The hiring of Leon Rose as president of basketball operations at Madison Square Garden has ushered in an unexpected period of stabilityEven by the standards of James Dolan’s nightmarish reign over the New York Knicks, 2006 was a dark year. Some argue it marked the worst chapter in the storied – and often turbulent – history of the team. Just nine days before Christmas that season, Dolan’s Knicks were embroiled in a brawl with the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. The sprawling melee would become the biggest on-court fight in the NBA since the Indiana Pacers–Detroit Pistons scrapped during the Malice at the Palace. That 2006 December night, basketball sank to its most primal state – disjointed men trading punches instead of passes, prioritizing violence over victory. The Garden, once Eden, had wilted into a bacchanalia of banality, with Dolan its Caligula.The degradation on display that night embodied the chaos of Dolan’s reign. Statistically, under Dolan’s rule there were worse seasons, like the 17-65 teams in 2014-2015 and 2018-2019. But the 2006 Knicks were an existential disaster on and off the court. After just a single season, Hall of Famer Larry Brown was fired as head coach. Their putrid 23-59 record was the worst in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks’ payroll for the 2005–2006 season was $124m – an impressive $74.5m above the salary cap and $62.3m over the luxury tax. Continue reading...