New York politician fires back at James Dolan after donation to his opponent

Max Rose, who serves as a congressman for New York's 11th congressional district (Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn), called out Knicks owner James Dolan recently, saying he should sell the team after years of little success.

As a response to Rose's comments, Dolan sent a $50,000 check to "The Governing Majority Fund," according to the New York Post. Dolan's check was sent to help GOP Congressional candidate Nicole Malliotakis beat Rose.

Rose isn't phased by Dolan's donation to his opponent, though. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Rose clapped back at Dolan, once again calling for him to sell the Knicks for the good of New York City. 

"Well, we all know that Jim Dolan has the Midas Touch ... so I'm not exactly too concerned here. Look, I didn't make it political, he did! My message was simple: for the good of New York City to make the Knicks great again -- sell the damn team," Rose said. "Think about what's been happening in the 21st century. On an aggregate basis, the Knicks have the worst record in the NBA and nonetheless, they have spent the most! What more signs do you need that this guy has been a world failure?

"They've gone through over 10 coaches, a massive amount of executive staffs, trading players left and right. The only constant has been Jim Dolan. So, let's sell! This has been a tough year but in 2021, New York can turn the corner. Jim Dolan sell, we can say goodbye to Bill De Blasio and we can finally beat this pandemic."

Rose isn't necessarily off base by requesting that Dolan sell the team. Dolan took over the Knicks in 1999, and since then, the team has made the playoffs just five times.

The Knicks have been in a rut for the last two decades and probably won't leap out of the hole during the 2020-21 season. While New York had solid odds to win the first overall pick in the draft, ahead of the draft lottery they'll instead pick eighth and lose out on LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman, among other talented prospects.

Things are going to have to change if the Knicks have any hope of turning things around, and they'll have to bring in some superstar talent if they want to find any success in the near future.