Knicks coaches handed empty ring boxes at championship ceremony

The Knicks raised their championship banner Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. They handed out some rings, too.

Just not to everyone who appeared to be getting one.

According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Knicks assistant coaches were presented with championship ring boxes during the on-court ceremony. There was just one problem. The boxes were empty.

The assistants reportedly learned earlier that day they wouldn’t actually receive their rings Tuesday. They hadn’t even been fitted for them.

Some were understandably upset, while others were merely annoyed, per The Athletic. The coaches have been told their rings will arrive eventually.

But that’s only part of the story. Numerous Madison Square Garden employees apparently won’t receive championship rings at all.

That didn’t stop the organization from sending an email in September congratulating employees on their complimentary rings, complete with two designs from which to choose.

Sounds nice, right? Well, the email was actually a cybersecurity phishing test.

Employees who clicked the link to claim their supposed championship rings instead found themselves required to attend mandatory cybersecurity training. So much for celebrating a championship.

The Athletic also noted that NBA commissioner Adam Silver had an unusually limited role in the ceremony, while NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was prominently positioned near television announcer Mike Breen.

MSG Sports declined to discuss the rings.

To be fair, championship rings aren’t always distributed to every coach or employee on opening night. Some take longer to produce.

Still, empty boxes for coaches and a fake ring offer for employees probably weren’t what anyone envisioned when the Knicks finally ended their championship drought.