James Dolan: I'm more patient than Mikhail Prokhorov

James Dolan's two big sports properties enter Thanksgiving week with disappointing records. The Knicks are 3-8, just like the Nets, and the Rangers are 11-11, not as good as hoped for.  He's still getting heat for firiing the GM of the Knicks, not revealing various surgeries, trying to find suitors for his best young star and coddling J.R. Smith.

Maybe that's why he decided to give his first interview in seven years and why he took a shot at his chief competitor, Mikhail Prokhorov.

"I really don’t compare myself with other owners. I’ll bet you I’m more patient than Mikhail [Prokhorov] is of his team," said the man who fired Glen Grunwald after the team's best record in 13 years. Dolan didn't explain what he meant and Vaccaro didn't ask him.

Dolan did highly of Prokhorov's will to win ... and spend. .

"I don’t get to see him much but he clearly wants to win, which is a good thing," said Dolan with just a touch of condescension. "He’s the only guy paying more taxes than we are which is a club I wouldn’t necessarily want to be part of with him (laughs). I think he wants to win, I know he wants to win, he wouldn’t be putting the resources in that he is otherwise. But, I mean, he’s still my competitor. As a person I kind of know him, I’ve had lunch with him but other than that I don’t really know him well."

A spokesman for Prokhorov tells NetsDaily the Nets owner will have no comment.

Otherwise, the Knicks owner had to deny Isiah Thomas, arguably the worst executive in the history of professional sports, will not be returning: explained the Knicks City Dancers were "tired" and so he's revamping them; said a management consultant provided the impetus for dumping GM Glen Grunwald; compared Carmelo Anthony to LeBron James and Kevin Durant and said he still thinks his basketball team can win it all.

• James Dolan dishes on Knicks, Rangers and the status of Isiah - Mike Vaccaro - New York Post