As the New York Knicks prepared for what would become a championship run, owner James Dolan had a message for the players: Winning would require buy-in from everyone at home.
The remarks came during an April 3 speech that was made public on Monday, when it was released on “The Roommates Show,” a podcast hosted by Knicks players Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
The speech marked the first time Dolan had spoken directly to the team during his tenure with the franchise.
“I believe that this team can go all the way. And in my 30 years of doing this, I’ve never felt closer to achieving that goal than right now,” Dolan said.
He challenged players to fully commit to the opportunity before them, urging them to “sacrifice everything” and “eliminate all distractions” — including those at home.
“I suggest that you go home and you talk to your families, you talk to your girlfriends, your wives, and you tell them about the next 10 weeks — about how you’re going to be different the next 10 weeks, and how your families are going to sacrifice for the next 10 weeks,” Dolan said.
He then told players to make sure their families understood what would be expected of them in the weeks ahead.
“Let them know what this is going to be like, what your commitment is going to be like, and how they’re going to have to sacrifice, too,” he said.
Any concerns or problems at home can’t come onto the court, he added. “For the next 10 weeks, this has just got to be all about us and about how we play.”
The sacrifices made by players’ families would not go unnoticed, Dolan said, adding that their loved ones would also receive championship rings if the Knicks won it all.
“I will buy a ring for each one of your significant others, because their contribution is going to be very important to this team winning,” he said.
The Knicks ended their 53-year championship drought on Saturday, when they defeated the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
On Thursday, the team is set to celebrate the victory with a ticker-tape parade through Lower Manhattan’s famed “Canyon of Heroes.” Demand for prime viewing locations has been so intense that some people have begun offering spot-holding services for a fee.
The NBA championship is the latest win in a strong year for Dolan, whose net worth has grown by roughly $450 million this year to $1.9 billion, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.
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