According to a report by ESPN on Tuesday, New York Knicks owner James Dolan has resigned from his position on the NBA board of governors’ advisory/finance and media committees.
The confirmation came in the form of a memo obtained by ESPN that Dolan sent in July to NBA commissioner Adam Silver and copied to the other 29 owners of league teams.
In the memo, Dolan – who has been critical of the NBA and Silver in the past – said that he would refrain from attending BOG meetings going forward, suggesting that he would relegate those duties to Knicks general counsel Jamaal Lesane.
“Given all that has occurred lately, I have come to the conclusion that the NBA neither needs nor wants my opinion,” Dolan wrote. “My hope is that the Knicks will be treated equally and fairly as all other NBA teams. As you know, I am very busy with all my duties at MSG family of companies. I need to apply my time where I can be most productive.”
Dolan, who is also Executive Chairman of the MSG Network, did not relinquish voting power for his Knicks franchise.
The news comes amid a $10 lawsuit filed by the Knicks against the Raptors alleging the theft of thousands of confidential files; Dolan has requested that the matter be allowed to play out in the courts, as opposed to being decided by the NBA and Silver, who is friends with Raptors minority owner Larry Tanenbaum.
