Knicks owner James Dolan sent a second email to staff on Tuesday to “clarify” his position on why the club did not issue a police-related statement about George Floyd’s death, according to a source.
Dolan attempted to appease unrest within the organization with the Knicks, only one of the two NBA teams not to make a formal statement about Minneapolis police’s Floyd’s death which sparked protests, riots and looting.
Dolan angered against racism in his second email.
Here is the text of the second email as confirmed by the Knicks:
Yesterday I made a sincere attempt to provide my perspective on a very difficult problem that has no easy answers. I know how important this topic is for so many, and I don’t want there to be confusion as to where I as an individual or we as a company are. So, let me be clear: we strongly condemn and reject racism against anyone, period. It is against any value we care about.
My point yesterday was about actions and the importance of living your values. At Madison Square Garden, we have worked hard to create an environment of inclusion and mutual respect and these are the values we try to live every day. Racism arises from ignorance and it is up to each of us to understand that the person who works next to you is the same as you, regardless of the color or any other quality that makes us different. And any injustice towards a person is an injustice for everyone.
This is how we at MSG fight racism. We start from ourselves and, through our actions, we define who we are. This is how we can be an example for the world in general. This was the point of my message yesterday.
I am proud of the environment you have created here. I know this is a difficult time and that we will always need to communicate with each other about difficult problems. I will continue to do everything possible to help further improve our community. I know you will too.