You know an NBA team is in real trouble when even the commissioner feels the need to speak out. That was the case in late October 2007 with the New York Knicks .
At that time, David Stern, Adam Silver’s predecessor, openly criticized the team following a sexual harassment lawsuit. This controversy arose after a woman had filed and ultimately won a case against Madison Square Garden and the team’s then-general manager, Isiah Thomas. After the trial’s outcome, the late Stern didn’t hold back in expressing his thoughts.
“It demonstrates that they’re not a model of intelligent management. There were many checkpoints along the way where more decisive action would have eliminated this issue”, he said , per ESPN.
Harassment allegations that rocked the Knicks
Anucha Browne Sanders was the Vice President of Marketing for the Knicks from 2004 until her dismissal in January 2006. After her firing, she alleged that she had faced harassment from Thomas for two years. The legendary point guard was the team president at the time and later became head coach in New York.