The Knicks finally got their rings, the coaches got boxes

Imagine your employer had an excellent year and you were in line for an award, one you earned through great effort, extensive travel, and long nights. Instead of receiving it, however, you’re handed an IOU note at the ceremony. Or worse, you were gotcha-ed with a fake email about the award, just to test the company’s cybersecurity.

Your response might justifiably range “from genuine anger to annoyance,” as Joe Vardon of The Athletic puts it.

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When Vardon describes this very scenario in his latest report, he’s not talking about the slighted workers of a local plumbing supply company. He’s talking about the assistant coaches and staff of the world champion New York Knicks.

At Tuesday’s season opener, the presentation (broadcast nationally on NBC) made it appear the Knicks assistant coaches were receiving championship rings during the pregame banner ceremony. The boxes they were handed? Empty.

It came as no surprise to the assistants. They hadn’t even been fitted for rings, and the empty boxes were a token gesture so they wouldn’t feel left out. Token gestures can backfire on you, though, especially when they seem, perhaps, insincere. The Knicks coaches were upset, according to Vardon, on a scale from mild irritation to very spicy.

In quintessential Knicks fashion, the organization’s statement on the situation is, “We are not disclosing anything about the rings.” Because robots need not acknowledge the petty concerns of disposable humans.

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One of the most stunning quotes from Vardon’s piece is this:

“The Athletic received conflicting information about whether head coach Mike Brown received his ring on Tuesday and could not immediately verify if he got one.”

What? We can’t confirm if coach Mike Brown got a ring? What??

The story careens off a cliff from there. Vardon notes, “Many longtime employees at Madison Square Garden, including some who work in the Knicks’ business operations, will not receive rings at all […]. Typically, most employees for NBA teams receive rings, even if they are not as fancy and expensive as the ones the players receive.” Yes, some franchises reward the plebes, but not…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/knicks-finally-got-rings-coaches-085720696.html

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Publish date : 2026-10-23 08:57:00

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