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James Dolan to angry Knicks fan: "Start rooting for the Nets because the Knicks don't want you"

By Net Income
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

James Dolan got this email from a long-time Knick fan suggesting he sell the team, the most disrespectful line of which was "You have done a lot of utterly STUPID business things with the franchise."  Dolan's response was particularly vicious, suggesting the fan was "alcoholic maybe" who had "most likely have made your family miserable" and adding that he should "start rooting.for the Nets because the Knicks don't want you."

As reported by Deadspin, here is the full exchange... as shared by filmmaker Aaron Bierman, the son of the 73-year-old fan, Irving Bierman.

From Bierman...

Subject: I have been a knicks fan since 1952

At one stage I thought that you did a wonderful thing when you acquired EVERYTHING from your dad. However, since then it has been ALL DOWN HILL. Your working with Isaiah Thomas & everything else regarding the Knicks. Bringing on Phil Jackson was a positive beginning, but lowballing Steve Kerr was a DISGRACE to the knicks. The bottom line is that you merely continued to interfere with the franchise.

As a knicks fan for in excess of 60 years, I am utterly embarrassed by your dealings with the Knicks. Sell them so their fans can at least look forward to growing them in a positive direction Obviously, money IS NOT THE ONLY THING. You have done a lot of utterly STUPID business things with the franchise. Please NO MORE.

Respectfully

The response from the nearly 60-year-old Dolan, the principal owner of the Knicks, a member of the NBA Board of Governors and CEO of two publicly traded companies, Cablevision and MSG:

Mr Bierman

You are a sad person. Why would anybody write such a hateful letter. I am.just guessing but ill bet your life is a mess and you are a hateful mess. What have you done that anyone would consider positive or nice. I am betting nothing. In fact ill bet you are negative force in everyone who comes in contact with you. You most likely have made your family miserable. Alcoholic maybe. I just celebrated my 21 year anniversary of sobriety. You should try it. Maybe it will help you become a person that folks would like to have around. In the mean while start rooting.for the Nets because the Knicks dont want you.

Respectfully

Later, Howard Beck tweeted confirmation that the email was indeed Dolan's.

WOW.

Maybe Mikhail Prokhorov's promise that he could "turn Knicks fans into Nets fans" has some legs after all. But not with Bierman, who said he would "never" root for the Brooklyns. The Nets owner would not comment on the email exchange.  Meanwhile, Adam Silver wrote off the controversy --days before the All-Star Game-- as nothing more than a "consummate New Yorker" replying to an "unkind" email. His predecessor, David Stern, called the exchange "almost beneath the commissioner's duties."

Neither man discussed Dolan's suggestion that Bierman root for the Nets.

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