Knicks employees got an email in September asking them to reserve their preferred championship ring style, but here’s the kicker: it was all a scam. That email was reportedly a phishing test, plain and simple, designed to see who would click the bait. Talk about a gut punch after their incredible run this year.
Championship Vibes Dour After Ring Ceremony Fiasco
The New York Knicks had one of the most euphoric championship runs in NBA history earlier this year, finally ending a 53-year title drought. But the mood surrounding their championship defense is significantly more dour than even a few months ago. It isn’t just owner James Dolan’s hard-line stance against the second apron, reportedly costing the team key reserve Mitchell Robinson, or the contentious extension negotiations with multiple starters getting tabled before the season. The ring ceremony itself seems to have added to the bad vibes. While the players reportedly got their bling on Tuesday before their season-opening loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the rest of the organization is still waiting. Knicks assistant coaches reportedly didn’t get their rings that night, only empty boxes. Their reactions ranged “from genuine anger to annoyance,” which, let’s be real, is understandable. Sure, The Athletic noted not all assistant coaching staffs, like last year’s Oklahoma City Thunder, get rings on opening night. But here’s the kicker: many longtime Madison Square Garden employees reportedly won’t receive a championship ring at all. This is an atypical move by NBA standards, where most employees usually get less expensive rings. The plan is to distribute a total of 275 rings, worth over $3.7 million, to players, coaches, employees, and other members of the “Knicks family.” So where are these rings for the staff?
That Phishing Test? It Was All About Cybersecurity
The whole fake ring email saga, reported by The Athletic, was a phishing test. Employees who clicked the link were then forced to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class. Why? Apparently, it was all to “help satisfy some of Dolan’s growing cybersecurity concerns.” An MSG spokesperson later called the decision “an unfortunate mistake,” explaining that the company had recently been hacked and extorted using an employee login and password obtained through a similar phishing attack. They flat-out said, “Using the rings as a lure to gain employees’ attention was an unfortunate mistake.” You think?! It’s a rough look when you’re celebrating a championship, but your own employees are left feeling duped and potentially ring-less.
The question hangs heavy: how many of those employees who got duped will actually receive a real championship ring, or is this just another piece of the “dour” vibes surrounding the Knicks as they try to defend their title?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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