The New York Knicks have been one of the worst teams in the NBA for two decades now, and that is why James Dolan has become one of the most hated owners in all of sports. At least one of his former players does not think that is fair.
Enes Kanter, who spent less than two seasons with the Knicks, defended Dolan on Sunday with Kanter’s Boston Celtics taking on New York. He called it “terrible” that Dolan gets blamed for his team’s struggles on the court when “he has nothing to do with it.”
When a team posts the worst winning percentage in the league over a 20-year span, that reflects poorly on ownership and management. You can’t get unlucky for that long in terms of having good players who simply don’t produce on the court. There have been reports every year about how the Knicks botch major deals, and Dolan has chosen to be a very visible owner. The criticism comes with the territory.
Interestingly enough, Kanter has taken multiple shots at the Knicks since he last played for them less than a year ago. Apparently he was happy to get away from their losing culture but does not feel Dolan is responsible for creating it.
The Knicks are tied for the worst record in the Eastern Conference this year at 4-16, and things have only gotten worse for them after they missed out on every star free agent over the summer. No one seems to want to play for them despite their rich history, and Dolan has a lot to do with that. He has feuded with fans and the local media over the criticism of his team, but the only way to make it stop is to assemble a winner.
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