New York Knicks: James Dolan’s most embarrassing PR moments
James Dolan embarrassing moments: Issuing a statement about not signing Richard Jefferson
After Richard Jefferson indicated on a Brooklyn Nets telecast that he was offered a contract with the Knicks but instead decided to retire, the Knicks thought it was a good idea to issue an official team statement to refute the NBA player turned commentator.
Jefferson made the comments while broadcasting a Knicks vs Nets game in November 2019.
"“I refused to play for the Knicks,” Jefferson said. “Like, Jason Kidd and Kenyon Martin, they don’t really care. Me, I was the one person that said, ‘Knicks? No, I’ll retire.’ That’s why I retired. They were the one team that offered me a job. I decided to retire.”"
The former Nets forward and NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers retired after the 2017-18 season, which would have put the alleged offer from the Knicks during the free agency period when the team was looking to add veteran players on short-term deals for David Fizdale’s first season with the team, or potentially before the 2019-20 season.
Richard Jefferson says he chose retirement over playing for the Knicks
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) November 25, 2019
(via @APOOCH)pic.twitter.com/2H5B9mIHF5
Less than 24 hours after Jefferson’s claim, the Knicks released a statement that said, “For clarification purposes, it is not true that the New York Knicks offered Richard Jefferson a contract in either the summer of 2018 or 2019.”
For clarification purposes, it is not true that the New York Knicks offered Richard Jefferson a contract in either the summer of 2018 or 2019.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) November 25, 2019
Whether Jefferson was telling the truth, or taking a dig at the Knicks doesn’t really matter. The fact that the Knicks issued a statement to contradict an off-hand comment from an NBA telecast shows you the depths Dolan will reach to settle a score. There’s no PR firm in America who would have advised him to do this.