Posted in: Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: james dolan, Knicks, opinion

Sorry, Knicks Fans: James Dolan Made The NBA Finals All About Him

Try as the New York Knicks might, there was no way that MSG Networks head James Dolan wasn't going to make the NBA Finals all about him.

There's a legal expression that you may have heard of: "Fruit of the poisonous tree." Basically, in non-lawyer speak, it means that if an action is taken ("tree") that's illegal or unconstitutional ("poison"), any evidence that stems from it ("fruit") isn't legally admissible in court. That concept pretty much applies to what's going on with the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. With the Knicks up 2-0 and heading back to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4, MSG Networks head James Dolan, owner of MSG and the Knicks, decided that would be a good time to make all of this about him. How did he do that? By inviting his BFF, Donald Trump, to the game on Monday night, he created a security fiasco for NYC and put the Knicks players under way more media pressure than they deserved.

But clearly that wasn't enough, not when there was still a Game 4 to screw up. And what better way to do that than to get into a press release war with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his administration, claiming they were the ones killing the watch party outside of MSG for tonight's Game 4. Mayor Mamdani's office would respond with receipts and paperwork showing what MSG had actually applied for for tonight's watch party. And then there was Dolan's visit to WFAN earlier today, where Dolan made sure to drop gems like these to make sure he got all of the headlines:

• "They don't have faith in their own police force. We do. But the mayor's office, and the commissioner too, do not have the experience to do this."
• "This is about celebrating the Knicks at MSG, the mecca of basketball. This is what the mayor's office and the commissioner's office is trying to kill. They don't want the celebration."
• "All I would say to the mayor and to the commissioner – believe in New Yorkers. Believe New York can handle this. We're the greatest city in the world, greatest citizens and fans. They are not going to turn this into Armageddon."

Dolan would go on to claim that Mayor Mamdani wasn't a Knicks fan, that Trump had nothing to do with the heightened security on Monday night, and that… wait for it… Trump didn't fall asleep during the game. You know, like Trump also "wasn't booed" the fuck out of the place when he was shown on the screens. Dolan is basically asking you to believe his words and not the tons of wonderful videos that hit social media that showed Trump either sleeping or looking to set the record for the world's longest blink. Again, just a reminder? All of this started because Dolan needed to impress his buddy Trump.

James Dolan says President Donald Trump did not fall asleep during Game 3 of the NBA Finals while on @CartonShowWFAN

"Whatever you think about him, he's a Knicks fan. I think he's a great guy. I've known him for over 30 years. Having him there was a great honor." pic.twitter.com/fZa6JeM6j7

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 10, 2026

"There will be no watch party outside MSG. This decision was made in coordination with the Secret Service. There will be watch parties at other locations. We are currently determining where they will be. We'll get back to you when we have more to share," was the statement from an NYPD representative over the weekend, pretty much telling us that Trump's visit and the security measures that come with it were the reason for Monday's watch party being shuttered.

But then a weird statement came from Dolan's MSG offices, attempting to spin the decision as having nothing to do with Trump. "The permit for the Plaza33 Game 3 watch party was denied by the City's permitting office in consultation with the NYPD. However, the White House will confirm that this is not about the President. We understand NYPD Commissioner Tisch is planning additional street closures around Madison Square Garden," read the statement.

The NYPD would then release an additional statement that pretty much cleared up any confusion. "There will be no watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden for Game 3 only. This was done fully in coordination with the Secret Service because of the presidential visit. We expect watch parties at Madison Square Garden to resume for Game 4," read the statement – placing the blame exactly where it belongs.

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