Knicks owner James Dolan: ‘I don’t really like owning teams’
NEW YORK (BVM) — New York sports fans have been held hostage by James Dolan and his billions of dollars, but not even the man himself enjoys the situation.
“I don’t really like owning teams,” Dolan told Katherine Rosman of the New York Times.
The owner of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers has been viewed as one of the worst owners in sports for quite a while, especially in the basketball world.
Dolan became the primary manager for these organizations in 1999, and since then, the Knicks have missed the playoffs 16 times.
“Basically every fan thinks of themselves as the owner/general manager,” Dolan said. “Being a professional sports owner in New York, you’re not beloved until you’re dead.”
He may claim that fans believe they are a lead executive, but there have been plenty of times throughout the years that he has pushed to make a move happen as well, which typically winds up being detrimental to the franchise.
Dolan has stayed out of his own way recently though, and his teams have benefited from that.
The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals last year and the Rangers were in the conference finals in 2022.
Madison Square Garden has been the home of many “sell the team” chants when the franchises are bad and it is widely known that he is not a fan of that behavior. When asked about those types of fans, Dolan was pretty blunt with his response.
“We don’t want you there,” Dolan said.
While the vibes are good at the moment at MSG, as soon as his teams take a step back, the “sell the team” chants will return very quickly.
Maybe for the good of the fans, and himself, he will listen to his consumers next time around.
Photo: The New York Knicks have not made it to the conference finals since 2000. (Credit: Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)