Knicks owner urges players to sacrifice during playoff run

7 sources2 min read • Latest: Jun 16, 2026, 7:55 PM

Last updated Jun 16, 2026

Knicks owner urges players to sacrifice during playoff run
Summary

New York Knicks owner James Dolan addressed the team ahead of the NBA playoffs, emphasizing the need for personal sacrifices in pursuit of a championship. During a speech on April 3, Dolan encouraged players to watch their diets, get proper rest, and even suggested they might consider abstaining from sex for ten weeks. He referenced Spartan discipline while stressing the importance of commitment. Details on the players' responses to this suggestion remain undisclosed. Knicks head coach Mike Brown voiced his disagreement with Dolan's advice, highlighting his personal choice to not impose similar restrictions within his family.

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By the Numbers
  • Dolan's speech included motivational elements about the players' potential.
  • He recommended strict lifestyle changes, including diet and sleep.
  • Dolan's suggestion for sexual abstinence aimed to foster dedication.
  • Head coach Mike Brown publicly disagreed with Dolan's advice.
  • Player reactions to Dolan's remarks are not yet reported.
Latest Updates
  • 7:55 PMYahoo SportsKnicks players reveal team owner asked them to abstain from sex for 10 weeks during playoffs
  • 5:29 PMYahoo SportsKnicks Owner James Dolan Asked Players to Give Up Sex for 10 Weeks — Then They Won the Championship
  • 11:51 AMYahoo SportsDid Knicks owner really tell team to abstain from sex during title run?
  • 5:32 AMYahoo SportsNew York Knicks owner James Dolan urged players to abstain from sex during title run
  • 5:32 AMThe Guardian SportNew York Knicks owner James Dolan urged players to abstain from sex during title run
  • 11:58 PMYahoo SportsKnicks owner James Dolan told players to make sacrifices, including intimate ones, before NBA championship run
What they're saying
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The New York Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years may have been built on many things: Jalen Brunson’s brilliance, Mike Brown’s steady hand, a suffocating defense and a healthy roster when it mattered most. According to much-maligned team owner James Dolan, it may also have required a little self-denial. A video released Monday by the Roommates Show podcast revealed that Dolan urged Knicks players to consider abstaining from sex during what he anticipated would be a 10-week march to an NBA title, part of a broader appeal for sacrifice delivered shortly before the playoffs began.

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Dolan invoked Spartans in surprise April speech Owner urged 10 weeks of sacrifice to win title Knicks won team’s first championship since 1973 The New York Knicks’ first NBA championship in 53 years may have been built on many things: Jalen Brunson’s brilliance, Mike Brown’s steady hand, a suffocating defense and a healthy roster when it mattered most. According to much-maligned team owner James Dolan, it may also have required a little self-denial. Continue reading...

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James Dolan had a plan. And as wild as part of it sounded, it worked. The New York Knicks owner, 71, delivered a fired-up pep talk to his players back in April, which recently surfaced through Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart on their podcast The Roommates Show on Monday, June 15 — revealing […]

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