Knicks assistants get empty ring boxes while MSG staff get a fake ring email

The Knicks ended a 53-year title drought, raised two banners Tuesday night and then handed their assistant coaches empty ring boxes. The Athletic reported Thursday that the assistants went home without rings, in part because they had not been fitted yet, and a source confirmed to ESPN that several Knicks coaches did not get one.

The Athletic described the coaches' reaction as ranging from annoyance to anger.

The worse part came from the business side. Last month, some employees in Knicks business operations and at Madison Square Garden got an email that said, "your Employee Championship Ring is here," with a choice of two options at "no cost to you," according to The Athletic. Clicking the link told them they had failed a phishing test and had to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class. Per the report, those employees are not getting rings at all.

MSG's answer was short. "We are not disclosing anything about the rings," an MSG Sports spokesperson told The Athletic.

The coaching delay has company. The Athletic noted that some Thunder rings were also handed out late after Oklahoma City's 2025 title. SNY's Ian Begley made the same point on X, calling the missing rings "unfortunate and understandably frustrating" but not unique to the Knicks. He drew the line at the email. "The subject that was used in the phishing email is just cruel, IMO," he wrote.

That is where most fans will land. Coaches waiting a few weeks for a fitting is a logistics story. Using the one prize every employee in the building wanted as bait for a security drill, then telling people who bit that they are out of luck, is a choice somebody at MSG made. Tuesday was supposed to be about the first title since 1973, with a second banner for the 2025-26 NBA Cup win hanging next to it.

What to watch: whether the assistants get their rings soon, and whether MSG walks back the no-ring outcome for staffers now that the story is public. The spokesperson's statement gave no sign of either.