Owner James Dolan publicly discussed the Knicks with a media member for the first time in nearly three years on Monday during an interview with WFAN’s Craig Carton, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. The 70-year-old made it clear he has high expectations for the team.
“We want to get to the [NBA] Finals. And we should win the Finals,” Dolan said. “This is sports and anything can happen. But getting to the Finals, we absolutely got to do.”
New York made the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time in 25 years and promptly fired Tom Thibodeau. Dolan acknowledged the team’s former head coach played an important role in returning the Knicks to prominence, but stood by the decision.
“The team is really built on the shoulders of Tom Thibodeau. He built that core,” Dolan said. “We went as far as we did last year. So you really got to take your hat off to Tom. And the job that he did.
“But we did come to the conclusion that we had an idea how we wanted to organize the team. And that meant we needed to evolve. Actually beyond the old traditional coaching formulas. And we tried to work that with Tom. It really wasn’t his thing.”
According to Vincent Goodwill of ESPN, Dolan said he and president of basketball operations Leon Rose talked to Thibodeau multiple times about their desire to develop the team’s young players and bench unit so the starters weren’t worn down. Still, Dolan endorsed Thibodeau to coach another team.
“I won’t say you can’t win a title with Tom Thibodeau; I don’t know that’s true,” Dolan said. “But if you want to build a long-term, competitive, compete for the [title], you need someone who’s much more of a collaborator. But still, Tom was a great coach. He should coach in the NBA again.”
The 23-13 Knicks entered Monday’s game in Detroit having lost three straight games, a skid that extended to four when they were blown out by the top-seeded Pistons. But Dolan believes in the current roster and disputed an ESPN report that said the team discussed a trade involving Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo over the summer.
“We love our team right now. They have chemistry, they all like each other. I’ve never seen a locker room more copacetic,” Dolan said, per Bondy. “There’s a lot of energy there. Leon can always overrule me. But I don’t see us making a big change. Because we got to keep building up this group. This group can win a championship. I believe that.”
Dolan is optimistic the returns of Josh Hart and Landry Shamet will help lift the team out of its current slump, Goodwill notes. Both players are expected to be back in the next week or so.
“Look how far we got with our group last year and look at who was playing and who wasn’t,” Dolan said. “We’re going into the second half of the season, Josh is still out and Landry is coming back. We got depth. We stay healthy, we’ll go into the playoffs in much better condition than last year.”
The Knicks won the NBA Cup last month. Dolan was asked about the decision not to raise a banner for that title at Madison Square Garden, as Christian Arnold of The New York Post relays.
“We are going to raise the banner,” Dolan said. “We’re going to raise the NBA championship banner. That’s the banner we want to raise. We want an NBA championship, we don’t want some consolation prize.”
losing by 30 to Detroit is karma because you refused to raise the banner for your Emirates Cup. raise the banner.
James Dolan has paid more total head coaches than he has had total playoff appearances. He is 234 games below .500
He has absolutely no clue what it takes to win an NBA championship.
Uh oh… rude awakening incoming.
And the Celtics take 2nd in the East without Jason Tatum…
Dolan is hilarious.
Mazzulla is coach of the year if Boston hold a top 3 spot by regular season end. Brad Stevens knows ball, does such a good job with the complimentary talent. Queta, Hugo and Walsh have been three of Boston’s best defenders any which way you spin it. Even Simons is applying himself defensive end, everybody is playing their role.
I think it’s pretty clear now. That this young group wasn’t ready to help last yr. Still Thibs should have tried to find someone to help. Rose or management didn’t help the bench last yr. And this yr with Landry out. They still need help.
The jury is still out on coach Brown. He is just learning Harts value. Unfortunately doesn’t understand his offense doesn’t work with both Towns and Mitch playing. Pistons embarrassed them with no Duren. Knicks had no offense tonight. On this team Mitch is a backup center. On another team he can start. Time is now to move him. Or Knicks won’t get out of the East.
Freakin Rose and Dolan should have learned from last yr. Mitch trade has to happen.
It is early and the trade deadline is coming…I just do not trust Dolan.
They didn’t help Thibs last yr at TD. They better have learned. Yabusele is Roses doing. Have to strengthen the bench for playoffs.
link to heavy.com
Saying “umm not saying you can wing a ring with Thibs” is actually saying just that.
And he’s right. Thibs can’t coach in the modern NBA and just wrecks teams. Firing him was a great move.
Based on 40 games of Mike Brown?
Thibs built this team. And he has nothing to do with this team now. You can hate on him all you want. Knicks have real issues to fix.
GhostofThomasHamilton
January 6, 2026
They have pretty much the same winning percentage this year as last. This team isn’t built to win a chip.
What does last year have to do with this year ????
Knicks will be in East finals again. And you will go into hiding again …….. book it
Knicks do have a Towns and bench issue. Both can be rectified with right trade. We are only 36 games in. Long way to go yet.
They have pretty much the same winning percentage this year as last. This team isn’t built to win a chip.
“I won’t say you can’t win a title with a clueless owner like James Dolan; I don’t know that’s true. But if you want to build a long-term, competitive, compete for the [title], you need someone who’s much less of a blowhard. But still, it is what it is. Dolan should never own a NBA franchise again.”
Good job fixing it
There is nothing fans can do about an owner. In the end even he has to understand this is about winning. Rose and Brown know how close we are. It’s up to them now to make sure Dolan understands that.
There is nothing fans can do about anything
Really …… I have seen plenty of players get run out of town in NY. When the fans turn on you in NY. Life can get real difficult
It’s the FO, not Dolan. Statements like Dolan’s were put out there by the FO shortly after the firing, using the same word: collaboration. It’s how I (pretty much) knew we were going to hire a babysitter as HC, vs a real HC. The 2k’ers in the FO wanted to have a role in coaching the team, despite being completely ignorant of the subject matter.
Sad, with Thibs in place, this team had real continuity and was set to have its best chance to win it all this season. Under collaboration, we’ll see. Hard to be optimistic considering the people involved.
Lot to unpack
2 Q –
1- would you have hired Malone instead ?
2- Do you think the FO felt Malone was too close to a ( thibs ) my way or the highway type personality
1 – Yes.
2 – I assumed this, since Malone was never put in the pool of possible guys. A very large pool. A recent champ with some ties was an odd omission.
I don’t think the FO was ever fully comfortable with the team’s hard and tough identity that emerged under Thibs. The entire FO group is from the player side of things. It was more about accommodating veterans than developing young players.
“But if you want to build a long-term, competitive, compete for the [title], you need someone who’s much more of a collaborator. But still, Tom was a great coach.”
Not horrible by Dolan standards but man, that’s some passive-aggressive BS. Just shut up and sign the paychecks.