New York (AFP) – The NBA title secured by the New York Knicks on Saturday could help salvage the legacy of franchise owner James Dolan, who has been accused of incompetence, personal vendettas, and egocentrism for almost 30 years. “The dumbest owner in sports,” or “the Einstein of incompetence” — the 71-year-old has heard it all since taking the helm of the franchise in 1999 from his father, cable magnate Charles Dolan.
Under the younger Dolan’s control, New York only made it to the postseason six times in a 19-year span, never as a legitimate contender. In the process, the Long Island native cycled through numerous coaches and recruited big names — Isiah Thomas, Phil Jackson, and Larry Brown — all of whom failed. Abrasive, vindictive, and media-wary, Dolan also found himself at the center of repeated controversies.
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In 2006, he fired an executive who complained of sexual harassment by Isiah Thomas, and the resulting legal battle cost the Knicks nearly $12 million. He nonetheless rehired Thomas as president of WNBA side New York Liberty in 2015. The stocky businessman also banned dozens of people over the years from Madison Square Garden, the Knicks’ home arena. They include former Knicks player Charles Oakley, who had criticized him, and lawyers representing fans who had sued him.
To top it all off, he developed a strained relationship with the NBA as well as his fellow owners, mostly for pushing his own interests in any circumstance. “The brand was tarnished a bit with some of the off-the-court stuff…and some really bad news on the basketball operation side,” says Stephen Master, adjunct professor of sports media and gaming at New York University.
On the flip side, Master said that “from a business perspective, he’s done incredibly well, and he leveraged the economic and financial resources of New York City really, really well”. While revenue has grown slower than NBA broadcasting rights during Dolan’s tenure, the team maintained strong earnings despite the Knicks’ lack of competitiveness. Forbes currently estimates the franchise’s value to be $9.75 billion, sixth among sports teams worldwide. Dolan oversaw the renovation of Madison Square Garden, which preserved the venue’s original spirit while adding suites that are far more lucrative than standard seats.
Master also highlighted the franchise’s sponsorship strategy. “A lot of sports teams like to have 100 different sponsors and go for quantity over quality,” said the NYU scholar. “MSG’s approach has always been we just want to partner with top-tier, A-plus brands, but we only want to partner with like 15 to 20 of them.” Sports commentator Max Kellerman, one of Dolan’s fiercest critics, gave him credit for never skimping on the Knicks’ budget. “He will spend money if he thinks that it will make the team better even though he is usually wrongheaded about this stuff,” Kellerman said in 2017.
After two decades of mismanagement, Dolan took a more hands-off approach and gave free rein to former agent Leon Rose, who was appointed president in 2020. The former representative of NBA superstars like LeBron James, Allen Iverson, and Carmelo Anthony set about completely rebuilding the team, scouting for specific skill sets and often underrated players, such as Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby. “He’s a great basketball mind,” Brunson said during the NBA Finals. “I also think he surrounds himself with good people.”
Brunson, the Finals MVP, was impressed by Rose’s achievements “especially here with all the scrutiny” people can expect in New York. According to Master, it could be too late for Dolan to be recognized as a great owner, as that distinction usually goes to “someone who’s consistently competing.” It should be enough though to get the fans off his back for the foreseeable future. “They’ll soften on him,” said Master, “because they’re just happy.”
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