When people ask the question, “Why aren’t the New York Knicks one of the best franchises in the NBA?” the answer routinely finds its way back to one person.
The controlling shareholder of Madison Square Garden Sports and Madison Square Garden Entertainment, which owns the Knicks and New York Rangers, Dolan is either inept or completely disinterested, depending on which Knicks fans you talk to. But the point is that when you look at all the decisions that have doomed the franchise while other teams have collected NBA championships, they all come back to the thin-skinned owner who can’t help but meddle while alienating former players as well as current fans.
Naturally, he’s getting a huge raise.
According to The Athletics’ Mike Vorkunov, Dolan signed new contracts with MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment last month that will pay him at least $26.5 million per year, plus bonuses.
Furthermore, Vorkunov explains why it is unlikely that Dolan will ever sell MSG. Simply put, none of the other owners have the ability to sell without him, and he clearly enjoys the role too much.
The new deals cover Dolan through June 2024, so the company will have to come to a new arrangement with its leader by then. Clearly, results on the court don’t seem to be a measure by which his salary is determined, so whether the Knicks find a way to put it together or continue to fall short of expectations, Dolan will continue to get paid and make all the bad blues music he wants.
[Mike Vorkunov]