Former Senator Bill Bradley has no interest in impeaching James Dolan as owner of the New York Knicks.
Bradley, a Knicks champion-turned-politician, offered a staunch defense of Dolan in an interview with Adam Zagoria of NJ.com, reasoning that those annoyed with him should turn their ire toward those on the court rather than in the front office.
“I think Jim Dolan is a good owner, I think he’s done a good job in a very difficult environment," Bradley said. "I think too many people criticize him. You've got to focus on what he’s done right. He’s got a great family and a great operation, (Knicks head coach Tom) Thibodeau, and the whole thing.
“Fans got to blame somebody, but the people to blame are the people who are on the court. He’s not shooting baskets.”
Dolan's ownership of the Knicks has lingered in the recent NBA spotlight after he said he "(didn't) really like owning teams" in a New York Times profile. Dolan has since clarified those comments but further hypotheticals proved tempting when NBA legend and entrepreneur Magic Johnson said that he'd be willing to buy a stake in the Knicks if he ever found the desire to work with a team beyond his Los Angeles Lakers.
Bradley, however, partly implored Dolan to keep his stake in New York.
“Under no circumstances, if I was Jim Dolan, would I sell the Knicks? ... Hell, no, I wouldn’t sell the Knicks," Bradley said. "If he wants to sell, it’s a free country, he can do anything he wants. I don’t think he should do anything.”
Dolan has been at the helm of the Knicks since the turn of the century. Little more needs to be written about the drama that has followed his tenure, which includes the infamous ejection of Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden during a February 2017 game. That incident has likely prevented Oakley from joining Bradley in the MSG rafters. where the latter's No. 24 resides alongside the digits of Patrick Ewing, Walt "Clyde" Frazier, Willis Reed, and more.
Bradley believes that such an incident will be forgotten if the Knicks keep winning. New York had its most lucrative season in a decade last time around, winning 47 games and winning a playoff series before bowing out to eventual finalist Miami.
"You get a winning team, nobody remembers any of that," he said. "You don’t have a winning team, then every little thing that happens somebody or another has a problem, and I think that’s ludicrous.”
As it stands, Bradley is one of the Knicks' most recent champions, having starred alongside Frazier and Reed on the 1973 group that topped the Lakers in five games. He's optimistic about the group that Dolan, Thibodeau, and team president Leon Rose have assembled, offering precise praise for Jalen Brunson and Mitchell Robinson.
“I like Brunson. He’s a smart player, he has almost learned how to make his teammates a lot better," the 80-year-old Bradley said. "I like the center he’s got a lot of potential. He could be a very real defensive force if he studies what you need to be there. All you've got to do is watch films of (Bill) Russell or films of any number of other players.”
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