There are surprisingly few constants when it comes to sports teams handing out championship rings.
We know a championship ring is going to be gaudy. We know the players who won that championship will get one. We know there will be some sort of ceremony. But beyond that, it’s really up to the team how far they want to go with it, especially when it comes to the number of employees who actually get one.
That uncertainty has become relevant thanks to the New York Knicks’ breakthrough.
The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reports that in September, several Madison Square Garden employees received an email offering recipients a first glimpse at their championship rings, with two designs to choose from for their new jewelry:
“Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here,” the email read.
“(Employee name), this one is on the house. MSG is issuing a complimentary employee championship ring. The same jeweler, the same craftsmanship, personalized with your name. No cost to you.
“There are two designs to choose from: Championship Gold and Garden Classic. Reserve the one you want below.”
Some number of employees clicked the link in the email. Instead of a ring, their reward was, reportedly, a mandatory cybersecurity class, as the email was an elaborate phishing test orchestrated to address Dolan’s concerns about cybersecurity.
Making that situation even more bizarre is that many longtime Madison Square Garden employees, including some who work in the Knicks’ business operations, reportedly won’t be receiving rings at all.
Again, there is no set rule for which employees receive championship rings, but owners are often generous in that regard, though most employees receive toned-down rings in comparison to the diamond-encrusted monsters the players get. And the employees who don’t get them usually aren’t psychologically haunted by fake ring offers from their own company.
The coaching staff pretty much always get rings as well, but the Knicks reportedly differed from the norm as well in one respect.
The Knicks assistant coaches were all handed boxes clearly meant to hold the rings as stirring music played in Madison Square Garden. According to The Athletic, those boxes were empty.
The assistant coaches are expected to eventually receive those rings, but they weren’t available Tuesday as the team is still reportedly going through the process of measuring ring sizes and placing orders.
The Athletic notes the assistants of the Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t get their rings on opening night last year either. The Thunder just didn’t pretend they had them during the ceremony.
Another difference between the Knicks’ ring night and the Thunder’s ring night was the presence of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, or lack thereof in the Knicks’ case. The NBA commissioner is usually on hand to address the crowd and present players their rings, but Knicks great Walt Frazier was the one handing out rings on Tuesday.
Silver was relegated to a chair on the other side of the court, while the likes of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Jon Bon Jovi stood behind presenter Mike Breen. Dolan and Silver are well-known to be at odds, and Silver’s placement appears to be another way Dolan’s presence was felt on a celebratory occasion for the Knicks.
The Knicks went on to lose their opener 106-100 to the Philadelphia 76ers.