In a rare unscripted interview, New York Knicks and Rangers owner James Dolan said he hopes to one day pass on his company and teams to his sons, just as he inherited the sports portfolio.
Dolan is well-known for avoiding the media and the public eye as much as possible, with his new admission one of public speculation for many years. He owns the Madison Square Garden company too, valued at $4.5billion.
James Dolan inherited the teams from his father, Cablevision founder Charles Dolan, with the pair having periods of closely working together and public spats that showed distrust in one another.
Yet, a few months from turning 70, Dolan can never see himself walking away from his current position.
‘No,’ Dolan immediately retorted about walking away from his New York duo on the ‘Roommates Show’, which is hosted by Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart.
‘I could pass it on, right? But I could never walk away. We’re a control company. We’re controlled by my family – some of my offspring, my brothers, and sisters, and their kids.’
New York’s James Dolan said he hopes to one day pass on his company and teams to his sons
One of the Dolan children, Quentin, already has a senior vice president role at MSG Sports
‘The Knicks, the Rangers, the Garden: These are one-of-a-kind assets. My hope is that my kids grow up and take my place, just like I did with my dad. So yeah, I don’t see that happening.’
Dolan has had varying levels of influence over the Knicks and Rangers over the years, with the most recent championship between the teams coming in 1994, a few years before he had complete control.
The Knicks and Rangers have had two conference championship victories in his time as owner, on the hardwood in the 1999 season and on the ice in 2014.
Dolan has six sons, with 30-year-old Quentin Dolan already involved in the family business. Quentin is the senior vice president of player performance and science leader at MSG Sports.
How the power dynamic between the Dolan children would play out is unclear, with dad’s influence never too far away.
