HoopsHype.com Rumors

The Nets ownership is increasingly interwoven with the Islanders. They don't own any equity stake in Charles Wang's rising NHL team, but the Bruce Ratner - Mikhail Prokhorov combination will be the Islanders landlords in Brooklyn and have taken over the business operations of the Islanders as well. Moreover, arena ownership wants the contract to renovate Nassau Coliseum -- and believe they have an advantage over the competition, including Madison Square Garden, in that the Islanders have agreed to play six games in the new Coliseum if the Barclays Center team wins. Could MSG, that is the Rangers, stop them? "Sources" talking to the Post and ESPN claim they can. Ratner disagrees. Actually, things are beginning to get a little dicey between MSG and BC. The Post and ESPN report that the NHL and the Rangers would have to approve any games played outside the home ice of Barclays Center. "He made a promise that is not 100 percent in his hands," according to a "person familiar with the situation" quoted by ESPN New York. NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Mikhail Prokhorov, James Dolan, Madison Square Garden, NHL 

In an interview on Bloomberg News Friday, Ratner dismissed the reports with just a touch of anger, When asked don't the NHL and the Rangers have to approve it, Ratner responded, "the NHL has to approve it," pointedly not mentioning the Rangers. "Given the fact that the team has been there before, the fans are going to want it, I'm sure they'll approve it." he added. NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Mikhail Prokhorov, James Dolan, Madison Square Garden, NHL 

The latest chapter went something like this: Knicks get drilled by Indiana Tuesday night to go down 3-1 in the series. They are getting fried in a variety of media precincts, including the Valley of the Stupid. With the heat on, James (Guitar Jimmy) Dolan’s lackeys figured it wasn’t in their best interests to fuel the radio conversation by allowing Mike Woodson to participate in it. By banning Woodson from ESPN-98.7 on Wednesday, Garden suits created a needless controversy. Now that’s funny. The joke is on Dolan & Co. Pulling Woodson from his regular spot on ESPN-98.7 with Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco made the situation worse. It created another story that again made the organization look paranoid. The move also added to the perception (we would call it reality) that the Knicks are a free-falling team in disarray. New York Daily News

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Media, James Dolan 

Sam Amick: How's this for BOG flavor: Knicks owner James Dolan approaches @dakasler in Dallas hotel lobby to apologize for being rude last night. Dolan says he didn't mean to be rude when he was approached for an interview, that he was cranky that the Knicks had lost. Twitter

New York Knicks, James Dolan 

The 12 owners on the NBA's relocation/finance committee will make the recommendation on the future of the Kings: • Peter Holt, Spurs (chairman of the board of governors) • Micky Arison, Heat • Clay Bennett, Thunder • Jeanie Buss, Lakers • James Dolan, Knicks • Wyc Grousbeck, Celtics • Ted Leonsis, Wizards • Greg Miller, Jazz • Robert Sarver, Suns • Herb Simon, Pacers • Larry Tanenbaum, Raptors • Glen Taylor, Timberwolves Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, James Dolan, Wyc Grousbeck, Micky Arison, Robert Sarver, Ted Leonsis, Glen Taylor, Jeanie Buss, Greg Miller, Herb Simon, Peter Holt, Clay Bennett 

But Grunwald’s silence begs the question: How much is he truly involved in making the decisions. Anthony, Smith and Woodson are represented by Creative Artists Agency, which also has a relationship with Garden chairman James Dolan. "Obviously, everybody has a problem with the way they do business unless you’re Carmelo or CAA," one prominent agent said. Bergen Record

New York Knicks, Mike Woodson, Carmelo Anthony, James Dolan, Glen Grunwald, J.R. Smith 

Madison Square Garden boss James Dolan was so furious with a security guard who didn’t recognize him outside the swanky Delta Sky 360 Club that he fired her right on the spot, sources told The Post yesterday. But the hothead exec had a change of heart overnight — and the guard was back at her post the very next day, sources said. Dolan, 57, was walking into the exclusive club during Sunday’s Knick game against the Boston Celtics when security guard Fiordaliza Hernandez asked him for his ID — which he never wears, sources said. New York Post

New York Knicks, James Dolan, Madison Square Garden 

Instead of laughing it off, Dolan snapped, “Do you know who I am?” The startled security guard admitted she didn’t. Then Dolan demanded, “How long have you worked here?” Three years, the guard said. “I’m your boss! I pay your salary!” Dolan shot back. New York Post

New York Knicks, James Dolan, Madison Square Garden 

But rules are rules — and Dolan didn’t show his ID, so Hernandez refused to let him in, sources said. That’s when Dolan became so angry he yelled: “Give me your ID! You’re fired!” The stunned guard was sent home immediately. “I have to get new security in this building! I have idiots working here!” Dolan ranted, sources said. New York Post

New York Knicks, James Dolan, Madison Square Garden 

A British journalist brought a smile to the Knicks’ two stars when he asked a question that has grown stale in the USA: “Whose team is it, yours or Amare’s?’’ “It’s Melo’s team,’’ Stoudemire said. Anthony laughed. “No, It’s Jim Dolan’s team.’’ New York Post

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, James Dolan 

“It’s not about that at all,’’ Stoudemire added. “It truly isn’t. It’s about winning and doing what we can to improve and ultimately win a championship.’ ’’ New York Post

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, James Dolan 

STAT concedes he has not undergone a magical transformation into the extra defensive juggernaut the Knicks need to compensate for the loss of Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace. However, he is feeling more comfortable in an offensive system which no longer singles him out as a primary focus. “It’s coming,” he stated. “It will just take more repetition, more experience, more practice. Offensively I’m definitely improving for sure and my main goal so far this season is to get better defensively so I’ll keep working on that. “The timing’s definitely coming back. I feel just as good as I was before I was out with the injury. As far as timing, as far as explosiveness, I feel healthy and that’s definitely a positive. I think the minutes gradually improving is helping that recovery.” ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace, Carmelo Anthony, James Dolan, Marcus Camby 

Carmelo Anthony has no problem with New York Knicks owner James Dolan recording his conversations on the basketball court. The team's owner ordered technicians at Madison Square Garden to install microphones at either end of the court for last Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls in the wake of the recent trash-talking incident involving Kevin Garnett that led to Anthony's one-game suspension. League sources have told ESPN that the move was undertaken to protect Anthony, to see if opponents' trash talk was crossing the line, rather than "spying" on him. And the player involved insists he has no problem with Dolan's decision. ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, James Dolan 

"I got an owner that looks out for me," Anthony said at the Knicks' practice Wednesday in London. "You can't beat that for an owner to try to protect their players, to protect his players. It just shows how much loyalty Mr. Dolan has." ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, James Dolan 

Two audio technicians were stationed at two corners of the court — one a few feet just behind the Knicks bench, the other diagonally opposite — and they were holding those umbrella- shaped contraptions known as parabola microphones, which fed the audio into a DAT recorder on the truck on the loading dock. These guys had one directive from Dolan: Record every syllable Carmelo Anthony utters and absorbs while he’s on the court and on the bench, the Madison Square Garden CEO ordered them, and send the tape directly to me. Newark Star-Ledger

New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, James Dolan 

Frank Isola: Yes, that was James Dolan at the Golden Globes sitting at the "Django" table with his friend Harvey Weinstein. Twitter @FisolaNYDN

New York Knicks, James Dolan 

On one game night in 2003, two dapper gentlemen were sitting at a table in the suite, circled by 12 security guards with earpieces. Real motorcade stuff. In walks Dolan. Observers in the room saw Jim stop and stare at the scene. He then crooked his finger at a Garden official, which, with Dolan, is always code for: Get the hell over here. In a conversation in front of several guests — and in detail that has become Garden lore among employees — Dolan had the following discussion: "Who are they?" says Jim, eyeballing the two distinguished-looking gentlemen. He was told the two men were important foreign dignitaries. "Who are all the other guys," asks Jim. "They're secret service." "They can't have 12 bodyguards," says Jim, now completely irritated. "I don't care who they are. I have one bodyguard and I'm the owner of the goddamn team." "Well," says the Garden executive, overheard trying to lighten the mood, "You'll have to call John Ashcroft and tell him they can't have 12." And then Jim says (wait for it, wait for it), "Who's John Ashcroft?" Yahoo! Sports

New York Knicks, James Dolan 

Dwight Howard, Ryan Lochte and Gregg Williams were among the 25 men and women named to GQ's list of the least influential people of 2012. Mitt Romney, Amanda Bynes and Madonna headlined the group that featured other sports figures like New York Knicks owner James Dolan, former Boston Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine and disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. Howard was cited for the lengthy trade discussions that made "every American [hate his guts]," though that probably overstates how many people cared about Howard's trade status. Williams made it because he's "the rare person stupid enough to deserve being scapegoated." Dolan: "Does he have some kind of "stubborn [expletive]" gene that the rest of us lack? USA Today

Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Dwight Howard, James Dolan, Mitt Romney 

Despite sources claiming otherwise, Lin still doesn't believe Dolan made the decision a personal one. "Allan Houston was the one who called me afterward," Lin said of the Knicks' former star and current executive, "and he was like, 'Man, best of luck, keep in touch, and if there's anything you need, I've got you.' That was more like a friends phone call than a player-to-assistant-GM phone call. I honestly don't think [Dolan] was mad at me. It just came down to the numbers and the luxury tax." ESPN.com

Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Allan Houston, James Dolan, Jeremy Lin 

Heck, the Knicks have employees whose job is to eavesdrop on conversations between reporters and players. We’re talking established veterans who are 37, 38 and 40 years old being treated like children. And it’s not like Jason Kidd is revealing what really happened in Benghazi or giving away Dolan’s WiFi password. It’s a rather silly exercise, especially in a locker room with engaging and been-there, done-that players. Is it meant as a form of intimidation? Sure. Mostly, it’s a way of letting everyone know that Big (dufus) Brother is always watching. New York Daily News

New York Knicks, Media, Jason Kidd, James Dolan