was a ploy devised by Dolan. He intended for the emails to serve as a test to see which employees would fall for a phishing scam. Reports indicate that Dolan has been becoming increasingly anxious about cybersecurity, which, sure, is important—yet testing it under the guise of offering rings? That crosses a line.

There was never any genuine intention to provide championship rings to the employees. Instead, those who clicked on the link to reserve a ring were redirected to mandatory cybersecurity training. The Knicks declined to comment about the situation when approached by The Athletic.

Employees of the team work extremely hard, often so passionately that during playoffs, or even a finals run, they willingly put in long hours and take on additional responsibilities. It’s customary for teams to reward their staff with rings in recognition of their contributions, acknowledging that while the players may take the spotlight, the team wouldn’t succeed without a substantial support system behind the scenes.

To raise hopes among these dedicated individuals only to reveal it was a manipulative test is truly disheartening. It’s shameful how James Dolan has allowed his paranoia to turn into such callousness, ultimately putting his employees in a dreadful position for his own experimentation.