KNICKS’ JD ON DEFENSE
Dolan attempts to clarify his lack of a statement regarding Floyd
With James Dolan facing criticism and his employees reportedly angered by his explanation for remaining silent about police brutality, the Knicks owner sent another internal memo Tuesday that attempted to cleanse a misperception of the first.
“Yesterday, I made a sincere attempt to provide my perspective on a very difficult issue, one that has no easy answers” the memo from Dolan read, according to SNY. “I know how important this topic is to so many, and I don’t want there to be any confusion about where I stand as an individual, or we as a company stand. So let me be clear: we vehemently condemn and reject racism against anyone, period. It is against every value we hold dear.”
The email made no reference to the initial cause of the anger — which was why the Knicks were one of only two teams not to issue a public statement following the killing of George Floyd. Dolan stated in the first memo that he wasn’t qualified enough to offer his opinion, an explanation that rang hollow since he once wrote (and performed) a blues song about Trayvon Martin’s racially-charged shooting.
In the second memo, Dolan reiterated that MSG has built an “environment of inclusion and
mutual respect.” The implication was that MSG’s strong value system serves better than any public statement about injustice or police brutality.
“This is how we at MSG fight racism. We start with ourselves, and through our actions, we define who we are,” the memo continued. “That is how we can be an example to the wider world. That was the point of my message yesterday.”
By the time Dolan’s clarification surfaced, the owner had already been through a news cycle of criticism.
On ESPN’s ‘The Jump,’ former NBA player Kendrick Perkins declared, “There’s a reason why Dolan can’t land superstars. No one wants to play for him.” On another show, former NBA player Jalen Rose said Dolan’s internal email is “a bullying tactic or a form of suppression” toward his workers.
“The brutality by criminals with badges and guns has for as long as black and brown people have been in the United States,” Rose said on ‘Jalen & Jacoby.’ “And you’re talking about the same James Dolan who used security and forces to have Charles Oakley removed from the building? You’re talking about that guy? The same James Dolan that denied entrance to Spike Lee?”
What exactly prompted Dolan’s second memo was unclear, but “dozens” of angered MSG workers held a meeting Tuesday, without the owner, to discuss his initial email and refusal to issue a statement, according to ESPN. And although Knicks players have been vocal about the injustices surrounding Floyd’s homicide — including Dennis Smith
Jr., who was protesting in North Carolina — the franchise’s coaches and executives under contract had been largely quiet. On Tuesday morning, the Knicks joined the trending blackout movement by posting an all-black square on the team’s Instagram account. The image, which was displayed without words, is meant to demonstrate solidarity with the black community and represented Dolan’s first public acknowledgement of the civil unrest.
Larry Johnson, the former Knick and current Garden employee, sent out a cryptic message on Twitter after Dolan’s first email was leaked.
“The statement put out by James Dolan and MSG has some truth in it,” he wrote. “As a Blackman and employee of MSG it is our responsibility to stand up for our Black Brother. DO FOR SELF!”
Dolan’s defenders have brought up the billionaire’s strong record of hiring AfricanAmericans and women in high positions at MSG. Steve Mills and Isiah Thomas, for instance, were given considerable time and leeway near the top of the Knicks organization. But Dolan has also been likened to a slave owner by Oakley and Warriors forward Draymond Green (who later backtracked).
Dolan also is a friend and supporter of Donald Trump, who has threatened to use the military to squash the protestors of police brutality.
Despite Dolan’s PR disasters, his awful win-loss record and political allegiance that run counter to most of his players, Jalen Rose declared the NBA would never force him to sell the Knicks — ala Donald Sterling in L.A. — because the franchise is too valuable.
“When we speak about storied brands like the Yankees, the Lakers, the Celtics — actually the Knicks are worth more. How about that?” Rose said. “And with the two championships they won 40-plus years ago, the real estate in New York City along with the power of the brand that plays in that building. His father owned the team, and because of nepotism it’s his. He’s not going to be a Donald Sterling. He’s not going to be forced to sell the team. I know a lot of people are like, ‘Sell the team,’ ‘Sell the team.’ And I know that if I had to pay to watch them play I would feel the exact same way over the past ‘X’ amount of years. But not going to be able to do it.”