Getty President Leon Rose of the New York Knicks looks on during the third quarter against the Miami Heat.
New York Knicks President Leon Rose continues to avoid the media after declining a request from The Athletic to hold a press conference following Donte DiVincenzo‘s free agent signing, according to the sports news outlet’s Knicks beat reporter Fred Katz.
Last March, Rose marked his third year with the Knicks. In those three years, Rose had not spoken to Knicks reporters since head coach Tom Thibodeau‘s virtual introductory presser more than two years ago at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rose’s last media interview was during the offseason last year — a one-on-one Q&A with MSG Network’s studio analyst Alan Hahn.
The Knicks have declined a request from @TheAthleticNBA for team president Leon Rose to hold an on-the-record media availability. Rose has not spoken on the record to independent media in almost two years & has not done a solo news conference since joining Knicks in 2020.
Likewise, a request to have DiVincenzo speak with reporters was also turned down, per Katz.
The newest Knick will have his first media availability during the training camp, as opposed to the traditional introductory press conferences conducted by teams around the league a few days after a signing is made official.
The Knicks have also declined a request from @TheAthleticNBA for Donte DiVincenzo to speak with reporters. No intro news conference for him. Knicks say his first media availability will not come until training camp, when teams are obligated by NBA rules to make players available.
The Knicks’ silence is nothing new. In fact, it has characterized the team’s media relations under owner James Dolan.
A Columbia Journalism Review report in 2015 detailed the Knicks’ restrictive media coverage, which the report said started in 2001, two years since Dolan took over.
“As [Michal] Lee of The Washington Post said, “Sports are supposed to be fun.” Maybe, if he’d let anyone talk to him, somebody could remind James Dolan,” the 2015 Columbia Journalism Review stated.
Lance Stephenson Wants to Play for Knicks
Former NBA player Lance Stephenson hopes to return to the NBA via one of his hometown teams.
The Coney Island native expressed his desire to play for either the Knicks or the Brooklyn Nets after failing to land a roster spot in the NBA last season.
“I think it is time for a New York team. I want to play for the [Brooklyn] Nets or the Knicks, either one would do,” Stephenson told the New York Post during the AND1 30th anniversary of NYC Open Run Tour on Sunday at Kingdome in Harlem.
“I feel like I did enough for people to remember me and know me as one of the top players that played in New York,” Stephenson added. “I feel like I am just New York.”
The 32-year-old Stephenson was named the 2009 Mr. New York Basketball. After becoming the Big East Rookie of the Year with the Cincinnati Bearcats, he declared for the NBA and was drafted 40th overall in 2010 by the Indiana Pacers.
Stephenson played for nine different NBA teams and had career averages of 8.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Danny Green Could Be a Knicks Option
Aside from Stephenson, another Knicks option to fill in the backend of their roster is his former Pacers teammate Danny Green, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.
“He’d be an extra wing capable of guarding well and knocking down a 3. He’s a beloved teammate and would bring as much championship experience as anyone else would, considering he has been a starter on three different title teams and has played in 169 postseason games during his 13-year career,” Katz wrote.
Green remains unsigned after splitting his time with the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers last season following his return from a severe left knee injury.