- The New York Knicks' reputation has reportedly taken a hit after staying silent on George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, police brutality, and systemic racism in recent weeks.
- Knicks owner James Dolan initially told employees that the organization was not "qualified" to comment on social matters, before releasing a statement some thought was milquetoast days later.
- ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the Knicks will have a hard time selling themselves to free agents, while former NBA player Caron Butler said players and those around the league take notice of the team's handling of such issues.
The New York Knicks reportedly have not won over many in the NBA with their recent statement about racism.
Following the murder of George Floyd and nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, an internal email from Madison Square Garden chairman and Knicks owner James Dolan leaked in which Dolan explained why the Knicks weren't releasing a statement on the matter. Dolan said as a sports and entertainment business, they weren't qualified to comment on social matters.
ESPN's Pablo Torre reported that players and staff were "furious" over the team's silence.
On June 9, over a week later, the Knicks did release a statement that many thought was lacking in sincerity and details.
"Everyone has a role to play in creating a more just and equal society, where there is no racism, bigotry, violence, or hate," the statement read. "We stand with all who act for positive change."
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the Knicks' late, milquetoast statement has dropped their "approval rating" within the NBA.
"The Knicks' hue rating or approval rating amongst players is so low right now, it's devastating for their hopes to appeal to anybody [to] say, 'Come play for us going forward,'" Windhorst said on "First Take."
Windhorst referred back to comments made by Kevin Durant in October about his decision not to join the Knicks in free agency. Durant said playing for the Knicks is "not cool" at the moment.
"When Kevin Durant said last year that he didn't think that it was cool to play for the Knicks, that was a devastatingly true statement," Windhorst said. "We've gone way beyond that now."
Dolan's judgment hurts the Knicks' causes
Windhorst also said on "First Take" that while people who work closely with Dolan say they like him, few would ever defend his decision-making. Windhorst said the Knicks' revamped front office — which was put in place to rehab their image — gets "undercut' by Dolan's decisions.
"It's all undercut when the owner continues to show bad judgment," Windhorst said. "[Dolan] has people around him that give him advice to make better decisions, and he just doesn't do it. When you talk to people who work for Jim Dolan, they'll say, 'We really like him. He gets a bad rap.' But no one will ever say that he's got good judgment."
Former NBA player Caron Butler was on the podcast "The Full 48 with Howard Beck" and said that the Knicks' silence on police brutality and systemic racism sends a bad message to players. Butler said it's not the first time Dolan has mismanaged an issue.
"For someone to be subjected to an injustice, to see that my players are hurt, and you not address it, you not take a firm stance saying, 'This is injustice and we stand for equality and we stand with our players,' you're part of the problem," Butler said. "And this is not the first time the Knicks organization, and specifically, the owner, Mr. Dolan, haven't stepped up and do the right thing. It's glaring. It's an eye-sore to look at ... It's something that I think the players and the people around are just watching."
The Knicks were one of eight teams not to be included in the NBA's restart plan in Disney World, thus kicking off an extended offseason. While the Knicks have a new GM in popular player agent Leon Rose, they will have some damage control to do.
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