MSG staff were expecting championship rings, Knicks reportedly sent them a phishing email and a cybersecurity lesson

The New York Knicks became the 2026 NBA Champions in June, winning the glory after 53 years. The 4-1 final run became one of the most iconic of the league with video going viral all over social media. Fans took to the streets of New York to celebrate the feat.

The team celebrated their championship title on Tuesday October 20, 2026, with a massive banner night at Madison Square Garden. The players, including the finals MVP Jalen Brunson, wore white uniforms with golden highlights for the celebration. They watched the blue banner with ‘2025-2026 World Champions’ rise above them to the rafters.

The team were handed their championship rings by Hall of Famer Walt Frazier. Inside the black boxes handed over to them were the 22-carat diamond championship rings both designed and made by jeweler Jason of Beverly Hills. The rings have both diamonds and sapphires in the Knicks-blue which sparkled under all the lights. The rings feature white gold and about 800 diamonds.

Assistant coaches got no rings

According to a report by The Athletic, the assistant coaches and coaching staff were handed boxes without a ring inside on banner night. Citing two sources, the outlet reported that the assistant had been informed earlier on the day that they will not get rings, while the empty boxes were added later to the ceremony.

They were reportedly told that they could get their rings at a later date. None of them have yet been fitted for a ring as of the ceremony. According to the report much of the staff reacted with anger and annoyance at the information.

Who gets the rings lies on the organisation

The decision on which of the staff gets the ring relies completely on the organisation. The Oklahoma City Thunders did not give rings to the executives and assistants on their banner night after they won the 2025 title. However, the assistant coaches for the LA Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers got their championship rings on the night after they won the titles in 2020 and 2016, respectively, according to The Athletic.

A phishing email and a lesson in cybersecurity

As is usually customary the employees at Madison Square Garden had been expecting their own rings, albeit not as flashy as the ones players received. The Knick however, had other plans. According to The Athletic, the Knicks sent out an email to the MSG staff late in September 2026.

The email read, “Congratulations, your Employee Championship Ring is here”. It addressed each employee by their name, and told them the ring “is on the house”. “MSG is issuing a complementary employee championship ring. The same jeweler, the same craftsmanship, personalized with your name. No cost to you,” the email added. It even offered them to choose between two designs, the ‘Championship Gold’ and the ‘Garden Classic’.

The emails were fake, they were phishing tests aimed at identifying the employees that would be vulnerable to such an attack and click a link without verifying it. Those who fell for the phishing were then required to attend cybersecurity lessons, The Athletic reported citing sources.