In the wake of an ongoing controversy involving the allocation of their NBA championship rings, the Knicks on Saturday issued an apology to employees and fans after previously saying they were spending $3.7 million on jewelry for their “players, coaches, employees and other members of the Knicks family,”
“There is a great deal of misinformation regarding the championship rings,” an MSG spokesperson said in a statement Saturday, the organization’s second in as many days. "The plan has always been to distribute more than 275 rings and jewelry to the people in the organization who were part of last season’s success.
"As is common with many teams, the players were always supposed to get their rings as part of the opening night ceremony and then everyone else will receive theirs in about 4-6 weeks. Regarding the phishing email, the process of securing and reminding our employees to protect our IP was not a mistake but the choice to use the ring to do so was a mistake and we apologize to our employees and the fans.
“Winning the championship was a great moment for all New Yorkers. Those who choose to focus on the negative are missing the joy that comes with the team’s accomplishment.”
The Athletic’s Joe Vardon first reported Friday that during the presentation of championship rings on Tuesday night before the game against LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Knicks’ assistant coaches received empty boxes with no rings in them. In an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Friday, Vardon said it was possible some of the assistants may have gotten rings that will eventually go to players on Two-Way contracts.
Vardon was unable to confirm whether or not head coach Mike Brown received his ring on “Ring Night.”
Meantime, Vardon also reported that MSG employees were sent a company email in September offering them a choice of two free rings. But when the employees clicked on the link in the email, they were directed to ”attend a mandatory cybersecurity class to help satisfy some of [owner James] Dolan’s growing cybersecurity concerns, those team sources said."
The story blew up across social media and the basketball world on Friday, forcing the Knicks to issue their first statement.
"The company had previously sent out an email to its corporate team as a simulation of a phishing attack designed to strengthen our security against hackers. MSG was recently hacked and extorted using an employee login and password obtained through a similar phishing attack. Using the rings as a lure to gain employees attention was an unfortunate mistake.
"The company is gifting more than 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, employees and other members of the Knicks family, worth more than $3.7 million, in recognition of their contributions and celebrating this achievement.”
The Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years in June, beating Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
“It’s hard to describe the feelings and emotions that have been going through the city since June," former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said on NBC ahead of Tuesday’s “Ring Night.” "All season long there was a lot of excitement about the Knicks, but in June, with that playoff run they had, it was so much fun to watch and be a part of it. As someone who wore the jersey in this city, played in The Garden, and understood how rocking it gets, it was nothing like I’ve ever seen. So, as a fan, I was able to sit back and take in all of the energy and be a part of the community. It’s been 53 years in the making.”
The Knicks have started this season 0-2 ahead of Sunday’s home game with the Orlando Magic.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com