The Stern/Dolan saga throughout this past season:
From Nov 18th
http://www.nydailynews.com/s****ts/basketball/knicks/2007/11/18/2007-11-18_charles_dolan_tells_david_stern_that_jim.html
Charles Dolan had a recent talk with David Stern - you'll never guess
who it was about - and the news isn't good for Knicks fans who can't
wait to see Dolan's son, Jim, removed from his CEO position at the
Garden.
The elder Dolan re****tedly told the NBA commissioner, "It's Jimmy's
team and I've got bigger stuff to concern myself with," a Stern
confidante said on Friday, just a few days removed from the Isiah
Thomas-Stephon Marbury blowup that showed that the Knicks are a
franchise lacking leader****p.
If Jim Dolan is as entrenched as his father made it seem, get ready
for more losing and more bad hires whenever the younger Dolan sends
Isiah Thomas on his merry way.
While it's nice to think about having Jerry Colangelo or Kiki
Vandeweghe come in to try to get things turned around at the Garden,
Dolan will never hire a basketball person who wants complete control
over the operation, as Colangelo and Vandeweghe would unquestionably
demand, according to persons who have had dealings with Dolan on the
very subject.
Stern's comments from All Star Weekend:
http://www.nydailynews.com/s****ts/basketball/knicks/2008/03/02/2008-03-02_with_david_sterns_rosy_outlook_on_knicks.html
"I'm a New Yorker - I'm optimistic, at least for next season," Stern
said. "I'm not optimistic about this year - because of the numbers.
They're not promising. But I think they'll be better next season."
And most recently:
http://www.nydailynews.com/s****ts/basketball/knicks/2008/03/28/2008-03-28_david_stern_actually_praises_knicks.html
Of course, Stern has been working feverishly behind the scenes for
roughly 2-1/2 years to get Garden CEO James Dolan to hire someone like
Walsh.
"How would I react?" Stern said Thursday during a media conference
call to announce a series of preseason NBA games in Europe scheduled
for this coming October. "I think he's a basketball lifer and a
professional. When I have often needed basketball advice, he's on a
short list of people who I pick up the phone and call around the
league, just on basketball matters. And he works. And works. And
works."
In terms of having a direct pipeline to Stern, Walsh holds a special
place with the NBA commissioner, along with former Suns owner Jerry
Colangelo and ex-Lakers president Jerry West. Both were interested in
talking to the Knicks about coming in to run the team but were not
contacted by Dolan before he and Walsh reached a handshake agreement
earlier this week.
....snip...
To the contrary, Stern is more plugged in than anyone and has made it
his business to get the league's marquee team headed in the right
direction. But Stern refused to explain his role in the Knicks'
decision to bring in Walsh.
"The subject of my asks and my input is always covered by the
commissioner-owner privilege," he said. "But thank you for asking."
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