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With No NBA Championships in 50 Years, $2 Billion Rich Knicks Owner James Dolan Vents His Frustration

Published 09/20/2023, 1:16 PM EDT

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New York City has some of the biggest sports teams in the world. Out of the numerous teams taking part in multiple sports, the New York Knicks and the New York Yankees are certainly two of the biggest teams. While the Yankees fanbase has tasted success, the Knicks are yet to win an NBA title in over five decades! James Dolan, the owner of the Knicks and multiple other franchises, comes under fire more often than not.

During a recent interview with The New York Times, the billionaire described his side of the story. He also addressed unruly fans and how their behavior affected him.

New York Knicks owner comes clean on facing hate

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The Knicks have one of the largest fan bases in the NBA. However, their very vocal and passionate fans have yet to taste success in a very long time. The Knicks won their last NBA title all the way back in 1973!

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James Dolan inherited a huge business empire which included ownership of the Knicks, Madison Square Garden, the Rangers, among many other franchises. Out of his multiple businesses, the Knicks and the Rangers are “near and dear” to his heart. Being so actively involved with the workings of the team, Dolan faces hate from fans on a daily basis. And he certainly doesn’t like that.

USA Today via Reuters

“Signs like “Sell the Team” — a rallying cry from long disgruntled fans — are “directed at, on a personal basis, the guy who’s in charge — me. If you held up a sign that says, you know, ‘Play better, this team sucks,’ you can do that. That’s part of being a fan”, said Dolan while talking to the New York Times. According to him, criticizing the team and its performance is a natural behavior for any fan. However, he isn’t in favor of fans heckling him for the team’s shortcomings on the basketball court.

Dolan made a major confession about ownership

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Ownership is not as simple as it looks like, and it is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. It looks like Dolan doesn’t enjoy this aspect of his life.

Although he owns the Knicks and the Rangers, Dolan once considered expanding his portfolio in the baseball or soccer industry. However, the ‘sleepy’ sports industry changed his mind. “I don’t really like owning teams,” said Dolan during the same interview. Additionally, he also mentioned that he doesn’t like venue ownership because of the small profit margins for the owners.

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What are your thoughts on James Dolan’s revelations? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Abhinava Ghosh

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Abhinava Ghosh is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports with a wealth of experience covering the league. He has written over 1400 articles for EssentiallySports, showcasing his expertise in analyzing and reporting on NBA trade rumors, injury updates, and the ever-changing dynamics of the league. He had successfully covered the entire Kevin Durant trade saga at Brooklyn, which led to the basketball legend’s move to the Desert.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja