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 

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 

Mayor Bloomberg put a full-court press on Spurs forward Stephen Jackson before the player left a Knicks game Thursday with a sprained ankle. The Knicks ended up winning easily, 100-83. Fans reported Jackson tripped on a waitress, who was crouched on the sidelines with her back to the Madison Square Garden court while serving a drink to the mayor. “He didn’t fall on her,” Bloomberg revealed yesterday during a press conference in The Bronx dealing with schools. “He came close and I just pushed him a little bit.” New York Post

New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Stephen Jackson, Madison Square Garden 

After ESPN.com contacted the MSG Network about an ad seen in the New York area on Tuesday morning, the network confirmed that ad, as well as what is believed to be at least three other similar-type ads, would be completely removed from all its locations. "It's Friday night," the ad said. "You can either go out and attempt to pick up sixes and sevens or stay home and watch (Knicks guard Jason) Kidd dish out dimes."' ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden 

Marc Berman: MSG announcing will donate $500,000 to Hurricane Sandy Relief and host a telethon on MSG Network to support relief and rebuilding efforts. Twitter @NYPost_Berman

Madison Square Garden, New York 

You've been to every NBA arena and were at Brooklyn's preseason debut. Is the arena as cool/beautiful/swag as everyone says it is? KB: It's a cool place, in a cool place. Once you get past the oddly shaped and rust-covered exterior, the inside is truly spectacular. The highlights are the herring-bone floor and the way the lights shine on the court and leave the crowd in relative darkness -- a la Staples Center. Everything is shiny and new and smartly done. The deciding factor as far as how good an arena this is will be the crowd. The bar has been set pretty high six miles away at Madison Square Garden, which buzzes like no other place in the league when the Knicks are good and engaging a marquee opponent. Selfishly speaking, early indications are that the wifi signal made available to the media works and is super-fast. Based on how shaky/nonexistent wifi is in the majority of NBA arenas, this is the best thing about it, in my opinion. CBSSports.com

Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Media, Madison Square Garden, Ken Berger, Staples Center 

Baron Davis will have a multi-faceted role with the Knicks this season: He will spend some time around the team in an advisory role; he will work with Madison Square Garden's "Garden of Dreams" Foundation; he's expected to provide content for MSG's in-game entertainment and he may do some scouting for the team, according to two sources with knowledge of Davis' agreement with the Knicks. ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Baron Davis, Madison Square Garden 

Since word broke yesterday that Scott O’Neil, a man who has risen up the ranks since being first hired by the Nets years ago, would be leaving his post at MSG, I’ve spoken to several league sources and have come up with some notes of interest. One league executive, who worked with O’Neil at one point, told me that he would bet that O’Neil’s “main goal” would be “to sit next to Adam Silver when David Stern retires.” The Knicks Blog

David Stern, Madison Square Garden, Adam Silver, Scott O'Neil 

Speaking of Thomas one source confirmed that O’Neil and owner James Dolan “had some issues” because O’Neil “didn’t want Dolan and Isiah to communicate.” The Knicks Blog

James Dolan, Madison Square Garden, Scott O'Neil 

Frank Isola: MSG exec Hank Ratner sent out an email to employees to announce that Scott O'Neil is leaving, according to sources. Twitter

Madison Square Garden, Scott O'Neil 

More than 95 percent of Knicks season-ticket holders have renewed their plans during the off-season, while more than 90 percent of Rangers season-ticket holders have already done so, according to the teams. Last season, the Knicks’ renewals were over 90 percent and the Rangers’ more than 85 percent. New York Times

New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden 

Most of the increases in ticket prices are focused on seats in Madison Square Garden’s upper bowl, which has been refurbished. After opening 20 new suites last year, the teams will open an additional 58 suites that are roughly 23 rows above the rink for hockey games and 30 rows above the court for basketball games. More than 90 percent of these suites have been sold or have agreements that are being finalized. New York Times

New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden 

Madison Square Garden opened its doors to the news media Wednesday for a tour of the second part of a three-part renovation of the arena. The event was led by Hank Ratner, president and chief executive of Madison Square Garden Company. New York Times

New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden 

Among the many upgrades to the Garden, the easiest one to recognize is how the seating in the upper bowl has changed. Fans will now sit 10 feet closer to the court or ice, and the seats have been elevated by 17 degrees. New York Times

New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden 

You might think this callous right about now, in the short period after the news broke that Adam Yauch — better known to millions as MCA, one-third of the Beastie Boys — died Friday at the age of 47. I can understand that, but in all honesty, it's not clickbait; it's just sort of working it out. What you see above is an archived video of an event streamed on the Internet last year, when the Beastie Boys debuted their most recent album, "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two," at center court of an emptied Madison Square Garden, just hours after a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs. The headline on Y! brother site The Amplifier read, "Beastie Boys Outplay the Knicks at Madison Square Garden." Whether or not you like the record, that basically couldn't have been wrong, if you watched the Knicks' home games last postseason. Let's listen to it, together, and remember not only the art that Yauch made while he was alive, but the way it interacted with and was informed by his love of the game we love. Yahoo! Sports

New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden, Adam Yauch, Beastie Boys 

Howard Beck: Sad, stunning news about Adam Yauch. Met him at the NBA draft a few years ago. Big hoops fan. Couldn't have been nicer. RIP. Twitter

New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden, Adam Yauch, Beastie Boys 

So when will the refurbished Garden finally get its NBA All-Star Game? It won’t be 2014, but you can bet big on 2015, according to sources familiar with the situation. New York Post

New York Knicks, James Dolan, David Stern, Madison Square Garden