New York Knicks owner James Dolan angry over pre-draft violations
New York Knicks owner James Dolan is said to be livid over alleged pre-draft violations committed by his team during Isiah Thomas' stint as president of basketball
operations.
Dolan, who is the chairman of Madison Square Garden, is known to have a close relationship with Thomas. However, the new information may have erased the trust he
has for the 12-time All-Star.
Lobbying for a comeback
The news could not come at a worse time for Thomas. The former Detroit Pistons star has been publicly lobbying for a comeback with the team. In a recent interview
with ESPN, he said that he can still win in New York, and that he was close to doing so before being mired in a sexual harassment suit that hurt his reputation.
Thomas, who was blamed for a string of losing seasons, said that he had targeted Miami Heat forward LeBron James when he took over the Knicks in 2003. He said that
he saw James as the Knicks' franchise player, and that he would have succeeded in luring James to New York had his stint not been cut short.
"I think if you take away that trial. I'm still there, we make the play-offs a couple of times and I don't know if Miami has LeBron or Wade. We may have had LeBron
and Wade," Thomas told ESPN.
The new of the pre-draft violations first came out in a report from Yahoo! Sports. The story claimed that the Knicks had held improper workouts with draft prospects
in violation of NBA rules. The league may issue a suspension on Thomas that may prevent him from being hired by NBA teams in the future.
Other teams are said to be demanding harsh sanctions against the Knicks if the team is found to have committed any violations of the league's pre-draft rules.
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