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Shattered: Hope, Heartbreak and the New York Knicks

Ep. 2: The Dolan Family Business

Shattered: Hope, Heartbreak and the New York Knicks

The Athletic

Sports, Basketball, Business

4.4573 Ratings

🗓️ 13 April 2021

⏱️ 46 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

James Dolan is a controversial figure as owner of the Knicks. Episode two of Shattered looks at where the Dolan family came from, how Charles Dolan brought his son James into the family business, and how James has decided to run the Knicks and Madison Square Garden.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

What do you think about when you hear the name James Dolan?

0:13.4

Dolan is a man who reacts to his, his own volatility. He has a gun, he holds a gun,

0:19.5

and he aims it squarely at his own feet.

0:21.8

In his 20 years in power at the garden, the portrait painted of Dolan is of a petulet, rich kid

0:27.8

who hasn't earned what he has. Charles Dolan needed something for his son to do. And I think

0:33.4

that Charles Dolan felt like, you know what, let's give him the garden. Someone unable to hear criticism,

0:38.9

so much that Dolan throws fans out of his building for chanting, sell the team. Dolan comes up to me and he's, you called me an a-hole. I'm like, no, I didn't. I told you to sell the team. Yes, you did. You called me an a-ho. It was like if I called you an a-haw. A meddler, to put it politely.

0:54.6

Dolan will claim that he would be hands off, but in reality... me an ale. How's like if I called you an ale? A meddler, to put it politely,

0:54.6

Dolan will claim that he would be hands off,

0:57.3

but in reality,

0:58.7

his fingerprints are all over the Knicks basketball decisions.

1:01.9

Whatever the wrong decision is,

1:03.5

that's the decision, unfortunately,

1:04.7

for Nick's fans that James Dolan has made for 20 years.

1:07.7

The worst owner in sports.

1:12.0

Sell the team, Jim.

1:13.7

Sell it because you stink at this.

1:16.0

How did Dolan come to be viewed this way?

1:18.6

You have to understand this is the key issue of his life.

1:23.3

His whole life's, everyone has said to him, you are nothing and you wouldn't be in the position you're in if not for your father.

1:32.2

This episode of Shadden will look at James Dolan.

1:35.1

Where did he come from?

...

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