New York Knicks team owner James Dolan’s influence over his championship-winning team has come under question after a 0-3 start to the 2026-27 NBA season.
The Knicks stunned the world by storming to the 2026 NBA Championship behind an incredible playoff run. However, they have not looked like a championship-winning organisation since then.
After getting squeezed in free agency because team owner Dolan publicly outlined that the team will not go into the second apron of the NBA salary cap, which has since hurt negotiations with extension-eligible players, and cannonballed into a terrible start to the season.
ESPN analyst tells James Dolan to ‘shut up’ after causing Knicks drama
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon openly called out Dolan after the team’s 111-102 loss to the Orlando Magic, dropping them to 0-3 to start the season.
“They need James Dolan to shut up. That’s what they need. There’s too much drama; There are too many distractions. Leave it to James Dolan to suck the joy out of a post-championship thing.”
“Going back to before the parade: ‘Oh, the second apron is a concrete wall.’ The preseason declaration that none of the guys up for extension are getting paid. The phishing email… The ring night. The biggest thing the Knicks have to overcome is bad ownership.”
The salary cap statement already led to the longest-tenured Knicks player, Mitchell Robinson, leaving for divisional rivals in the Boston Celtics.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Miles McBride and Josh Hart await contract extensions after a title-winning year but have been told that no in-season negotiations will take place, souring the mood of key players as they hope to become the first team to defend an NBA Championship in eight years.
The Knicks have lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, Celtics, and Magic, but will hope to end their losing streak against the 3-0 Detroit Pistons on October 27.
Dolan’s years of stepping away from the spotlight as the chief decision-maker for the Knicks led to a title-winning team being created for him. Now, he has to toe the line between celebrating his greatest achievement as a team owner and keeping the strong harmony that led to the title win in the first place.
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