The New York Knicks organization went into full-blown damage control mode on Saturday after an absolutely embarrassing story broke: their assistant coaches and key staff members reportedly didn’t get championship rings this week. Talk about a bad look, especially when you are supposed to be celebrating a title.
Empty Boxes and Annoyed Coaches: The Ring Ceremony Fiasco
So, here’s the deal. On Tuesday, the Knicks had their big ring ceremony, a moment that should be pure joy. All the players received their “gaudy 22-karat championship rings” from jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills. You know, the good stuff. But The Athletic dropped a bombshell, reporting that the black boxes handed out to the assistant coaches that night were actually empty. Empty! Sources told The Athletic that coaches “had not yet been fitted for rings” and their reactions ranged “from genuine anger to annoyance.”
The organization’s official statement on Saturday tried to spin it, claiming, “There is a great deal of misinformation regarding the championship rings.” They said the plan “has always been to distribute more than 275 rings and jewelry to the people in the organization who were part of last season’s success.” Players, they said, always get theirs opening night, and “everyone else will receive theirs in about 4-6 weeks.” While it’s true that assistants sometimes don’t get their bling on ring night, you have to wonder why billionaire owner James Dolan couldn’t have just gotten it done in the months since the championship win. And it is still unclear if even head coach Mike Brown got his ring that night.
The Phishing Test That Had the League Laughing
But wait, it gets even worse. The ring snub itself wasn’t even the most ridiculous part of The Athletic’s report. Back in September, many staff members received an email with the subject line “Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here,” even showcasing images of the title rings. Sounds awesome, right? Nope. This email was actually “a phishing test that MSG sent to see if those employees would click,” sources revealed. A phishing test! Using the championship rings! That, according to the report, was the part of the story that “received the most ridicule around the industry.” Can you believe that? The organization used the ultimate prize as bait for a security test.
The Knicks’ damage control statement also addressed this absolute mess: “Regarding the phishing email, the process of securing and reminding our employees to protect our IP was not a mistake, but the choice to use the ring to do so was a mistake, and we apologize to our employees and the fans.” They ended their statement with a plea to focus on the positive, saying, “Winning the championship was a great moment for all New Yorkers. Those who choose to focus on the negative are missing the joy that comes with the team’s accomplishment.” It is tough to focus on the joy when your own organization is pulling stunts like this.
This whole situation is a massive distraction after what should have been an electric opening night. While the Knicks try to smooth things over with 275 promised rings and a half-hearted apology, the damage to morale and reputation might be harder to fix than a missing diamond.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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