Even by the standards of James Dolan’s nightmarish reign over the New York Knicks, 2006 was a dark year. Some argue that this was the worst chapter in the team’s storied – and often turbulent – history. Just nine days before Christmas that season, Dolan’s Knicks were embroiled in one brawl with the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. The sprawling brawl would be the biggest on-court brawl in the NBA since the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons were demolished at the Malice at the Palace. On that December night in 2006, basketball sank to its most primal state: disjointed men exchanging punches instead of passes, prioritizing violence over victory. The Garden, once Eden, had withered into a bacchanal of banality, with Dolan as Caligula.
The degradation on display that evening epitomized the chaos of Dolan’s administration. Statistically, there were worse seasons under Dolan, such as the 17-65 teams in 2014-2015 and 2018-2019. But the 2006 Knicks were an existential disaster both on and off the court. After just one season, Hall of Famer Larry Brown was fired as head coach. Their putrid 23-59 record was the worst in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks’ payroll for the 2005-06 season was $124 million – an impressive $74.5 million over the salary cap and $62.3 million over the luxury tax.
Worse, Dolan spent millions on washed-up “names” well past their prime, like Steve Francis and Jalen Rose. Dolan’s icy perception among league and NBA fans persists to this day, and it’s easy to see why, given his well-deserved reputation as a petty autocrat. Known for throwing fans out who demand that he sell the team, banning lawyers from litigating against himAnd using facial recognition software at MSG to screen out rivalsDolan’s thin skin and symbiotic friendships have repeatedly compromised the integrity of his company. His decade-long involvement with Isiah Thomas, who was accused of sexual harassment by a Knicks executiveepitomized the worst of his leadership, while incidents like the 2017 altercation with franchise legend Charles Oakley – which was tackled and removed by Dolan’s safety, sparking a public feud – only deepening the franchise’s dysfunction. Oakley still refuses to return to Madison Square Garden without an apology from Dolan.
But it was the situation surrounding Thomas that was perhaps the bleakest point of Dolan’s administration. Anucha Browne Sanders, a former executive of the New York Knicks and a trailblazer as one of the highest-ranking women in the NBA, became the central figure in a historic legal battle that exposed deep dysfunction within the organization. In January 2006, just days after her abrupt dismissal, Browne Sanders filed a harrowing lawsuit against Thomas, then the team’s head of basketball operations, and Madison Square Garden. The lawsuit alleged that Thomas subjected her to ongoing harassment beginning in December 2003, when he joined the organization. The lawsuit also accused Madison Square Garden of retaliating against her for speaking out, claiming she was ousted under the guise of an “investigation” after her attorney filed the complaint. Ultimately, a jury decided between MSG and Dolan Browne must pay Sanders $11.6 million in damages. Thomas has not faced any criminal charges over the allegations.
To his credit, Dolan was far ahead of his peers when it came to hiring Black executives and coaches. But this too brings its complexity, as many of the black leaders he selected have proven to be questionable – not because of their race, but because of their personal shortcomings. The Knicks were the first team in NBA history to have a black president of basketball operations, general manager and head coach in Steve Mills, Scott Perry and David Fizdale. But Mills and Fizdale were terrible in their roles. Fizdale posted a 21-83 record over parts of two seasons. Mills was fired after building a roster of sub-par power forwards and failing to realize Dolan’s dream of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in the 2019 free-agent bonanza. Not to mention that Thomas held president of basketball operations, general manager and head coaching roles with the Knicks, and was the worst in the NBA of all three in the 2000s.
It’s also important to note that Brown Sanders was one of the few African-American female executives in professional sports, and Dolan dragged her reputation through the mud as she fought back against discrimination and sexual harassment. The buck has always stopped with Dolan.
He was handed the team on a silver platter by his father in 1999, and between then and 2020, the Knicks compiled a 693-997 record, the worst in the NBA during that span. And then something strange happened: Dolan became a semi-competent owner. 2020-2021 was their first winning season since 2012-13 and the first time since then that they reached the playoffs. They have now made the playoffs in three of the past four seasons and are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference. 2020 is also the year Dolan hired Leon Rose, a former agent and executive at talent agency CAA, as president of basketball operations. In the four and a half seasons since Rose was hired, the Knicks have gone 188-151. While 2006 cemented Dolan’s reputation as the NBA’s worst owner, his decision to hire Rose to lead the team in 2020 marked the moment he began to shed that title.
So what happened, after two decades of micromanagement, that made Dolan step away from basketball decisions? You could point to the Las Vegas Spherehis innovative real estate project that allowed him to tap into his long-standing creative side as the frontman of his jazz band he could not satisfy. Perhaps Dolan realized he needed a different type of president of basketball operations. It was signed by two famous names. The Phil Jackson era of 2014-2017, which Rose later had to clean up, mirrored the dysfunction of the 2003-2008 Thomas era a little too closely. In both cases, Dolan was forced to step in and fire the man he named president of basketball operations and who was supposed to “save” the Knicks.
Hiring Rose was risky. The move lacked the splashy brand recognition of former NBA champions Thomas and Jackson. While Rose might not have arrived in New York with championship rings, he did have better firsthand knowledge of how the Knicks have operated under Dolan than anyone else. While leading CAA, Rose was the agent for many players who came to define the Knicks’ ineptitude and lack of foresight under Dolan. Rose was in the war room with Carmelo Anthony in 2011 when Dolan took over negotiations and offered all the team’s young depth to get him. He represented Renaldo Balkman, Andre Bargnani and Eddy Curry, and each represented real-life memes of Knicks misses. He was in LeBron James’ ear as his agent with Dolan and company clumsy LeBron to come to New York in the summer of 2010.
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Rose’s appointment showed rare restraint and foresight on Dolan’s part to bring in someone who demanded patience. A hire with no grit, just a plan – and that plan often involves bringing in players who suddenly shine when they reach Rose’s Knicks. Jalen Brunson was a solid professional with the Dallas Mavericks; with the Knicks he has become one of the best players in the league an MVP candidate. And former No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns is finally fulfilling his immense potential after being traded for Julius Randle this summer.
Rose’s hiring will likely go down as Dolan’s best signing, a departure from the poor judgment he has shown over the past two decades. Suddenly there is calm around the Knicks: Rose mimics Dolan’s avoidance of the press and almost always speaks through internal TV interviews on MSG media. Depending on who you ask, this could be seen as a good or bad thing. There are few outlandish statements that can destabilize a team, but it is also harder for the media to demand answers from management.
Knicks fans will be hoping that Rose secures the long-awaited championship. If that happened, Dolan’s biggest victory would have been knowing when to get out of the way.