The New York Knicks seem to be adjusting their approach following a report indicating that the team utilized the promise of championship rings as a cybersecurity assessment. In a statement to Yahoo Sports on Friday, a representative from Madison Square Garden (MSG) verified a report from The Athletic indicating that the organization had distributed emails last month to employees, offering championship rings as part of a phishing exercise.
The organization mentioned that it had recently experienced a security breach, prompting the test, potentially instigated by Knicks owner James Dolan, who has shown significant concern regarding cybersecurity measures.
“The company had previously circulated an email to its corporate staff as a mock phishing scheme intended to bolster our defenses against hackers,” the spokesperson explained. “MSG was recently compromised and extorted using an employee’s login credentials obtained through a comparable phishing scheme. Employing the rings as bait to capture employees’ focus was an unfortunate misstep.”
An unusual aspect of the targeted phishing assessment is that, as reported by The Athletic, several veteran MSG employees were not slated to receive rings at all. This includes some individuals working within the Knicks’ business operations — a position that generally entails being awarded a ring.
The Knicks also seem to be reconsidering that stance: The spokesperson informed Yahoo Sports that the organization is set to distribute “more than 275 championship rings and jewelry pieces to players, coaches, employees, and other members of the Knicks organization.” The total value of the jewelry is projected to exceed $3.7 million, according to the company.
Teams usually have the authority to determine who, beyond the players, will be awarded rings following a championship win, although many owners opt to present simpler versions of the players’ rings to staff within the organization.
On Tuesday, the Knicks players received their extravagant, diamond-studded rings during the team’s home opener, with the championship banner simultaneously raised high into the rafters at MSG. These rings are designed with a removable top that unveils a miniature replica of Madison Square Garden.
