Who is James Dolan? All you need to know
James Dolan has been the owner of the New York Knicks since 1999, when he was given an increased role. Before becoming the owner, Dolan was part of an organization that acquired Madison Square Garden, making him the owner of the home of the famed NBA franchise.
Dolan owns Cablevision, the company that bought MSG from Viacom. Together with ITT Corporation, which had 50% shares of the arena, Cablevision took control in 1994. Three years later, ITT sold its shares to Dolan and Cablevision.
Since then, James Dolan has been the owner of the NBA franchise as well as the NHL's New York Rangers, the WNBA's New York Liberty and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack.
How did James Dolan accumulate his wealth?
Born in Massapequa, New York, back in '55, James Dolan stepped into the shoes of his dad, Charles Dolan, who founded Cablevision and paved the way for his son's future.
Media mogul James Dolan held various positions under his father, including CEO of Cablevision (sold to Altice in 2016). He also led Rainbow Media Holdings (now AMC Networks), where he currently serves as chairman, while his estranged wife, Kristin, acts as CEO. According to information provided in the Knicks media guide, Dolan is the father of six children.
James Dolan's other ventures
Beyond the realm of sports, James Dolan is actively engaged in entertainment. Notably, he played a key role in the creation of the Las Vegas Sphere, a remarkable $2.3 billion event venue renowned for its sensational concert experiences. Dolan's vision and efforts materialized with U2 being the inaugural band to undertake a residency at the Sphere.
In addition to his involvement in sports and entertainment, James Dolan pursues his passion for music. He is a musician and is actively engaged in a blues-inspired personal project band known as "JD & The Straight Shot."
Also read: I have no plans whatsoever to sell at this point," Dolan said. "I'm not retiring anytime soon. It's a family-controlled asset, so someone in the family will own it.
James Dolan is unwilling to sell the Knicks and defends Leon Rose as the team's GM
There have been recent reports that the owner of the Knicks isn't willing to sell the team, despite the lack of success the franchise has had under his control. He also defended Leon Rose, the team's general manager, saying that he's the "best guy" to be the GM of the organization.
James Dolan was interviewed by Craig Carton and Evan Roberts on their show "Carton and Roberts" on WFAN. He shared his opinion on why he thinks Rose is the best fit for the team.
"Why did I bring Leon in? I've been doing this for, like, 20-something years, and in my experience with the NBA, there's things you can do as an owner," Dolan said. "You can create an environment where everybody, you give them enough money to do their job, give them more money than they need to do their job.
"You can stay out of the way, which is usually the best course of action. But you do end up picking the one guy who's going to make all the strategy, who's going to execute for you. I picked Leon because I believe, after you look at the NBA and the game that we play, that the team with the best talent wins. You want a guy who can get you the best talent.
"I believe that Leon Rose is still the best guy.
"Right now, what we're looking for is progress. We want to build into a championship team. We fully expect to make the playoffs this year. That will definitely be a benchmark. I have no plans whatsoever to sell at this point. I'm not retiring anytime soon. It's a family-controlled asset, so someone in the family will own it."
New ESPN story: James Dolan says Leon Rose is “absolutely” the right person to run the Knicks, the playoffs are the expectation for the season and he has “no plans” to retire sell the team in an interview with @WFAN660:
espn.com/nba/story/_/id…
Also read: What is James Dolan's net worth as of 2023? All you need to know