NEW YORK KNICKS TEST STAFF WITH FAKE CHAMPIONSHIP RING EMAIL

The New York Knicks sent employees a phishing test email in late September offering them free rings to mark the team’s 2026 NBA championship. “Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here,” the message said. It asked recipients to click a link and choose between two designs. Madison Square Garden employees who clicked the link had to attend a mandatory cybersecurity class. The test took place before the Knicks raised their championship banner on Tuesday.

At the ceremony, team president Leon Rose opened a box containing a 22-carat diamond and blue sapphire ring. Assistant coaches received presentation boxes with no rings inside. Two people familiar with the arrangements said the coaches had been told earlier that day that they had not yet been fitted for their rings. The coaches are expected to receive them later. The available accounts do not establish whether head coach Mike Brown received a ring at the ceremony.

The Knicks won their first NBA title in 53 years by beating the San Antonio Spurs in five games. Many long-serving employees in Madison Square Garden business operations will receive no championship ring, according to people familiar with the team’s plans. NBA teams typically give those employees less expensive replica rings. “We are not disclosing anything about the rings,” an MSG Sports spokesperson said on Thursday. Assistant coaches and executives for the Oklahoma City Thunder also received their rings after the team’s opening-night celebration last season.