As Knicks Owner James Dolan Remains Conspicuously Silent On George Floyd, Players Voice Support For Protests

While Knicks owner James L. Dolan has made it clear to employees that the organization will officially remain silent on the death of George Floyd, several Knicks players have been outspoken in their views on the subject.

Dolan, who pledged $300,000 to Donald Trump’s campaign in 2016, stands out for his silence on the death of Floyd, who was killed last week when former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Chauvin has since been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, and remains under suicide watch.

“We at Madison Square Garden stand by our values of a respectful and peaceful workplace. We always will,” Dolan wrote in an email to employees, which was obtained by ESPN. “As companies in the business of sports and entertainment, we are not any more qualified than anyone else to offer our opinion on social matters.”

Dolan’s email — and silence — stand in stark contrast to the reactions of the NBA itself, the other franchises and his own players.

Dolan’s email came a day after Commissioner Adam Silver wrote a letter to league employees on the subject. “I am heartened,” he wrote, “by the many members of the N.B.A. and W.N.B.A. family — players, coaches, legends, team owners and executives at all levels — speaking out to demand justice, urging peaceful protest and working for meaningful change.”

While the San Antonio Spurs have not released an official statement on Floyd, Gregg Popovich, the team’s president and coach, went off this week on social media on Trump and fellow Republicans Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham.

“If Trump had a brain, even if it was 99 percent cynical, he would come out and say something to unify people,” Popovich told The Nation. “But he doesn’t care about bringing people together. Even now. That’s how deranged he is. It’s all about him. It’s all about what benefits him personally. It’s never about the greater good. And that’s all he’s ever been.”

Despite the Knicks’ official silence, several players including Dennis Smith Jr., Kevin Knox, Damyean Dotson and Taj Gibson have either marched in protests or voiced their opinions on social media.

Smith Jr. was seen at a protest in his native North Carolina on Saturday.

Knox posted on Instagram images of Chauvin with his knee on Floyd’s neck next to one of Colin Kaepernick kneeling, with the hashtag #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd.

Dotson has posted several messages on Twitter, including one from Sunday saying that Floyd was an “alumni at my high school” and he’s “here to stand up for what’s right.”

Gibson retweeted a post from former Knicks point guard Baron Davis showing a white police officer in an altercation with a protester.

The fact that Dolan and the Knicks won’t issue a statement could not only impact the franchise in terms of its relationships with current players, it could impact potential free agents as well.

Kevin Durant, who chose the rival Nets over the Knicks and other teams, has already said the Knicks aren’t “cool” and this latest development surely isn’t in tune with the times.