- Oct 16, 2026
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SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
The New York Knicks received their NBA championship rings Tuesday night, celebrating the title that ended a 53-year drought. But not everyone associated with the franchise shared in the moment.
During the pregame ceremony, assistant coaches were handed boxes that appeared to contain no rings, sources said. Their responses varied from genuine anger to annoyance at the apparent slight.
The exclusion extended beyond the coaching staff. Numerous longtime Madison Square Garden employees will reportedly not receive rings, including some from business operations. The development followed a September email that asked workers to select a preferred ring style, which turned out to be a phishing test for cybersecurity. Staff who clicked the link were required to attend a mandatory class addressing James Dolan's increasing cybersecurity concerns.
"We are not disclosing anything about the rings," an MSG Sports spokesperson told The Athletic.
The Knicks went on to drop their season opener to LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Source: CBS Sports - Fri Oct 23, 8:29 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).