Science & Tech · Cybersecurity · 2 hrs ago
Knicks Face Backlash Over Ring Delays and a Phishing Test
The New York Knicks ended a 53-year title drought by beating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Before their new season began, Madison Square Garden employees received a fake email offering them a choice of championship rings.
The email was a phishing test designed to check whether staff would click a suspicious link and to strengthen cybersecurity.
MSG Sports said the company had recently been hacked using an employee’s login details obtained through a similar phishing attack, but called using rings as bait a mistake.
Knicks assistant coaches received empty ring boxes at the season-opening ceremony because their rings had not yet been fitted.
MSG Sports says it plans to give more than 275 rings and pieces of jewelry worth over $3.7 million to players, coaches, employees and others, though it is not clear which employees will receive rings.
The Knicks have begun defending their title, but the full distribution of the rings remains unresolved.
The New York Knicks’ championship ring distribution has drawn criticism after assistant coaches received empty boxes at a ceremony and some staff were targeted by a phishing test.
The Knicks won the NBA title by defeating the San Antonio Spurs, ending a 53-year championship drought.
MSG Sports said the email offering employees a ring fitting was a phishing simulation intended to strengthen cybersecurity.
The company acknowledged that using championship rings as bait was a mistake.
MSG Sports said it would give more than 275 rings and pieces of jewelry worth more than $3.7 million to members of the Knicks organization.
- Who
- The New York Knicks and their owner, MSG Sports, are at the center of the story. Assistant coaches and other employees were affected.
- What
- Assistant coaches received empty ring boxes at a ceremony, while some employees were sent a fake ring offer as part of a phishing test.
- When
- The email was sent in September 2026. The ceremony took place on October 20, 2026.
- Where
- Madison Square Garden and the Knicks organization in New York.
- Why
- MSG Sports said the email was a cybersecurity exercise designed to strengthen defenses against hackers. The reason coaches’ rings were delayed was that they had not yet been fitted.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs to win the NBA title and end a 53-year championship drought.
Madison Square Garden employees received an email asking them to reserve a preferred championship ring style; the email was a phishing test.
Knicks assistant coaches received empty boxes at the ring ceremony ahead of the season opener.
Reports about the delayed rings and phishing test appeared, and MSG Sports acknowledged that using rings as bait was a mistake.
- NBA title
- Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs
- Championship drought
- 53 years
- Phishing email
- Sent to employees in September 2026
- Ring ceremony
- October 20, 2026
- Rings and jewelry
- More than 275, valued at more than $3.7 million
6 sources
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Knicks reportedly duped employees with championship ring email that was actually a phishing test
New York Knicks slammed after staffers are 'denied NBA championship rings in cruel fake email ploy'
Report: Knicks delayed coaching rings, tempted staffers with phishing offer
Knicks reportedly turned fake championship ring offers into cybersecurity lesson for employees
What people are saying
The company had previously sent out an email to its corporate team as a simulation of a phishing attack designed to strengthen our security against hackers.
Using the rings as a lure to gain employees attention was an unfortunate mistake.
We are not disclosing anything about the rings.