The 5 most dysfunctional Knicks moments of the James Dolan era
New York Knicks owner James Dolan's name rarely commands respect, or evokes a sense of pride, as his time running the franchise has been riddled with controversial acts, squandered finances, and some of the poorest decision-making you'll see from someone in his position.
The team's issues go well beyond what you see following the opening tip, which, for the better part of Dolan's tenure, has been a subpar product, featuring just one playoff series victory since they advanced to the 1999 NBA Finals and 2000 conference finals during his first two years on the job.
Leadership starts at the top, and when taking into account all of the negative headlines the Knicks have made over the past 17 years, Dolan's lousy reputation and the team's meager standing should come as no surprise.
Here's a look at some of the more dysfunctional moments the franchise has endured under the Dolan regime:
Signing Allan Houston
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You know you dropped the ball when the league implements a rule that prevents other teams from digging themselves into the same six-feet-deep hole you're in.
From a talent perspective, it made sense that the Knicks wanted to keep Houston on board - he was an exceptional scorer with an elite shooting stroke, though fairly one-dimensional in that regard. But did that make him worth $100 million over six years?
Hindsight is 20/20, but like a sledgehammer shot to the legs, the Knicks were crippled by Houston's overly rich deal, which was only worsened by his retirement three years later due to a series of knee issues.
No one would have given the two-time All-Star such a gargantuan contract, but, as he's proven several times after the fact, Dolan's pockets are essentially bottomless. That, or he doesn't have (and to this day, still hasn't developed) a grasp of how not to overpay players.
Hiring Isiah Thomas as president of basketball operations
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Jerome James, Eddy Curry, Steve Francis, Jarred Jeffries, Fred Jones ... stop me when you can no longer listen to the list of Thomas' "high-quality" acquisitions.
His eye for talent was crusted over, with his other working eye having stared directly into the sun for too long. Thomas gave extravagant contracts to players undeserving of them, and New York didn't have a single winning record with him at the helm - both as the president and head coach (56-108).
Even when Thomas was fighting a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by ex-employee Anucha Browne Sanders, Dolan saw fit to extend his contract for $24 million over four years - a scary arrangement that only piled on to the Knicks' decaying reputation.
His history as the owner of the Continental Basketball Association should have been enough of a red flag that this relationship was going to be doomed from the start. The entire period was a disaster, and someone should have put a stop to it much sooner.
Trading for and extending Carmelo Anthony
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Devout followers of the Church of 'Melo will never turn their backs on the former scoring champion, no matter how much criticism is hurled his way. He's a hometown boy, and the biggest box-office attraction the Knicks have had since Patrick Ewing. Some fans, and execs, are blinded by that.
Here's a quick rundown of how New York has fared since Anthony came over from the Mile High City on Feb. 22, 2011:
| Season | Record | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 42-40 | Lost first round to Celtics (4-0) |
| 2011-12 | 36-30 | Lost first round to Heat (4-1) |
| 2012-13 | 54-28 | Lost conference semifinals to Pacers (4-2) |
| 2013-14 | 37-45 | N/A |
| 2014-15 | 17-65 | N/A |
| 2015-16 | 32-50 | N/A |
| 2016-17 | 22-32 | TBD |
New York gave up a good chunk of its core group (Timofey Mozgov, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, and Wilson Chandler) and future assets (2014 first-round pick, swap rights in 2016) to land him. Yes, there was immediate success in the form of three straight postseason berths, but there was just a single win in the first two trips.
A subsequent extension brings us to the present day, with team president Phil Jackson wanting to move heaven and earth to get rid of him. No one is biting on the trade market, though. Anthony's value is shot, and as long as he's unwilling to waive his no-trade clause, the Knicks will continue swimming in mediocrity out East.
Trading for Andrea Bargnani/Not trading for Kyle Lowry
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Once it was revealed the Toronto Raptors had rid themselves of their former No. 1 pick, citizens of the 6ix could be seen locking hands around the Air Canada Centre like Whos in Whoville, singing the praises of Masai Ujiri for exorcising the demon known as Il Mago.
The singing turned into hoots and hollers when it was announced the Raptors had convinced the Knicks that Bargnani was worth three players and three draft picks. Supporters basked in the king's ransom their team had received for someone they wouldn't have minded seeing walk for nothing.
Redemption was there for Dolan when future All-Star point guard Lowry was made available, as the Raptors were prepared to rebuild after shipping forward Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings. Dolan, worried his ego was going to get kicked in the groin again by the Raptors' GM, ultimately decided to veto the deal (Metta World Peace, Iman Shumpert, and a future first-rounder would have gone to Toronto).
The Raptors held on to Lowry and booked themselves a trip to the playoffs, while New York was left trotting out a combination of Felton, Pablo Prigioni, and Beno Udrih.
Hiring Phil Jackson as team president
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Being an 11-time champion manning the sidelines as a coach with the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal at his disposal didn't set up the Zen Master for success as an executive in New York.
Had Jackson not hit the jackpot with Kristaps Porzingis (who he only really took because the Philadelphia 76ers went with Jahlil Okafor), there wouldn't be one standout move, signing, or hiring since he started back in 2014.
Derek Fisher was his starting point guard for the championship-winning Los Angeles Lakers, but he didn't have an ounce of experience coaching a kids softball team, let alone an NBA roster.
Jackson rolled the dice by trading for former MVP Derrick Rose, and while he hasn't proven to be useless following a slew of surgeries, all anyone really remembers of his early run is him going AWOL in January before a game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
His ongoing tug of war with Anthony is prime water-cooler talk, and will presumably force one of the two out the back door. With Jackson eligible to opt out at the end of this season, who knows if the 71-year-old has the patience to continue toiling with the three-ring circus he played a huge part in creating.