Leon Rose Hire Made Official
Today, James Dolan announced that Leon Rose was officially named the President of the New York Knicks. It was reported last week that the official date would be yesterday, March 1st, but it seems that the appointment didn't happen until today. In the press release, Dolan is quoted as saying that he is "pleased to welcome Leon to the New York Knicks as team president, and believe he is the right leader to build a winning organization for our fans."
Rose was co-head of CAA Sports's basketball division and was the agent of some of the NBA's biggest stars. On being the new President, Rose said that, "to be a part of the Knicks revitalization and basketball at The Garden is a challenge and a rare opportunity, one to be cherished, and [he] will do [his] utmost to make the fans, the City and ownership proud."
Shortly after the Knicks made their press release, Adrian Wojnarowski reported that there will be no press conference today, or any time soon, for Rose. Wojanrowski added that Rose will be in attendance tonight at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks's game against Houston, and that his plan is to stay "behind-the-scenes" until he's had ample time to be around the team. He did release a letter to fans, however.
In my article last week regarding the report that Rose would be hired Sunday, I went into some detail regarding the potential immediate impact the hire could have on the team. One additional impact minutes-distribution wise could be that Forward Kevin Knox II receives a bump in playing time. The sophomore contributed 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist on 4-9 shooting on Saturday against Chicago; Leon Rose and associate William "World Wide Wes" Wesley are connected with Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari. This connection, along with the potential shift towards a youth-movement, could lead to more time on the court for Knox.
