Why even care about Knicks anymore?

In a press release Madison Square Garden distributed on Friday, MSG chairman James Dolan mentioned culture change in the Knicks hiring of Scott Perry as their general manager and Steve Mills as president.

This is his way of telling Knicks fans things are different since he did not hire anyone within the staff or hire his crony to be the general manager. Whatever.

Dolan saved himself from criticism by hiring an outsider to help Mills oversee the basketball operations, so he deserves credit, but to congratulate himself for creating a culture change is self-serving. It shows he knows Knicks fans don’t trust him after running the Knicks to the ground for 17 years and counting. Who’s he trying to convince? Himself or the Knicks fans?

The proof will come in results whether there’s true culture change or not. The proof will come when the drama at the Knicks workplace ends. The proof will come when it becomes basketball more than a sideshow at Madison Square Garden. That’s when the culture change takes place. Hiring an outsider was nice, but that should not be the be all end all.

Don’t tell me hiring Perry will cure whatever ails the Knicks. He has to show me before I can be sold. Sadly, Knicks fans have been told unfulfilled promises under Dolan. We all thought Donnie Walsh and Phil Jackson would turn this franchise around, and they ended up leaving with Walsh being forced out and Jackson wanting to be fired just to collect his $12 million to be unemployed.

After years of unfulfilled promises, I have had enough. Knicks fans should have had enough. It’s hard to root for this team when the same people that has been employed by the Knicks is on the payroll. It’s troubling Anucha Browne Sanders was fired despite being a victim of sexual harassment while guys like Mills and Isiah Thomas are still employed by Dolan.

Why root for these guys when Dolan has tarnished everything about the Knicks? This organization is not serious about winning. They are more about making money and attracting tourists. Under Dolan-run Knicks, professionalism is the least of the Knicks’ priorities. This team does nothing to respect the history of the franchise such as taking care of the past players or even honoring them. Under Dolan, Knicks history began in 2001 when he took over the operations.

The losing and the nonsense should get to Knicks fans. It’s been 17 years of this. How much can one tolerate? Under Dave Checketts, Ernie Grunfeld and Pat Riley, it was about winning and basketball first. That cannot be said under Dolan whatsoever. For him, it’s all showbiz.

There’s no question the Knicks greats in the team’s history are fed up. No one can blame them when they have put their hard work with that team. The fans? They want to be hopeful by hoping it would be turn around. After a decade of lousy ownership, this is a lost cause. There’s no faith.

The Knicks can talk about Kristaps Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina and next year’s draft pick as a reason for hope, but what good will it do if they can’t win? This is the same owner that ruined Carmelo Anthony’s career as a Knick. That should say everything about this franchise. There’s no reason to have faith in this team.

The Knicks lost the benefit of the doubt. After being run poorly under Dolan, there’s no reason to trust them. Executives and head coaches that have a respectable resume tend to flop here, and the players can’t seem to get it done. The point is the problem starts and ends with Dolan.

Dolan is not going anywhere sadly. He has no intention of selling the Knicks when he is making money, and he wants to be there when the Knicks finally turn it around. Unless he pulls a Donald Sterling by making a racist remark, NBA commissioner Adam Silver can’t force him to sell the team.

The Nets are likely to turn it around before the Knicks. At least, the Nets have a professional general manager in Sean Marks and a good coach in the making in Kenny Atkinson. This is a team that changed the culture in bringing a professional atmosphere such as decorum and transparency that fans can be proud of. If anything, the Nets are more fun to watch. No one can say that about the Knicks.

The Knicks can keep finding suckers, but this guy has had enough.

GO TRAIL BLAZERS!