The New York Knicks have faced criticism after an internal cybersecurity test falsely promised employees complimentary championship rings, only for those who clicked the link to be flagged and required to attend mandatory training.
According to The Athletic, which reported the incident through journalist Joe Vardon, the email was sent to a large group of employees towards the end of September.
Recipients included longtime Madison Square Garden staff and workers involved in the Knicks’ business operations.
The message congratulated employees on their supposed rewards and invited them to select from two ring designs, named Championship Gold and Garden Classic.
“Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here,” the email read.
It also promised that the rings would feature the same jeweller and craftsmanship as the originals, with each recipient’s name personalised on the jewellery at no cost.
Employees who followed the link to reserve their preferred design were instead identified by the company as having fallen for a phishing test and instructed to complete a compulsory cybersecurity course.
Test Linked to Owner James Dolan’s Cybersecurity Concerns
Sources told The Athletic that the exercise was conducted to address growing cybersecurity concerns held by Knicks owner James Dolan.
The test reportedly used the prospect of receiving championship jewellery to encourage employees to interact with the email, making the supposed reward central to the exercise.
The revelation prompted criticism online, with several fans describing the approach as cruel and humiliating.
One social media user wrote: “This is kind of breaking my heart what a cruel thing to do in the face of joy.”
Another commented: “You have to be a truly terrible person to do this.”
Other reactions included criticism of the decision to use championship rings as bait in a phishing exercise, with one user writing that teasing employees with rings was “just f***ing cruel”.
Another post described the incident as an “incredibly cruel and humiliating thing to do”.
Assistant Coaches Receive Empty Ring Boxes at Ceremony
The controversy extended to the Knicks’ assistant coaching staff, who reportedly received empty boxes during the team‘s championship ring ceremony at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.
Team president Leon Rose was the first person to receive a ring during the on-court presentation.
He opened a black box to reveal a championship ring designed by jeweller Jason of Beverly Hills.
However, when boxes were subsequently handed to the assistant coaches, they contained no rings, according to The Athletic.
Two sources told the outlet that the assistants had been informed earlier that Tuesday that their rings would not be available that evening.
They had also not been fitted for their rings before the ceremony.
The sources described the coaches’ reactions as ranging from genuine anger to annoyance.
Coaches Told Rings Would Be Delivered Later
Although the assistant coaches did not receive their rings during the ceremony, sources told The Athletic that they had been assured they would eventually receive their championship jewellery.
The report also stated that the outlet received conflicting information about whether head coach Mike Brown received his ring on Tuesday.
It could not immediately verify whether he had been presented with one.
While championship rings are commonly distributed to employees of NBA teams, the rings given to general staff are usually not of the same quality as those presented to players and coaches.
The incident has therefore drawn attention to both the treatment of employees who participated in the cybersecurity test and the absence of rings for members of the coaching staff during the ceremony.
Knicks Decline to Comment on Ring Arrangements
When contacted by The Athletic for a response to the reports, a spokesperson for MSG Sports declined to provide details about the ring arrangements.
“We are not disclosing anything about the rings,” the spokesperson said.
