The Knicks firing team president Steve Mills was just the latest reminder of how poorly things have gone for James Dolan’s team. After failing to land any of the star free agents last summer, the Knicks are headed for their seventh straight season without a postseason berth.
So how can the Knicks break out of this terrible stretch and get back to respectability? Shaquille O’Neal laid it out on TNT Tuesday night.
“When Mr. Dolan was walking out of the arena the other day, the whole crowd was yelling ‘Sell the team.’ So whoever he hires, I just hope he doesn’t micromanage,” Shaq said. “You need to let a guy be able to do his thing. When I was playing in Miami, Pat Riley ran the show. Micky Arison owns it, but Pat Riley ran the show. When I was with the Lakers, Jerry West ran the show. So whoever they hire, I just hope Mr. Dolan just stays out the way.”
If Dolan can make the right hire — perhaps Masai Ujiri — and leave that person alone, it could help lure superstars back to the Garden.
“I don’t really understand why people don’t want to come to New York. I’ve talked to a lot of players on why they don’t want to come to New York,” Shaq said, “and basically they said the management stinks.”
For more on the Knicks, listen to the latest episode of the “Big Apple Buckets” podcast: