Knicks owner James Dolan gave a rare peek behind the curtain in an interview with ESPN's Ian O'Connor on Monday.
In the story, Dolan addresses a number of wide-ranging topics from the Anucha Browne Sanders case to Phil Jackson's triangle.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the interview:
- Dolan wishes he settled Anucha Browne Sanders case out of court
The sexual harassment lawsuit Anucha Browne Sanders filed against then-Knicks president Isiah Thomas and Dolan's decision to fire her because of the suit is perhaps the darkest cloud that hangs over his legacy.
Browne Sanders was awarded a total of $11.5 million as a victim of a hostile work environment and for Dolan's retaliatory decision to fire her for her claims.
Dolan still maintains that the jury got it wrong and says that they could have defended themselves better in court, but also admits that it would have been better to settle out of court.
"The second mistake we made was that, even in defending yourself, you might come to the conclusion that there was no way to win the case, and so settle and get the thing out of the papers," he said. "That would've been probably a better decision then, too. So both decisions were probably not good, and I'm the guy in charge, so I have to take responsibility for them."
- Phil Jackson got 'yessed' a lot
When Phil Jackson was hired as Knicks president, Dolan decided it was time to keep his hands off the team. Despite his best efforts, Dolan had to eventually step back in to fire Jackson after things did not quite work out.
Part of the reason, Dolan believes, is because he was unable to sell his philosophy and that Jackson was "yessed a lot."
"It was much more about his philosophy, that he couldn't get the group to buy into it," Dolan said. "And I think he got yessed a lot. I think they'd be underneath their breath going, 'This is not a great idea,' and he got into conflict with some players over it. But I think he tried hard to get his system in. I just don't think he ever got it in."
- Jeff Van Gundy wanted Knicks head coaching job
While the Knicks were searching for a replacement for Jeff Hornacek, Jeff Van Gundy, who coached the Knicks from 1996-01, said he wanted to speak with them about the vacant spot before they eventually hired David Fizdale. Dolan said he did not know of this.
"I never heard that. He wanted the job? Look, I'll do whatever's necessary to help the team," he said. "If Scott (Perry) and Steve (Mills) said Jeff's the right guy, fine, but it was really their call. I didn't meet anybody else other than Fiz. They said, 'Look, he's our pick, I want you to meet him.' So I did. I wasn't involved in the selection process at all."
- Open to selling team, his family (shareholders), not so much
Well, he does not necessarily want to sell the team nor has he received any "bona fide" offers, but he certainly left the door open to the possibility. He added he has gotten "feelers," which he targets around $5 billion, but said it is ultimately up to what will keep the shareholders -- the majority of whom are his family members -- happy.
"You have a responsibility as the guy who runs the place to deliver on that for them, that's being open and transparent. And so in that position, I could never say that I wouldn't consider selling the Knicks," he said. "Now, my family is not in that position, and they are the majority shareholders. They hold the majority of the vote. ... As a majority owner, I don't want to sell, either. As the head of the public company, you can't say you can't sell, because then you're telling your shareholders that your own personal feelings about your assets are more important than their money. And they won't invest with you if you do that."
- Doesn't know how to be successful with Liberty
Dolan is selling his WNBA franchise, the New York Liberty, but says it is because he just cannot figure out how to draw fans to the games.
"I believe in the Liberty product. If you go to a Liberty game, they're fun basketball games to go to. But I'll be damned if I know how to get people to go to those games," he said. "...We've pumped tons of marketing dollars, we've done everything we can to make the team successful, and people don't come. I think it's the time of year and the perception that the sport is not as good as the NBA."
- On Harvey Weinstein relationship and claims he knew of his predatory behavior
"I'll answer what the court needs answered from me on it, but I just think it's ridiculous," he said. "...long before this ever happened, a year before this ever happened, I stopped relating to Harvey. I stopped being his friend because he had changed, and he wasn't behaving like my friend. He was behaving like somebody -- it was what I could do for him. In fact, I wrote him a whole letter about it and he never responded to it, until the next time I heard from him like six weeks later, and it was a request for tickets. And I'm like, 'I know you read my letter.' But I gave up on him long before that."
- Supports Donald Trump 'as a friend'
One of Dolan's other controversial relationships is with President Donald Trump, whom he said he supports "as a friend."
"You don't have to agree with everything that he's doing in order to support him," he said. "And he's, by the way, our president, and I don't understand people who wish our president to do badly. Why would you wish your president to do badly? It's like wishing that your milkman will bring you sour milk."
- Doubles down on Charles Oakley ban
Dolan is not wavering from his treatment of Knicks legend Charles Oakley, who was ejected from a game in 2017 and is banned from Madison Square Garden.
"He was out of control," he said. "Anybody else who went even half the way that he went would have been ejected from the venue. It just got too bad. He had to be taken out."
- Won't participate in potential Knicks parade
Should the Knicks ever do the unthinkable and win an NBA Finals under Dolan, the Knicks owner would not want any of the spotlight in a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
"I always [said] I wouldn't go on the parade because I didn't win the championship, the players did," he said. "I don't relish the spotlight with being the owner of the team. If we did a parade, I don't know if I'd go on the parade. I don't think I would."
- Media paranoia part of Garden culture
Dolan's clashes with the media is no secret, but the Knicks owner confirmed that his PR department keeps a clip-file dossier on reporters who cover the Garden and its teams and recommends all CEOs would be wise to do the same.
Yet Dolan is a staunch defender of the First Amendment, according to his brother, Patrick, who owns Newsday and is the former president of News 12 Long Island.
"Not once did I ever feel the slightest pressure from Jim to alter or delete or slant our coverage, although he was in a position to do that," Patrick said. "He always, always had News 12's back."
- Lent Tyson Chandler plane to visit sick mother
Dolan has a compassionate side to him, too, that many do not see. He is dedicated to raising money for pancreatic cancer research and he let Tyson Chandler use his plane to fly back and forth across the country to visit his mother who was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer.
"He always ... went above and beyond for his players in trying to make sure his players are comfortable," said Chandler, now with the Lakers. "I will forever respect and love him and appreciate him for what he did for me and my family in that moment, because that was the worst time in my career."