Knicks Spend $3.7M on Staff Rings After Email Flap

WHO:

Newsday - The New York Knicks, Madison Square Garden (MSG), players, coaches, employees, and other members of the “Knicks family” are involved.

Newsday - Knicks assistant coaches Rick Brunson, Chris Jent, and Brendan O’Connor received empty ornate boxes during the team’s ring ceremony.

Newsday - Knicks legend Walt Frazier handed championship rings to players.

Newsday - An MSG spokesperson issued a statement acknowledging the mistake.

WHAT:

Newsday - The Knicks said they would give 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, employees, and other members of the Knicks family.

Newsday - MSG said the rings and jewelry are worth more than $3.7 million and are in recognition of recipients’ contributions and to celebrate the achievement.

Newsday - MSG called the email incident an “unfortunate mistake.”

Newsday - The Athletic reported that assistant coaches received empty boxes at the ring ceremony and company employees received an email congratulating them and asking them to click a link to choose a championship ring style.

Newsday - The email link instead sent employees to a mandatory cybersecurity class.

Mashable - The Knicks’ home opener began a public-relations controversy that had not died down, and the fake ring email angered people online.

WHERE:

Newsday - The ring ceremony took place at Madison Square Garden.

Mashable - The story involved the New York Knicks.

WHY:

Newsday - MSG said it had sent its corporate team an email as a simulated phishing attack to strengthen security against hackers.

Newsday - MSG said it had recently been hacked and extorted using an employee login and password obtained through a similar phishing attack.

Newsday - MSG said it used the rings as a lure to get employees’ attention.

HOW:

Newsday - MSG’s phishing simulation used an email that asked employees to click a link to select a ring style; the link opened a mandatory cybersecurity class.

Newsday - During a pregame ceremony, Walt Frazier presented players with championship rings, while the lead assistant coaches received empty ornate boxes.

(UPDATED October 24, 2026 16:04 UTC)

A championship ring ceremony for the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden turned into a public-relations problem after assistant coaches received empty boxes. Knicks legend Walt Frazier handed rings to players, but Rick Brunson, Chris Jent, and Brendan O’Connor were given ornate boxes with nothing inside. The team had said it would distribute 275 rings and pieces of jewelry to players, coaches, employees, and others in the Knicks family. Madison Square Garden said the awards are worth more than $3.7 million and recognize recipients’ contributions. Separately, MSG employees received an email congratulating them and inviting them to choose a ring style. The link instead led to a mandatory cybersecurity class. MSG said the message was a simulated phishing attack, designed to strengthen security after hackers used an employee’s login and password in a similar attack. The company called the email an unfortunate mistake.