The New York Knicks’ 2024-25 schedule hasn’t been released yet but Madison Square Garden has hosted several high-profile matchups against formidable competition such as Joel Embiid,Tyrese Haliburton, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum, and … Adam Silver?
The NBA commissioner has drawn the apparent ire of Knicks management for a variety of major issues: the team previously asked that Silver recluse himself from the ongoing legal battle with the Toronto Raptors (stemming from accusations of a former team employee funneling proprietary to Ontario management). That was before team owner wrote a scathing letter ripping the revenue sharing implications of the reported new media deal set to tip off in 2025.
Silver was mostly mum on the Knicks’ concerns when he spoke amid both the NBA owners meetings and Summer League play in Las Vegas on late Tuesday night.
“My response is we try to keep these issues in the family,” Silver said, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I would say, yes, Jim Dolan did send a letter out to his partner teams and to the league office. That was discussed certainly at our meetings. But I don’t think it’s appropriate to get into the specifics of what was discussed at our meeting.”
Dolan’s letter was obtained by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski earlier this week, one reportedly sent to the NBA Board of Governors. In his statements, Dolan accused the NBA of following an “NFL model” that makes regional sports networks, such as his own MSG Network, “unviable.” The NBA reportedly inked a new television deal that will add NBC, as well as streamers Amazon Prime Video and Peacock, back to the fold along with incumbents ABC and ESPN.
Silver was even more protective of the recent developments of the Knicks’ lawsuit against the Raptors. A United States District Judge ruled that the matter should be settled by Silver rather than taken to court but the Knicks, seeking $10 million in damages, have argued that the commissioner’s personal friendship with Larry Tanenbaum should keep him out of any potential arbitration. Tanenbaum is the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the Raptors’ parent company.
The first part is that we did receive notice of the court’s decision,” Silver said. “(We) are in the process of working through those issues at the league office right now.”
Bondy noted that Dolan did not attend this week’s owners meetings, sending MSG Sports COO Jamaal Lesane in his place instead. Dolan previously stepped down from his spot on several Board of Governor committees in an attempt to “apply my time where I can be most productive.”