James Dolan on ownership
From James Dolan shares Knicks trade deadline plans · · SNY
“Ownership is not an achievement. If you built it, that's an achievement.”
On , James Dolan, Executive Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN SPORTS, spoke about ownership during James Dolan shares Knicks trade deadline plans on SNY.
About James Dolan
James Dolan, Executive Chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports, gave a series of interviews in early January 2026, his first public comments in three years. He discussed the decision, made with team president Leon Rose, to fire head coach Tom Thibodeau after the team's Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Dolan said the team needed to "evolve beyond the old traditional coaching formulas" and that Thibodeau's style was not suited to the current NBA, which he described as more complicated and focused on player development. Dolan stated he and Rose talked to Thibodeau throughout the previous season about their direction, but characterized Thibodeau as "stubborn." When asked if Thibodeau was surprised by the firing, Dolan replied, "We decided to surprise him." Dolan stated that the Knicks' goal is an NBA championship and that they will not raise a banner for winning the Emirates Cup. He said he is "fairly happy" with the current roster and does not anticipate a significant trade before the deadline, asking "who do you want to lose?" regarding the team's core players. Dolan also said he was not aware of any trade talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo)Skip. On the topic of ownership, Dolan stated, "Ownership is not an achievement," adding that he still enjoys participating in team building but does not "fool" himself about the nature of ownership.