Even by the standards of James Dolan’s nightmarish reign over the New York Knicks, 2006 was a dark year. Some argue it marked the worst chapter in the storied – and often turbulent – history of the team. Just nine days before Christmas that season, Dolan’s Knicks were embroiled in a brawl with the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. The sprawling melee would become the biggest on-court fight in the NBA since the Indiana Pacers–Detroit Pistons scrapped during the Malice at the Palace. That 2006 December night, basketball sank to its most primal state – disjointed men trading punches instead of passes, prioritizing violence over victory. The Garden, once Eden, had wilted into a bacchanalia of banality, with Dolan its Caligula.
The degradation on display that night embodied the chaos of Dolan’s reign. Statistically, under Dolan’s rule there were worse seasons, like the 17-65 teams in 2014-2015 and 2018-2019. But the 2006 Knicks were an existential disaster on and off the court. After just a single season, Hall of Famer Larry Brown was fired as head coach. Their putrid 23-59 record was the worst in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks’ payroll for the 2005–2006 season was $124m – an impressive $74.5m above the salary cap and $62.3m over the luxury tax.
