James Dolan has been the owner of the New York Knicks since 1999, when he was given an increased role. Before becoming an owner, Dolan was part of the organization that bought Madison Square Garden, making it the home of the famous NBA franchise.
Dolan owns Cablevision, the company that bought MSG from Viacom. Along with ITT Corporation, which had a 50% stake in the arena, Cablevision took control in 1994. Three years later, ITT sold its shares to Dolan and Cablevision.
Since then, James Dolan has owned an NBA franchise, as well as the NHL’s New York Rangers, the WNBA’s New York Liberty and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.
Also read: I don’t have any plans to sell at this point,” Dolan said. “I’m not retiring anytime soon. It is an asset under family control, so someone in the family will own it.
James Dolan is not willing to sell the Knicks and defends Leon Rose as the team’s GM
There have been reports recently that the Knicks owner is unwilling to sell the team, despite the lack of success the franchise has had under his control. He also defended Leon Rose, the team’s general manager, saying he was the “best guy” to GM the organization.
James Dolan was interviewed by Craig Carton and Evan Roberts on their “Carton and Roberts” show on WFAN. He shared his thoughts on why he thinks Rose is the best fit for the team.
“Why did I bring Leon in? I’ve been doing this for about 20-something years, and in my experience with the NBA, there are things you can do as an owner,” Dolan said. “You can create an environment where everybody, you give them enough money to do their job, you give them more money than they need to do their job.
“You can stay away, which is usually the best course of action. But in the end you choose one guy who will make all the strategy, who will execute it for you. I chose Leon because I believe, after you look at the NBA and the game that we we play, the team with the best talent wins. You want a guy who can give you the best talent.
“I believe that Leon Rose is still the best guy.
“Right now, what we’re looking for is improvement. We want to build ourselves into a championship team. We fully expect to make the playoffs this year. That’s definitely going to be the benchmark. I don’t have any plans to sell at this point. I’m not going to retire anytime soon. That is an asset under family control, so someone in the family will be its owner.”
Also read: What is James Dolan net worth as of 2023? Everything you need to know