New York Knicks owner James Dolan cops backlash for staying silent over US protests

For decades one NBA owner has been the laughing stock of the league and as protests rage in the US, he found a new way to hit rock bottom.

New York Knicks owner James Dolan came under fire after refusing to release public statement.

New York Knicks owner James Dolan has once again been thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

As riots and protests continue across America in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police last week, sporting organisations the world over have released statements in a show of unity for the Black Lives Matter movement.

By Tuesday, only two NBA teams had yet to make a public statement regarding Floyd and the protests against racial injustice.

The San Antonio Spurs were one of those teams. However, head coach Gregg Popovich has never shied away from delivering scathing takedowns of US President Donald Trump and he did so again this week, labelling the Commander in Chief a “deranged idiot”.

The other team was the Knicks. Instead of going public, Dolan sent an internal memo to all Madison Square Garden staff explaining the reasoning behind the decision to remain silent.

ESPN’s Pablo Torre obtained the email sent out in which Dolan in one line says: “We are not any more qualified than anyone else to offer our opinion on social matters.”

I'm told that Knicks players and employees are furious that the team hasn't made a public statement about George Floyd. And I just obtained the e-mail that owner Jim Dolan sent to MSG employees today defending the organization's decision to stay silent: pic.twitter.com/xG1BA7tV5V

— Pablo S. Torre (@PabloTorre) June 2, 2020

The memo from the executive chairman and CEO of The Madison Square Garden Company became the latest bungle in a long line of failings.

Only five times over the past 20 seasons have the Knicks made it into the NBA Playoffs and of those occasions they’ve only once made it past the first round.

One of Dolan’s plethora of PR disasters saw him rip into a 73-year-old lifelong Knicks fan who had criticised his ownership and leadership of the organisation.

In his response to Irving Bierman, Dolan told him to “root for the Nets because the Knicks don’t want you” and that Bierman was “a sad person” who was an “alcoholic maybe”.

As the Knicks losses piled up, one fan told Dolan to “sell the team”. In response, Dolan threatened to ban the fan from games.

Now Dolan’s reluctance to speak up has drawn severe backlash.

“This isn’t difficult. Even a bland statement would work. Several NBA teams did just that while still expressing outrage at racism and inequality and injustice. Dolan couldn’t even do the least,” USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt wrote.

“James Dolan is not only saying Knicks aren’t qualified for an opinion on George Floyd, but neither is anyone else. Does he even grasp what’s happened? Seriously, how can this not push action from the NBA to replace him as an owner?” Jason Smith said on Fox Sports Radio.

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On The Jump, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst added: “Jim Dolan has legendary bad judgment. It’s been happening for decades. This is a guy who once wrote a song — performed it and recorded it — about Trayvon Martin. He has hired many people to help him with his bad judgment and he doesn’t listen to any of them.”

ESPN’s Max Kellerman didn’t bite his tongue when talking about Dolan on First Take on Wednesday.

“It was an empty statement from a garbage organisation. A ‘peaceful and respectful workplace’ that’s the bare minimum,” Kellerman said.

“Players have already understood. This is not a guy and an organisation to play for. That’s why they can’t give away their money and why they have stunk for decades now.

“Until this guy sells the team, this team is impossible to root for.”

Dolan is disliked by many of the Knicks’ own fans.

As pointed out by New York Daily News’ Stefan Brody, Dolan doesn’t feel comfortable speaking out on social issues — but he’s fine talking about his support of Trump.

“While Dolan keeps a low public profile and apparently doesn’t feel comfortable commenting on social issues, he has been open about his support of Donald Trump,” Brody wrote.

“Dolan donated $300,000 to Trump’s 2016 campaign, then pledged $125,000 to his re-election. More recently, the Dolan patriarch — Charles — donated $125,000 to Trump’s re-election campaign, according to records,”

Despite Dolan and the Knicks organisation remaining silent, the players have joined in protests across the country and made their voices heard.

While Knicks owner Jim Dolan remains silent on George Floyd, current Knicks and former ⁦@KentuckyMBB⁩ players @j30⁦@J30_RANDLE⁩ _ And ⁦@KevKnox⁩ have been among those supporting the protests and the cause. pic.twitter.com/BFZoi3VYJz

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 2, 2020

The Knicks did eventually join in the Black Lives Matter movement by following in the footsteps of many and uploading an image to their Instagram account with the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday.

Dolan also attempted to clear up the unrest caused by his initial internal memo with a follow-up note to staff where he categorically slammed racism.

“Yesterday, I made a sincere attempt to provide my perspective on a very difficult issue, one that has no easy answers. I know how important this topic is to so many, and I do not want there to be any confusion about where I as an individual, or we as a company stand,” Dolan wrote.

“So let me be clear: we vehemently condemn and reject racism against anyone, period. It is against every value that we hold dear.

“My point yesterday was about actions, and the importance of living your values. At Madison Square Garden, we have worked hard to build an environment of inclusion and mutual respect and those are the values that we try to live every day. Racism is born of ignorance and it’s up to each of us to understand that the person working beside you is your equal without regard to colour, or any of the other qualities that make us diverse. And any injustice to one person is an injustice to everyone.

“This is how we at MSG fight racism. We start with ourselves, and through our actions, we define who we are. That is how we can be an example to the wider world. That was the point of my message yesterday.

“I am proud of the environment you have created here. I know that this is a difficult time, and that we will always need to communicate with one another on the hard issues. I will continue to do as much as I can to help make our community even better. I know you will also.”

Despite Dolan’s internal emails, the Knicks have yet to release a public statement condemning racial injustice.

Originally published as New York Knicks owner James Dolan cops backlash for staying silent over US protests