James Dolan Is Winning on and Off the Court During Knicks' Run

As the New York Knicks get set to play in their first NBA Finals in 27 years, nobody is a bigger winner than much-maligned owner James Dolan.

Under the stewardship of Dolan, the Knicks lost more games than any other team in the NBA from 1999 – the year he took over the franchise – through 2020. They were a laughingstock and arguably the most dysfunctional franchise in all of professional sports.

Now the 71-year-old billionaire is giving out signed game balls to frenzied fans outside of Madison Square Garden and arguably the best owner among all the New York sport franchises. He’s the toast of the town and stuffing his pockets along the way.

The money train is rolling for Dolan

The Knicks will generate more than $140 million in revenue during their Finals run (at ~55% profit margins), and MSG Sports stock is now at an all-time high — up 45% so far this year, per sports and business insider Joe Pompliano.

The Knicks aren't just winning on the court.

The team will generate more than $140 million in revenue during its Finals run (at ~55% profit margins), and MSG Sports stock is now at an all-time high — up 45% so far this year.

Read more: https://t.co/VI7z7JoH8B pic.twitter.com/v4w9wBiqfv
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 1, 2026

This comes at a time where the longtime Knicks czar is weighing a potential MSG Sports tax-free spinoff of his Knicks and Rangers, valued at a combined $13 billion, to unlock investor value, according to Nate Wolf of Barrons. MSG Sports reported in May that it filed the paperwork to spin the Rangers off from the Knicks.

MSG Sports has an enterprise value of $9.9 billion while Forbes values the Knicks at $9.75 billion and the Rangers at $4 billion in the most recent team valuations. The Knicks heading to the Finals will keep the dough rolling in as more games means more money through ticketing, concessions and sponsorship opportunities.

On top of this windfall, Dolan’s $2.3 billion Sphere in Las Vegas is making seven figures a day with the AI-enhanced Wizard of Oz on the biggest screen in the world in 4D. That alone could top $1 billion in sales and Sphere's stock has skyrocketed 125% since last April, per Yahoo Finance. Dolan is looking at Star Wars and Harry Potter as the next big Sphere hits.

His Vegas investment has been so bountiful that he’s planning on building his next Sphere on the Potomac River outside DC, which is expected to generate $1 billion in annual economic activity, according to the Washington Post. Everything is coming up roses for Dolan.

This Knicks vs. Spurs matchup will be a ratings bonanza

The Knicks are guaranteed at least two home contests against San Antonio — Game 3 (June 8) and Game 4 (June 10) — with a potential Game 6 (June 16) if needed. These games at the World’s Most Famous Arena will mark the first Finals games played in the Big Apple since June of 1999, when these same Spurs won their first of five titles during the Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich era.

New York’s long awaited trip to the Finals is forcing fans to pony up thousands of dollars for the cheapest seats inside Madison Square Garden. Court side tickets are going for $300,000 a pop and get-in prices have soared into the $4,000 range. These are the most expensive NBA Finals tickets on record.

“We’ve sold tickets to the NBA Finals every year, and nothing comes close to what we’re seeing for the Knicks,” Oliver Marvin, the senior director of finance at SeatGeek, told NY Mag. “Demand is pricing in Super Bowl territory in a 19,000-seat arena. That’s 27 years of pent-up demand and die-hard fandom hitting all at once.”

Meanwhile, the get-in price for Game 1 in San Antonio has dropped significantly since the Spurs won Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. Tickets opened for more than $2,000 and are down to $647, per Tickpick. The pricing marks the greatest difference in two markets in sports history, according to Darren Rovell.

While long-suffering Knicks fans will have to empty their coffers to catch a Finals game, Dolan is riding the gravy train all the way to the bank.

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