New York Knicks owner James Dolan says he believes sexual harassment claims against former general manager and coach Isiah Thomas were made up, despite a jury finding otherwise.
A jury in 2007 found Thomas and Madison Square Garden each liable for the claims filed by former Knicks executive Anucha Browne Sanders, who was awarded over $11 million in damages.
In an interview on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel — which HBO claims is the first time Dolan has addressed the sexual harassment lawsuit — Dolan is asked if he believes Browne Sanders fabricated claims that Thomas called her a "bitch" and a "ho" and that he had made unwanted sexual advances when she was employed by the team.
“A bunch of it, I think she did [make it up]," Dolan said.
Dolan acknowledged that he "could have settled" the dispute and avoided a trial, but viewed that option as an admission of guilt.
“The fighter in me came out," he said. "I’m not gonna settle because that’s an admission of guilt, and we’re not guilty."
Browne Sanders was fired by Dolan after making her complaints known — the basis for damages in her sexual harassment lawsuit against Thomas and the team.
“I fired her because while she was working for me, she was coercing her own direct reports to come build her case to her lawyers,” Dolan told Gumbel.
A jury disagreed.
Browne Sanders, who has spoken about the lawsuit and her time with the Knicks in the past, declined to be interviewed by HBO.
Earlier this year, Dolan appointed Thomas as team president and partial owner (still pending WNBA approval) of the New York Liberty, which was met with public skepticism and disdain.
"I understood that there might be some people who were angry,” Dolan said before laughing as Gumbel read the headlines regarding his role with the Liberty. "It's terrible. What do you want me to say about it?
“We totally understood that, got it, accepted it — and not only accepted it, but respect it, their thoughts, their feelings around this issue."
But like Dolan, Thomas maintains Browne Sanders' claims were fabricated. He laughed in response when Gumbel read alleged quotes from Thomas.
"Never happened," Thomas said after each one. "Never happened."
The program begins with an uncharitable description of the WNBA and New York Liberty, saying their games might be "the last place you’d expect to find basketball royalty,” referring to Thomas.
A two-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer, Thomas has a long history of imploding storied franchises as a member of their front offices, as is detailed during the program.
Late in the interview, Gumbel asked Dolan why — beyond the optics of hiring a man found guilty of sexual harassment to run a WNBA team — he would appoint Thomas, taking into consideration his career failures as a front office executive.
“He and I are close friends, but I have a tremendous amount of respect for his skill and abilities,” Dolan explained. “Isiah’s a guy who doesn’t believe in his limitations.”
Dolan called the Liberty and the WNBA a "never-ending pit of money," and said he was ready to "just give the keys back" to the league before hiring Thomas.
"I didn't think I would get a better person to do that job than him. And he would draw attention to the team," Dolan said.
For Thomas, who was also asked why he decided to come back to basketball, the reason was simple: “I’m addicted, I love it.”
The HBO Real Sports interview airs at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday. A preview of the interview can be watched below:
