Dolan Speaks: Knicks Owner Addresses Future of the Franchise in Bombshell
The New York Knicks have made plenty of trades on the road back to relevancy, but don’t expect any shift in the top spot.
Current Knicks owner James Dolan addressed the future of owner during his appearance on the “Roommates Show” podcast, telling franchise face Jalen Brunson that he intends to keep both the Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers within the family.
“No,” Dolan bluntly declared when Brunson asked if he’d ever “walk away” from the Knicks and/or Rangers. “I could pass it on. But I could never walk away. I think that we’re a controlled company, we’re controlled by my family. You know some of my offspring and plus I have brothers and sisters also with kids, etc.”
“The Knicks and the Rangers and the Garden are one of a kind asset. My hope is that these kids grow up and take my place. That’s what I did with my dad. So, yeah, I don’t see [selling] happening.”
Dolan took over a larger role in Cablevision’s sports properties in 1999, two years after the company founded by his late father, Charles, took over full ownership of the Knicks and Rangers. As chairman of MSG Sports, James Dolan oversees day-to-day operations of both teams. Other MSG Sports properties include the Westchester Knicks and Hartford Wolf Pack, the respective farm teams of the Knicks and Rangers.
Brunson found the idea of Dolan working with his family to be “dope,” remarking that such a set-up creates a “different sense of pride.” Dolan is one of Charles’ six children, and his uncle Larry was the longtime owner of the Cleveland Indians/Guardians Major League Baseball franchise. His cousin Paul has taken over ownership of the team after Larry’s passing in February.
Dolan spoke about the challenge of working in a family business, remarking that he has felt like his “own person completely” in just the last 10 years. He acknowledged that his own children “will have to be ready” for similar expectations once he’s ready to pass on the reigns.
“To work in your family’s company is not easy,” Dolan said. “All the eyes are on you. You’ve got to be better than the average person. Otherwise, everyone says that you just got here because of your family. So you’ve got to be better. That’s the challenge for working in a family company.”
