New York Knicks staff rewarded with empty boxes and phishing emails instead of 22

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The New York Knicks’ long-awaited championship celebration was marred by empty presentation boxes for assistant coaches and a fake internal email that promised front-office staff free jewelry.

Team president Leon Rose opened his black-and-orange box Tuesday night on the court to reveal a 22-carat diamond and blue sapphire ring celebrating the franchise’s 2026 NBA championship —a longstanding tradition for the winning team. But assistant coaches received presentation cases containing no rings at all, The Athletic reported.

The ceremony commemorated the franchise’s first title in 53 years , capped by a five-game victory over the San Antonio Spurs .

Seven league sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that assistant coaches were left without rings during the on-court festivities. Two sources told the publication that the assistants were informed earlier in the day that they would not receive their rings because they had not yet been fitted for them.

The empty boxes were added to the ceremony on short notice, and team sources described the staff members’ reactions as ranging from annoyance to genuine anger.

It remains unclear whether head coach Mike Brown received his ring during the event.

“We are not disclosing anything the rings,” an MSG Sports spokesperson said in a statement to The Athletic on Thursday evening.

Delayed ring distributions are not entirely unprecedented in the league. Assistant coaches and executives for the Oklahoma City Thunder did not receive rings on opening night last season, though assistants for both the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2020 Los Angeles Lakers received theirs during their respective opening-night celebrations.

While assistant coaches are scheduled to receive rings at a later date, many long-term employees across Madison Square Garden business operations — who typically receive less expensive replica rings from championship franchises — will not receive any championship ring, team sources told The Athletic .

Another sore point came in late September, when many of these employees received an internal email displaying graphics of two ring designs and offering a complimentary piece of jewelry.

“Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here,” the email read, according to a copy obtained by The Athletic .

“(Employee name), this one is on the house. MSG is issuing a complimentary employee championship ring. The same jeweler, the same craftsmanship, personalized with your name. No cost to you. There are two designs to choose from: Championship Gold and Garden Classic. Reserve the one you want below.”

Multiple team sources confirmed that the message was an internal phishing test initiated by Madison Square Garden .

Staff members who clicked the link were not directed to a ring selection page, but were instead required to complete a mandatory cybersecurity training session to satisfy company security requirements.

An MSG spokesperson later acknowledged the tactic, explaining that the organization had recently been “hacked and extorted using an employee login and password obtained through a similar phishing attack.”

“Using the rings as a lure to gain employees’ attention was an unfortunate mistake,” the spokesperson told the New York Post , adding that the company is still gifting more than 275 championship rings and pieces of jewelry — valued at over $3.7 million — to players, coaches and staff. A league source said that all assistant coaches would also receive their official rings shortly.

The Independent has contacted representatives for the New York Knicks for .

Tuesday’s ceremony also featured unusual logistical arrangements involving league leadership.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver sat on the court opposite emcee Mike Breen and the ring presentation table, refraining from speaking to the crowd or handing out jewelry — a departure from league custom, where the commissioner typically assists with ring distribution and greets each player.

Silver’s administration has long had a strained relationship with Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan , and a league spokesperson did not respond to requests for regarding his role in the event.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell also stood directly behind the emcee, remaining visible on camera throughout the broadcast.

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