Who is the New York Knicks owner James Lawrence Dolan?

Publish date: 2024-05-02

James Lawrence Dolan is the Chairman of Madison Square Garden Sports, which originally owns the NBA franchise, the New York Knicks. Son of American billionaire Charles Dolan, James has been associated with a variety of their family business chains. Over the years, fans have been less than warm towards the owner of the franchise, and perhaps Dolan has been far from the model head of management for the Knicks.

Dolan worked with Cablevision early in his career and was later appointed CEO in 1995. Although having Charles Dolan by his side, James has made significant individual decisions that later went on to shape the course of Cablevision’s future. 

He is in charge of sporting decisions for multiple franchises owned by Cablevision and Madison Square Garden Sports. James operates as CEO and chairman of the MSG Network and MSG Plus. But exactly how much do we know about the New York Knicks’ current owner, James Lawrence Dolan. 

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James Dolan Bio and Career

Born to Charles Dolan and Helen Ann on May 11, 1955, James grew up in Massapequa, New York. Although James harbored an inherent love for music and wished to pursue a career in the field, he later opted against the decision. He graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a degree in media and mass communication before starting his professional career. 

James was appointed to oversee various sectors of his father’s firm, Cablevision, and started working as CEO in 1995. He would go on to make significant course-defining decisions for the company during his tenure in charge. 

This is your occasional reminder that, instead of being an attentive, effective owner of the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers, James Dolan likes to pretend to be a blues singer, and he even has his own band, JD & The Straight Shot. pic.twitter.com/GDI9Y7Fb3I

— C.A. Shoultz (@HarrierMagnus) May 5, 2023

However, Dolan dealt with serious drug addiction during his early years and even had to stay in drug rehab in 1993. Nevertheless, James Dolan has excelled in his professional career in spite of a few failed business ventures, including Clearview Cinemas and Wiz Electronics.

James Dolan’s Net Worth 

James Dolan has earned a majority of his fortune owing to the Dolan family businesses. His father, Charles Dolan, is a billionaire, and it is James who currently executes all his companies’ operations on behalf of his father. As the chairperson of MSG and Cablevision and all the teams owned by the chain, James Dolan has an estimated net worth of over $2 billion in 2023.

When Charles Dolan’s Cablevision acquired 50% of the Madison Square Garden in 1994, franchises including the New York Knicks (NBA), New York Liberty (WNBA), New York Rangers (NHL) and Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) came under the ownership of the Dolan family. 

New York Knicks Previous Owners

Here’s a list of the previous owners of the New York Knicks since 1959.

Madison Square Garden Corp 1947-2021

CableVision Corp. 1997-2009

CableVision Corp, ITT Corporation 1994-1996

Paramount Communications 1989-1993

Gulf Western 1977-1988

Graham Paige Corporation 1959-1976

FAQs

How many owners does the New York Knicks have?

The New York Knicks have been collectively owned by Madison Square Garden since 1947.

Who currently owns the New York Knicks?

As CEO and chairman of the MSG group, James Lawrence Dolan owns the New York Knicks. 

Who owned the New York Knicks before James Dolan?

As founder of Cablevision and partner of the MSG group, James’ father, Charles Dolan previously owned the New York Knicks.

How much is the owner of the New York Knicks worth?

New York Knicks’ owner Charles Dolan has an estimated net worth of $2 billion in 2023.

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