Knicks call for using fake championship rings to test employee phishing: ‘an unfortunate mistake’ they will hand out rings to employees

The New York Knicks appear to be pivoting after a report that the team used the promise of championship rings as a cybersecurity test. In a statement to Yahoo Sports on Friday, a Madison Square Garden (MSG) spokesperson confirmed a report from The Athletic that the company sent emails last month offering employees championship rings as a phishing test.

The company said it recently suffered a hack, which led to the test, likely spurred by Knicks owner James Dolan, who is known to be concerned about cybersecurity.

“The company previously sent an email to its corporate team to simulate a phishing attack intended to strengthen our security against hackers,” the spokesperson said. “MSG was recently hacked and extorted using an employee ID and password obtained in a similar phishing attack. Using the rings as a lure to attract employees’ attention was an unfortunate mistake.”

Part of the strangeness of the targeted phishing test is that, as The Athletic reported, many of MSG’s longtime employees weren’t going to receive rings at all. That includes some who work in the Knicks’ business operations — a role that would typically result in receiving a ring.

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The Knicks appear to be returning to that point, too: The spokesperson told Yahoo Sports that the company will give away “more than 275 championship rings and jewelry to players, coaches, staff and other members of the Knicks family.” The jewelry will total more than $3.7 million, according to the company.

Individual teams usually decide who, besides players, will receive rings after a championship, but many owners distribute simpler versions of players’ rings to employees of the organization.

Knicks players received their massive diamond-encrusted rings during the team’s home opener Tuesday, with the championship banner also raised in the MSG rafters. The rings feature a removable top that reveals a miniature Madison Square Garden.