New York Knicks slammed after staffers are ‘denied NBA championship rings in cruel fake email ploy’
The New York Knicks ring ceremony on Tuesday night rang hollow for some staff and coaches at Madison Square Garden after the team used the promise of championship jewelry as the backdrop for a cruel phishing test.
According to Joe Vardon of the Athletic, longtime employees at Madison Square Garden – including some that work for the Knicks business operations – will not be receiving rings at all. It’s common for most employees of NBA teams to receive rings, however, they are usually not the same quality as the ones received by players and coaches.
But, according to the outlet, those employees discovered this decision at the end of September when the Knicks sent an email to a long list of employees. Recipients of that email got a first glimpse of their would-be championship rings.
‘Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here,’ read the email, obtained by The Athletic. ‘(Employee name), this one is on the house. MSG is issuing a complimentary employee championship ring. The same jeweler, the same craftsmanship, personalized with your name. No cost to you.
‘There are two designs to choose from: Championship Gold and Garden Classic. Reserve the one you want below.’
However, when employees clicked the link at the bottom of the message to choose their ring, they were automatically flagged by the company and forced to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class.
Some Knicks staffers were fooled by a cruel internal phishing test which falsely promised them championship rings and instead were forced to take cybersecurity courses, per The Athletic
Additionally, the outlet says no assistant coaches received rings – only empty boxes
New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado looks at his 2025-26 World Champions ring
Sources told The Athletic that this was done to ‘satisfy some of [owner James] Dolan’s growing cybersecurity concerns.’ The Knicks have been widely slammed online for the ‘cruel’ ploy since the story surfaced.
One fan wrote: ‘This is kind of breaking my heart what a cruel thing to do in the face of joy’, while another said: ‘You have to be a truly terrible person to do this.’
A further post read: ‘I get phising emails all the time. Teasing them with rings is just f***ing cruel’ and ‘All of this is legitimately insane. What an incredibly cruel and humiliating thing to do.’
And even the coaches who rightfully won rings didn’t receive them on the night of the ring ceremony, multiple sources told The Athletic.
Team president Leon Rose was the first person to get a ring during the Knicks’ on-court ceremony, opening the black box he was given to reveal a sparkling ring specially designed by jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills. But when those same boxes were handed to the Knicks’ assistant coaching staff, they were empty.
Two sources told The Athletic that those assistants were informed earlier on Tuesday they wouldn’t get their rings that evening. The outlet added that assistants had not been fitted for rings prior to the event.
Those sources ‘described assistants’ reactions to not getting rings ranging from genuine anger to annoyance.’
Sources told The Athletic that those coaches were told they would receive championship rings eventually.
The outlet also says they received ‘conflicting information about whether head coach Mike Brown received his ring on Tuesday and could not immediately verify if he got one.’
When contacted by The Athletic for comment, a spokesperson for MSG Sports said, ‘We are not disclosing anything about the rings.’
The Daily Mail has contacted MSG Sports for comment.
